fits and spasms {stressful 24 hours}

[Iainwh]

Hi Guys,

Over the past week my mum has found it more and more difficult to walk. for the past year or so we have been holding both of her hands as as support so she can walk. in the last week she has got really bad walking up stairs. me and my dad have had to physically carry her up the last few steps. Then last night she wanted to go the toilet, so we tried to pick her up and she lost the use of her legs and we put her down on the floor. She then had what can only be described as a fit. she was screaming and her legs were shaking. when we calmed he down. I had to stand behind her and walk her to the toilet with my dad holding her hands. she went to the toilet but there is no way she will ever get up the stairs again. so we put a sleeping bag and a duvet so she could sleep downstairs.

my dad has been trying to phone the nurse all week and she came today. she gave us a cumode and some nappies and we've brought the bed from the spare room down into the dinning room. So she will probably sleep downstairs from now on. the nurse is trying to get her some drugs to help with the anxiety.

we've just got some carers vouchers so we can have a bit of a break but it's taking tow of us to do everything now.

last night was really freaky I thought she was having an epileptic fit or something {she's not epileptic}

stressed out big time. Iain.

 

[foxhound]

Hi - a downstairs bed seems a good move for the moment.

My mother has also had (sadly increasing) spells when her legs just give - although never any fits. It's fair to say that this weakness has increased over the past year - but she still has many good moments when she can walked almost unaided - so things may get better.

It's also VERY well worth checking for an infection - these can cause anxiety/confusion and weakness. Yr GP will need to be involved in medication against the anxiety in any case - so get onto him/her and chase the hell out of them till you get some action.

A stair lift would be great, but they are not cheap.

Good luck - not surprised you feel stressed out!!

 

[jenniferpa]

Does your mother's dementia have a vascular element or has she had a stroke in the past? The reason I ask is that healing brain scars after strokes or mini-strokes can actually bring on epileptic seizures. I'm not saying that's what happened here (it doesn't sound a lot like the seizures my mother had) but it could be that. Screaming I would say is atypical but I'm no expert. It almost sounds more like a panic attack.

 

[Sandy]

Hi Iain,

Did the nurse have any idea what caused the episode?

It sound like the move downstairs is a necessary step. Does your mum wake much during the night? If so, that could make it hard for you and your dad to keep an eye on her. Some people have used baby monitors in that situation.

we've just got some carers vouchers so we can have a bit of a break but it's taking tow of us to do everything now.

I was looking at some of your previous posts to get a better idea of what things have been like for you and I noticed this post about respite:

http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showthread.php?t=14714

Has anything happened on that front? If your mum went in for respite, then maybe you and your dad could take a break together.

Take care,

Sandy

 

[Iainwh]

A stair lift would be great, but they are not cheap.

don't think that will happen cause since last night her legs have totally gone.

Does your mother's dementia have a vascular element or has she had a stroke in the past?

no vascular element as far as we know. but over the past couple of years I've been wondering if a she had a stroke and it went undiagnosed which has kicked the alzheimer's off.

It almost sounds more like a panic attack.

yeah she's been freaking out today quite a lot when we have tried to put her on the cumode.

Hi Iain,

Did the nurse have any idea what caused the episode?

nope, but she did say she would sort out some anxiety drugs.

Does your mum wake much during the night?

sometimes she does but sometimes she doesn't. My Dad heard her crying when we left her downstairs last night so went and slept next to her on the living room carpet.

Hi Iain,

I noticed this post about respite:
Has anything happened on that front? If your mum went in for respite, then maybe you and your dad could take a break together.

Respite nope, the nurse is coming back round again tomorrow so I'll ask her. cause we have been doing this pretty much unaided for the best part of 6 years. So it's time we had a break.