I am scheduled to depart tomorrow afternoon, by train, for 3 nights in New Orleans by myself. Naturally the cat chose now to show up with an infected leg wound. Well, as for that, either daughter deals with it or he gets boarded at the vet.
More concerning, Jeff's definitely losing his mind this week. Last night he woke me up at 1:00 am with his delusional whispering. It was all about how he hears hissing, and the house is going to explode, and it's time put shoes on and get out now. He's not even talking to me when this happens, just sitting up in bed whispering. I think I finally got him to shut up and go back to sleep by 1:30.
But he's at it with gusto this morning, wandering around, "reading" every surface in the house: "Helen, Chase, Gordon...coming over now." Or "Paula is coming up the stairs with tears in her eyes..."
Now he's on the elliptical trainer. Very normal. The rambling around the house is normal too. But the delusional reading and whispering are escalating, and I'm leaving his sister with it for 4 days. Is this crazy?
I guess I can turn around and fly home 2 days early, and I need to stress this possibility with her.
Emily--I don't know what meds Jeff is on, but Steve started talking to himself when his psych meds started wearing off. I didn't know that was the cause, just attributed it to disease progression. His wasn't whispering, I'd call it more angry muttering. His reflection in the mirror particularly set him off, so I covered all reflective surfaces, but the agitation continued. It wasn't until he was admitted to the geripsych ward that I found out he was behaving like an unmedicated patient. Once his meds were adjusted (bigtime), the muttering stopped.
Have you ruled out simple stuff like a UTI? Paranoia is a symptom of demetia, and there are meds to address it, but it sounds like this came on suddenly. Steve's symptoms always started out gradually and built to a crescendo. And I wouldn't start a new med if you're leaving town.
I presume his sister is coming to your home vs. taking him to hers? Might not be a great time for him to stay somewhere else. Sorry to hear this happened right before your getaway.
She is coming here, and can compare notes with my daughter who is at home.
Jeff is only on aricept and namenda, plus one bp and one triglycerides med, all of which he's been on for years. No, we don't want to start anything new until I get back, but this is definitely something that will require consultation. He is not behaving unmanageably in any way, and has his usual placid demeanor. We've just added more seeing things. It's not brand new, it's just the amount of time he spends doing it has stepped-up quite a bit.
it could escalate with your leaving. he will more than likely notice your absence but even so i hope you make the trip to try to relax. llike you say you can always come home early if needed but that should be the last option. like marilyn suggests i think i would test his urine with otc azzo strips to see how his urine is just to play it safe. if its normal chalk it up to the disease. i tend to beleive they feed off our emotions so if you are ansy yourself he may pick up on this too. safe trip, let us know how you fair.. divvi
Luckily his sis is a trooper, has managed my mom-in-law's declining years dementia, and has a great relationship with Jeff. I just don't want her to go without sleep.
I assume the urine testing strips are otc? I will look into that.
AZZO strips in your local walgreens or cvs isles. ask for them. yes otc and you just run clean urine over the strip and wait the time indicated. its a good source to get an idea.
Thanks for the tip divvi! The UTI strip test came back neg, but it was easy, and good to know. (I used to want those for myself back in the days when I had this problem more frequently. I'm sure I will avail myself of this again.)
So, guess it's good old AD.
The cat, btw, is on the mend after a morning trip to the vet, a shave of his abscess, a shot of antibiotic, and a laser zap to speed healing. If only AD were as easy to deal with!
The standard advice for us dementia caregivers is always to "take care of ourselves". I agree, but this thread is a good example of why that is so difficult. Here Emily is trying to get a short respite and look at all the concerns she is dealing with. Frankly, I'm at the point where the old "take care of yourself" is irritating; it's easier said than done!
It will be post-Mardi Gras. As for careful, yes. I'm staying in a busy central area, and sticking to the well-trampled paths. To go outside the safety zone, I will join a bicycle tour. So no worries.
I am glad the kitty is on the mend. I also hope you will be able to enjoy your trip! With two caregivers that love him, all should be alright for just a few days. Relax and enjoy! ☼