I need help/advice. DH has taken a shocking turn in the past couple of days, and I'm beside myself. He was semi-self functioning at the beginning of the week, and is now completely non functioning. He can't dress, feed, bathe, communicate, talking jibberish, etc. I think he may be hallucinating as well. He has lost the ability to indenify objects, as well. How can this happen so fast? It is so painful. I'm just astonished at how fast this happened. Is this "normal"? Whatever that is. He has an appt with PCP Monday morning, so I can rule out any medical issues. I'm cleaning the bathoom everytime he goes in there, but I suspect at this rate he'll stop going in there and just go wherever. Any advise or shared experiences are so appreciated. I'd like to get some feed back before I call my son & daughter in law. I've been crying all morning. Thanks in advance for anything you can share! {{{HUGS}}}
Diane V---With such a significant variety of changes and all so fast my instinct says get him to an ER. It could be as simple a UTI or as serious as a Stroke. I don't know his Dx, but my DH has VaD and I've seen bits and pieces of what you're describing, when he's had TIAs (lots ofTIAs).
Strokes can be silent and can cause varieties of symptoms--not just the classic ones we usually hear of. It depends on the part(s) ofthebrain affected.
Diane V, I can't offer any advice but you have my sympathy and prayers. This disease is nothing but a B***H and a rotten one at that. Try to take is easy and I hope you tell his PCP all of what has gone on. Take care and God Bless.
Within the past month my husband also has taken a very very fast downturn in his functioning abilities. I tooo cry alot, it's ok. It hurts really bad. Since I am very new at this and am learning, I don't know if it is normal progression or not. I am glad you are seeing a Dr. on Monday. But I share your heart break and shock when all of a sudden they are worse. Look through the old archives, I have had much luck and support finding say a 2007 post and reading where something like that happened to someone else. Bless your heart, I am sending love and blessings--and I really really feel for you, Marie
DianeV, if you do take him to the ER, do not leave him. Stay with him and avoid paralytics and sedatives. This disease progresses at its own rate with each individual. My husband has been non-functional for well over a year. He walks and goes to the bathroom if I take him and pull his pants down and up and wipe him and get him to sit. I feed, dress, bathe, clean and brush his teeth/dentures, shave, shampoo him. He wasn't nearly so bad until a seizure sent him to the ER in an ambulance and they would not let me go back with him. BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE!!! They only cared about getting him under control, not what was in his best interest. They drugged him up with Versed, Norcuron, and morphine and put him into respiratory arrest. He ended up in ICU and never recovered. I never got back there until he had been revived, totally knocked out and had an airway in. It will never happen again. I never leave him now. He cannot communicate and I now carry a POA and his DNR everywhere I go. Nobody does anything to him unless I say so. You don't have to be a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to know what is best for your LO. God never gives us more than we can handle! That which cannot kill us makes us stronger!!!
Diane, trust your gut instincts. If you feel his changes are too quick to be "just normal progression", than there probably is an underlying reason for these abrupt changes. Many of us have seen how something as "simple" as a UTI can send our loved ones on a fast downward spiral. Lynn's hallucinations were amplified significantly when he had a UTI.
I do of course agree with Linda, never leave them alone. They can't speak for themselves and they need us there to help and protect them as much as sooth them. I was only told once that I couldn't go in with Lynn... I went with him. They can't keep you from him, especially if you are his POA or legal guardian. Even when he had various scans, I put on a vest and was there with him.
Only you know if his symptoms warrant an ER visit. I am truly hoping it is something minor and that your dear husband will be able to rebound. You are both in my thoughts and prayers. ((Lots and Lots of hugs))
Thanks everone. He's been sleeping all day. I've been laying in bed with him for the past 2 hours, just listening to him breathe, and he's been mumbling in his sleep as well. I just want him to know, if he can, that I'm there for him. I do have POA, so if something happens and he needs to go to the hospital, It's sitting next to my purse. Thanks for all the great advise. For now, I'm going to let him sleep.
Diane, I agree it might be a UTI, which is pretty easily medicated.. you can get the strips at Walmarts or wherever to hold in the urine stream and see if there's an infection. I once even blotted up a Depends to get a reading. And if he does have it, your doctor may be willing to phone in an antibiotics prescription.
With strokes, I don't know what good going to the ER does. I avoided the place like the plague until he broke his hip after a couple of disastrous TIA visits early on that hospitalized him for lengthy periods.