There are 5.4 million people who have Alzheimer's. It cost 183 billion dollars in annual costs. Alz's is the 6th leading cause of death.
To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.
WE LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US
1 John 4: 9-10

Mom and Dad Happy Times.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Winter Wonderland Again






This is our second big snow of the season. We have been without a good snow for years and we had two already this year. Lately we have just been getting nasty ice. I like the snow better.




Mom is napping I told her we had a big snow storm but she made no comment. She ate a good breakfast and was happy to get in her easy chair. Some people look forward to the day when all they have to do is eat and sleep. No more getting up in the morning and going to work. Well I think that may be over rated. Look out for what you wish for.



My son is playing his piano. He finally came home. I was glad to see him.
Doing homework and playing on his guitar, banjo or piano keeps him busy at home.He also can play the trumpet but we sold it on Ebay. We have music all the time. Mom used to yell when he played his trumpet or guitar but now she just sleeps. Those were the good old days.


I told him if he gets bored he can go shovel the driveway. I won't hold my breath. :)

Friday, January 29, 2010

Thick-it or ThickenUp


I finally got mom some stuff to thicken her drinks. I ask the hospice nurse for some. It is working great. Mom is not choking at all on her liquids. I even put some in soup. She ate it but still likes Oatmeal better. I would rather used Potato Flakes to thicken soup so she can get more nutrition.


Ours is called Thicken up. It works great. You can make it just a little thick where it will go though a straw or real thick like pudding and you can use a spoon. Depends on if mom will drink or won't rather I use straw or spoon. She is different every meal.


We are getting so much snow. It is very pretty. About 5 inch's and still snowing. I am glad to be in the nice warm house. My son got snowed in at his girlfriends. Not sure if on purpose or accident. What do you think?

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

My Big Mouth!!!

Today is Wed. no Aid or Nurse today. So I thought. That is what I get for only being nice when we have company. The real me is crazy and sometimes down right mean.

I was in the shower and my son was getting ready to leave for class. Well the water got ice cold . I yelled you better of had to use the bathroom really bad. I am going to kick your " I should of said butt " but said the other word. I really was kidding. He hates using my moms bathroom because you have to go though her bedroom but I just thought he had to really bad and flushed the toilet. I really was yelling just to be silly. Than I heard a knock on the bathroom door. I stuck my head out of the shower and said what. He said "mom the aid is here" . I said ok. What else is there to say.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Snow And Ice Coming

Winter is coming back. We had a few nice days lately. Temperatures in the 60's but now we are under a winter storm watch. Going to rain than turn into freezing rain and than snow . I just hope the power stays on. It has been a year to this date since we had our last ice storm and we were without power for days. Some for weeks.

Update on moms rash. It looks better to me. The Hospice Home was out of the good medicine so keeping diaper rash med. on it. So far so good. I have been cleaning under her breast and her fat rolls everyday. Putting on lots of Diaper rash med. Even on the days the aid does not come. Aren't you proud of me? Well I hate it . But doing it with a smile on my face. Really. At least I don't worry about it so much. The first night after the aid found it I could not sleep.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Fat Rolls

Yes I am talking about the rolls of fat around our tummies and our back fat . I hate back fat. The fat that hangs over your bra kind of under the arm or over the back.
Mom is losing weight due to poor eating habits but I think that makes her jelly roll or spare tire even worse. All that lose fat. I work hard and so does the aid cleaning and putting lotion or rash med. in between them to keep them clean and fresh. But the aid found a raw spot under a roll I have never even noticed. It is a few inch's under her left arm. Starting under her breast and going all the way round to her back. Oh, that nasty back fat. It is a small roll but it has a raw spot or rash. We make sure she has lotion under her breast always but we missed that little roll. We have it covered in diaper rash med. right now but Monday the aid is bringing some real good med. to put on it that will heal it right up she said. Thank goodness she found it. Darn I am mad at myself. Remember I had gotten lazy on days when the aid did not come.Time for me to get unlazy. Doubt I will but I sure need too.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Choices

I have ran out of things to write about. In my earlier post my mind was full of things to share. But now everything is at a stand still. We are all just waiting for Mom to forget how to swallow. Or stop going to the bathroom. If she can't swallow anymore we have to make the choice to stop feeding her or put a tube in her tummy and feed her that way. And if she stops using the bathroom. We will have to start putting in a catheter. The nurse would have to come everyday to change it and clean it I guess. We are waiting for mom to get fluid in her lungs and she we come down with pneumonia.Or if she gets an UTI. I have to decide if I want to give her medicine to make her better or just let nature take it's course. Moms nurse said many Alz's patients die from Urine Track Infection's.
She will start losing weight no matter how much I get her to eat. She will get pressure sores even if I turn her every hour because of her skin breakdown.
We are also waiting for when her brain forgets to tell her to take a breath or tell her heart to take a beat. All these things the Hospice counselor has told me might happen. Do I send her to the Hospice Home to finish out her days when these things start happening or do I let her stay home and hope she goes peacefully in her sleep. It might be months or years before any of these things happen but it could be tomorrow. It is just a waiting game now.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Waiting on the Aid

Hello all! I have nothing really to post. Everything is the same. Chilly outside, Mom sitting in her wheelchair waiting for the Aid to come and give her a bath and shampoo. My son is sleeping due to the 3 day weekend no classes today. He was sad the Cowboys lost to the Vikings yesterday. And said he was tired of football so did not watch the Chargers and Jets. I think if the Cowboys would of won he would not be tired of football.
My inside outside cat is begging to go out. He just came in 5 min's. ago. Just like a man a pain in the bottom.
Are any of you on Facebook? Since joining Facebook I have connected with a lot of friends from school. It is great fun to look into there lives. Facebook is also a way to see what is going on in my family that I would not really know if not on Facebook. A nice way to be nosey without them really knowing it. My son won't let me be his friend but his girlfriend is my friend . So Ha! to him.
The aid just came so better get off of here and pretend to be doing something constructive.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Say Yes Or No.

I was changing mom this morning and she was talking away. I was not listening again I guess and was just saying Ahmmm something like that. She yelled "Say yes or No and lets get on with it". But I never did figure out what we were going to get on with.

My son is back in class today. The snow is melting . It is 30 degrees out . A heat wave for sure.

I have a few new followers I want to welcome and Thank you for stopping by. And Hi to all my old friends. I enjoy your comments. Since the holidays I have gotten so behind on your post. I am going to try to catch up today. Things are almost back to normal. Our normal is not normal to most people but I am ready for it. There as been people in and out everyday since Christmas. Teenagers , Family and Friends. I will miss them that is for sure. But a day of rest will be nice. Tomorrow It will be boring around here again.

My son and his girlfriend took me to Olive Garden last week and I could get out of the house almost everyday if I wanted to because someone was here to stay with mom. It was to cold to want to go anywhere but I could if I wanted. That makes all the difference.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Packed Full Of Info.




Hi, everyone. It is 9 degrees out today. Burrr . We still have snow from Christmas . Just a little but it won't melt. I am ready for spring.






I was changing mom the other day and she said "I going to bite you" So I said " I'll bite you back" and she just started laughing. That was cool.






I have some book's and a CD with some great info. on caregiving for Alz's. patients. It is from 2008 but still full of good stuff . If one of you wonderful blogger friends of mine what them give me a yell at khz@cox.net and I will send them to you. First come first serve. It is not a giveaway. Just a regift. My newphew gave them to me along time ago and they have helped me alot. Now time to pass them on.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Mom's New Do.



I finally got around to cutting mom's hair. After the aid washed it this morning I got busy. What do you think? If she would open her eyes it might be better.


We had freezing rain last night . Just a little on top of our snow we also got yesterday and the night before. Not much but enough to close some schools on there first day back from Christmas break.I bet a few kids were happy. Mine is bored and whats to start his new classes at the UofA. But they don't go back till the 7th.

I took a picture of our messy backyard. With the snow it looks kind of nice.

My son and his girlfriend are playing scrabble. They ask me to play but I had to ask them how to spell scrabble so I could put it in my post . So no I don't want to play.

Arkansas won the Liberty Bowl which makes us all happy. Even mom with her new haircut.


Saturday, January 2, 2010

2010

2010 does sound good. One of my blogger friends says she likes the sound of 2010. I do too.
New Years Eve was good. My son got home safe and sound so that makes it a great New Years Eve.
I put mom to bed early and napped on the sofa. My plans were to watch the ball drop in New York. If my son, sister and niece had not texted to tell me Happy New Year I would of slept till morning.
Mom is still on her maple and brown sugar oatmeal diet. She says "that taste good" so oatmeal it is.
I am getting lazy. I find myself not wanting to dress her on the days the aid does not come.Than at night I don't want to put her gown on. We have been doing night shirts. They look like t-shirts and I can just let her sleep in it than put a new one on in the morning . That is working for now. Not being lazy should be my new Years resolutions. I don't think so. Happy New Year To All.

The Early, Mild to Moderate and Advanced stages of Alzheimer's in the brain.

The Early, Mild to Moderate and Advanced stages of Alzheimer's in the brain.

Seven Stages of Alzheimer's

1. No sign of congnitive impairment. 2. Very mild congnitive decline. 3. Mild congnitive decline. 4. Moderate congnitive decline. 5. Moderately severe congnitive decline. 6. Severe congnitive decline. 7. Very severe congnitive decline. (Congnitive pertains to the mental process of perception, memory, judgement, and reasoning, as contrasted with emotional and volitional processes.)

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