Happy New Year

[MaNaAk]

I just want to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Onthe 6th January 2018 Dad would have had his diagnosis for two years eventhough I noticed his symptoms at least nine months before. His Alzheimers is now moderate (and I believe he may have lost a couple of points when he had the falls) but he is still on the lowest dose of donepezil and thye are thinking of putting his thyroxine up. He still cooks with my encouragement and he comes for a walk with me.

My achievements are as follows:

1 POA was registered.

2 The carers are established.

3 Dad is as happy and healthy as he can be.

4 I am gradually adapting our home to make it as safe as possible for dad.

5 Dad now has biometric residency and this is enabling us to proceed with AA (fingers crossed for this).

MaNaAk

 

[chickenlady]

Happy new year to you too, may 2018 bring more successes and a settled time for your father

 

[marionq]

Manaak I think you've hit on something very useful. As well as wishing a good New Year the idea of listing achievements may well help some members.

I spend a lot of time thinking about what is wrong but the optimist in me wants to be positive.

If we make a list of what has improved or gone better amongst the dross then 2018 might benefit.

So, John is gradually deteriorating but he is happy even when I'm not. We continue to get great service from our GP practice and his psychiatric consultant.

Daughter is going through an uncomfortable divorce but looks wonderful and as fit as a fiddle with all the exercise and yoga she does.

Grandchildren are growing and healthy and granddaughter getting straight A's in her prelims. Boys all kicking footballs happily.

Friends keep in touch by phone and email to encourage and support me and I really appreciate that.

As far as I know I'm in good health. Thanks for that Manaak. A happy New Year when it comes.

 

[margherita]

Hi @MaNaAk and @marionq ,
I like your positive attitude.
It is a bit difficult for me to list this year's achievements.
I'll think it over . There must be some. They are slowly coming to my mind. Slowly because they are buried under layers of rage, frustration, discontent.
Thank you for your words.
Can I come later to adjourn?

 

[MaNaAk]

Hello Marion and Margherita!

Yes Margherita you can come and adjourn. I have to say I do get frustrated and sometimes tearful and like you, Marion, I want to be optimistic because if I don't get optimistic I could get very depressed. As carers we get the satisfaction of doing the best we can for our loved ones. I took dad to the opticians today and he was told that he needs to have an operation to remove his cataracts. I don't like to think of anyone messing about with my own eyes so I hope dad will be okay but on the plus side he will have a whole new world opened to him and it will be interesting to see how it affects his Alzheimers. By the way I almost forgot to tell the optician about his diagnosis so he must have started to wonder what was going on! Nevermind the fact that dad started to wander about looking for the toilet and nearly ending up in the broom cupboard!

Marion you must be very proud of your grand children and I think your daughter has inherited your strength and Margherita you have made several achievements by pushing all sorts and boundaries to give TLC to your loved one.

MaNaAk

 

[MaNaAk]

Happy new year to you too, may 2018 bring more successes and a settled time for your father

Dear Chicken Lady,

I'm sure you've had lots of successes too.

MaNaAk

 

[Prudence9]

Oh nice to have a positive start to the year for us all, thank you MaNaAk xx

Despite the one invisible, rrrelations (spoken in the voice of the great Claire Raynor), have improved with the rest of my immediate family. They were good anyway but are a fantastic source of emotional support now

My lovely friends and old friends of Mum and Dads' are all there on the phone, by text and email when I need them and none have faded away.

I have finally started to post on TP and am loving it, second family!

I have 4 bottles of wine sitting calling me and a calm day today

Most importantly, Mum, although deteriorating at a rate of knots, is the most content I have ever seen her and I'm proud that she is because I know it's because I have made the right changes to myself, although I am aware that that will not help in most cases of dementia.

Happy New Year to you MaNaAk, and to all on here xxx

 

[Lawson58]

This is such a thought provoking thread and as I sit and watch the NYE concert from Sydney Harbour, it is time to give thought to the last year.

Roller coaster? Yes BUT

My husband has slipped quite a bit but he also seems to be giving the paranoia a miss at the moment which is a blessing.

I had four lovely days in Queensland with my sister and her family to celebrate her 80th birthday.

My granddaughter was offered a third year of her traineeship at a local university, something they have never done before.

My son gave his 100th donation at the blood bank and completed 34 years of service with the one employer.

I spent 400 hours with my environmental groups propagating thousands of native plants that will eventually be planted out in revegetation projects.

A small environmental project that a friend and I have worked on for four years is to be listed as an area of great significance by our local council which means that instead of leaving it to us they will now have to take responsibility to make sure that it is now protected.

We acquired a kitten that has the sweetest soul and who is a new and delightful little friend.

And as I watch the broadcast of the fireworks in Sydney, I will raise my glass and wish you all a Happy New Year.

 

[MaNaAk]

These responses are lovely! Dad and I have just cooked a curry (eventhough it was mostly me cooking) and he is content.

Enjoy the new year

MaNaAk

 

[nae sporran]

Happy Hogmannay to everyone. Thank you for this thread Manak, It's good to read some achievements in the face of dementia for 2017.
Two years ago I was looking back to how we ended up battling this and last year we had just moved to supported housing. This year C has joined her day centre and her singing for the brain with a lady from the befriending scheme. This means I have two half days to ramble and to do a wee voluntary job. I've also found very good carers groups and we have both joined a music memories group. So, it's not too bad looking back this year.

Tomorrow I'll raise a glass to wish everyone on TP a happy new year and hope those struggling badly will have something to look forward to and will find some comforts in the challenges ahead.

 

[Amethyst59]

Yes, indeed a lovely idea to list achievements...
Martin is settled at Cogs, and describes the Day Centre day as ‘better than Cogs’!
Our new lady, J starts this week, to give me two nights off.
We love our Friday afternoon singing for dementia. All of these things started this year.
I passed my grade five piano!!
We are looking forward to a better time together, once I am rested, I won’t be so ratty.
We have holidays planned, with the help of my lovely sister.
And very best of all...I have found the brilliant community here on this forum.
Happy New Year, everyone.

 

[MaryH]

Happy New Years everyone..

 

[Little Circles]

Happy New Year MaNaAK
You have been so helpful with your posts as my Mum is diabetic and aa Alzheimer’s
Thank you

 

[pitufi]

Hi manaak

Happy new year to everyone at Talking Point!

I also wanted to add a little positivity to the thread. This year was the year mum really got worse, looking back at photos from a year ago I remember mum still living independently, with a lot of my help, still being able to string a sentence of sorts and able to go for walks with us in the woods (her absolute favourite)

Everything changed when she was admitted to hospital and I was able to fight for her to be admitted to hospital with the help and knowledge of the people here on Talking Point.

She’s had a couple of black outs prior to admission close together and the chnage in her was visible. The hospital wanted to discharge her ASAP but when I came on here with despair and questions, I was met with warmth and valuable knowledge. For that I am eternally thankful.

I think my achiements this year are

1 I was able to help mum get he care she needed

2 get her into a lovely care home near us

3 I already had POA but only just ( SO important to obtain this while they are still themselves) and I was able to exercise this at desperate times

4 I had my beautiful daughter, Hannah, who my just adores!

5 ultimately found a balance of care and newly found Motherhood that I’m able to cope with, mentally and physically

6 made peace with mum being in a care home

I found the whole year exhausting and quite depressing at times, being pregnant with my child whilst still trying to work and take care of a mother who refused any outside help other than mine.
It took for a hospital stay to switch things around and I’m thankful. Now I can sleep soundly
Knowing mum has 24hr care in her care home and I can go back to being a daughter instead of a burnt out depressed carer.

She keeps getting worse faster, it’s really hard for me to see, but seeing her face light up when she sees her baby granddaughter is just something else.

 

[marionq]

Pitufi that is so uplifting. The wonder that is new life! You have given your mother a great gift along with safety and care.

 

[jugglingmum]

Happy New Year everyone. Boy that is some going pitufi, I've spent my dementia journey balancing kids needs with mum's needs (to the detriment of kids at times) but you've got her in a care home so you know she is safe and you

I don't feel I've had a great year, not dementia related, but yes some achievements and progress.

Mum is still happy and has not gone downhill much, and surprisingly on the introduction of microwave evening meals, she can do them herself sometimes, carer still comes to help.
Dau got excellent exam results despite 5 weeks of meltdowns which we endured, and lack of sleep on her part due to stressing. She went into some exams way too tired, after big meltdowns, and we worried she might muck them up as she was so tired she was not being fit to be in school/exam.
Son, after 6 years of hassling schools, is finally getting dyslexia related support
Dau's iron levels have improved, and she may now be back to full health after 2 and a half years
OH had a big birthday and we had a very wet summer BBQ
Son did well with his fencing at start of year which gave him a trophy despite not so great results at end (trophy important for his self esteem when his sister has lots from cycling).

The two items in bold are because I've had to fight schools and Drs to get there and they have caused me many sleepless nights. Not sure either are out of the woods with these issues but both are certainly better and in son's case I can see he will achieve something - I still want to jump up and down when I think about this (why is so much a battle with powers that be)

 

[MaNaAk]

Hi manaak

Happy new year to everyone at Talking Point!

I also wanted to add a little positivity to the thread. This year was the year mum really got worse, looking back at photos from a year ago I remember mum still living independently, with a lot of my help, still being able to string a sentence of sorts and able to go for walks with us in the woods (her absolute favourite)

Everything changed when she was admitted to hospital and I was able to fight for her to be admitted to hospital with the help and knowledge of the people here on Talking Point.

She’s had a couple of black outs prior to admission close together and the chnage in her was visible. The hospital wanted to discharge her ASAP but when I came on here with despair and questions, I was met with warmth and valuable knowledge. For that I am eternally thankful.

I think my achiements this year are

1 I was able to help mum get he care she needed

2 get her into a lovely care home near us

3 I already had POA but only just ( SO important to obtain this while they are still themselves) and I was able to exercise this at desperate times

4 I had my beautiful daughter, Hannah, who my just adores!

5 ultimately found a balance of care and newly found Motherhood that I’m able to cope with, mentally and physically

6 made peace with mum being in a care home

I found the whole year exhausting and quite depressing at times, being pregnant with my child whilst still trying to work and take care of a mother who refused any outside help other than mine.
It took for a hospital stay to switch things around and I’m thankful. Now I can sleep soundly
Knowing mum has 24hr care in her care home and I can go back to being a daughter instead of a burnt out depressed carer.

She keeps getting worse faster, it’s really hard for me to see, but seeing her face light up when she sees her baby granddaughter is just something else.

Dear Pitufi,

Congratulations on becoming a mother and your magnificent achievements as a carer as well. Yes! Looking after dad can be difficult as you know after having looked after your mum. I hope your mum is now settled in her care home and you can concentrate and being a mother. I am still carrying on as a Piano and Violin teacher and I have had some magnificent results this year. Dad enjoys meeting the pupils and they are rather understanding although I have to admit that he has dropped one or two points I suspect but somehow I am managing to cope (althought I don't know how) and at some point dad is going to need more care.

MaNaAk

 

[MaNaAk]

Happy New Year MaNaAK
You have been so helpful with your posts as my Mum is diabetic and aa Alzheimer’s
Thank you

That's okay Little Circles

MaNaAk