George & Margarets Journey with Alzheimer's
- Thread starter Margaret938
- Start date
Today was not good. George was very unsettled when I went up, no sooner would he be sitting down than he was up again, not really with it at all. He indicated that he wanted to go to the loo, and when I tried to help he got very angry at me. I though it would be better to go down to the lounge with him and se if he would sit there, he looked a bit tired, his eyes had lost their twinkle, the outcome was he would not sit still there either. I tried to take an elastic band off his wrist, it was rather tight. He pushed my hand away and got angry at me again. I just left, before I got anymore upset. I made a really quick get away because I was already starting to cry and didn't want to make too much of a fool of myself. The tears were in my eyes all the way home, I can't even remember my half hour walk home, when I got into the house I was in floods of tears. I locked up closed the bedroom curtains and went to bed at 3 woke up at 5 got up and had a bite to eat went back to bed and woke up at 9. While I was sleeping the CH phoned to say that he was showered and tucked up in bed, and they have done a UTI test and think that this may be the cause, they are sending another test away in the morning. I hope it is this because it can be treated and it will explain the restlessness. I was afraid it might be the start of a quick deterioration of the illness, because he has been so good lately.
Love Margaret x
Love Margaret x
Today was marginally better than yesterday, I stayed with George for 2 hours he was up and down one minute annoyed at me and the next he gave me a hug and a wee kiss and told me he loved me, which was so nice. He was still very distressed and walking about a lot, he found it difficult to sit for any longer than a few seconds. The GP gave him a check up and ruled out a chest infection, a urine sample has been sent off but there wont be a result until Monday afternoon, (everything seems to go wrong at the weekend) The staff think there MAY be something in the urine, but they only use a stick and it will really need a proper test. I hope it is a UTI because that is treatable. I can't bear the thought that I am losing him to this illness so fast. Is it possible that it could happen overnight?
Love Margaret x
Love Margaret x
I am thinking of giving you all a break for a wee while, you are bound to be sick listening to my problems about George, looking back on my thread, I sound like a broken record.
Love Margaret x
Love Margaret x
Please don't stop Margaret. I think it's important for you to have a record of how George has been. It it's ever necessary you could print out this thread to use in discussion with health professionals. I've been looking pack to a thread I started in 2010 - if you're a broken record then you're joining me!!
I know that many people are interested in your life with George and will find your experiences helpful
Take care. xx
I know that many people are interested in your life with George and will find your experiences helpful
Take care. xx
Dear Margaret. Please continue with your Posts I would miss them so much and all your lovely photos. I find the weekends very depressing perhaps it is the same for you. I know I am not in the same situation as you being very lucky in having Peter at home with me but very often I feel very sad . Hope your visit to George today willbe better. Take care . Love and Best Wishes Meglin.
Dear Margaret,
The ups and downs of this dreadful disease do take their toll and I am also where you are at the moment. I went yesterday hoping that the end of the week would be different than the beginning and middle of the week but it was worse.
He was extremely agitated, he talked through gritted teeth and his head shook for the fierceness of his talk. He wanted to kill everyone including himself. He just looked straight through me, not the look I get when he is ignoring me and I am sure he could not see or hear me his agitation was so bad. He strode up and down, pulling and pushing anything in sight. He agreed to have a cup of tea and promptly opened the drawer and poured the whole cup of tea into the drawer. His carer tried very calmly to talk to him, to distract but it did not work at all and an hour later she was still trying and failing.
It is so distressing to see him this way when he has been in a much better place for a long time. We seem to have gone back to how he was before going into care. No one knows what is disturbing him so helping is very hit and miss. Hopefully George and my husband are just having a few days of rebellion against dementia, goodness knows they have to accept so much because of dementia.
Our son and daughter went this morning to see him and though not as bad as yesterday he is very disturbed and agitated again today. My husband has struck up a friendship with a new resident, there seems to be connection between them and he too is very agitated today and the staff say it is because he is upset at my husband being agitated.
I hope that the new week sees an improvement with George and my husband. I am at present just sitting doing nothing, my get up and go has got up and gone. Chin up Margaret and keep posting, it is nice to read about your good times and it will help you to talk about the not so good times.
Take care,
Jay x
The ups and downs of this dreadful disease do take their toll and I am also where you are at the moment. I went yesterday hoping that the end of the week would be different than the beginning and middle of the week but it was worse.
He was extremely agitated, he talked through gritted teeth and his head shook for the fierceness of his talk. He wanted to kill everyone including himself. He just looked straight through me, not the look I get when he is ignoring me and I am sure he could not see or hear me his agitation was so bad. He strode up and down, pulling and pushing anything in sight. He agreed to have a cup of tea and promptly opened the drawer and poured the whole cup of tea into the drawer. His carer tried very calmly to talk to him, to distract but it did not work at all and an hour later she was still trying and failing.
It is so distressing to see him this way when he has been in a much better place for a long time. We seem to have gone back to how he was before going into care. No one knows what is disturbing him so helping is very hit and miss. Hopefully George and my husband are just having a few days of rebellion against dementia, goodness knows they have to accept so much because of dementia.
Our son and daughter went this morning to see him and though not as bad as yesterday he is very disturbed and agitated again today. My husband has struck up a friendship with a new resident, there seems to be connection between them and he too is very agitated today and the staff say it is because he is upset at my husband being agitated.
I hope that the new week sees an improvement with George and my husband. I am at present just sitting doing nothing, my get up and go has got up and gone. Chin up Margaret and keep posting, it is nice to read about your good times and it will help you to talk about the not so good times.
Take care,
Jay x
Oh Jay, so sorry to hear about your husbands agitation. It's dreadful trying to work out if there are any underlying reasons for such a change or if it's just something that would happen, second guessing all the way. I hope things settle soon.
Dear Margaret, your postings are so full of love, happiness, sadness, joy and just the nuts and bolts of life,
please don't feel that you should stop telling us about your journey with George, it's not a broken record, it's an ever changing diary of life with this dreadful, robbing illness.x
Dear Margaret, your postings are so full of love, happiness, sadness, joy and just the nuts and bolts of life,
please don't feel that you should stop telling us about your journey with George, it's not a broken record, it's an ever changing diary of life with this dreadful, robbing illness.x
Dear Margaret
I have read some of your posts here earlier on, and also your other thread, and feel I know you. I can certainly empathise with much you write. But today I sat and read it from the beginning.
Please do not stop writing. This is where you can pour it all out and say it how it is, the good and bad times. Like many others I enjoy reading about your good visits and feel your sadness about the bad ones.
Remember we would not come here and read what you write if we were not interested, and we are interested in you and George.
So much of what you write, and also others, could be me writing. Those heartbreaking bad times are so familiar....I know when I write on the shared 'Loo and Saffie' thread I write much too much and not everyone wants to read long posts. But although it may sound selfish it does help me to 'let it out'. As well as being a record of my husband Henry's journey through this dreadful disease.
Also I deeply appreciate all those who read my posts and take the time to reply. It truly does help me to know I have valued friends here on TP. Including you who have also posted to me.
I draw so much comfort and strength from the kind, caring support I receive. Without it there would be nothing.
I also need to read about others experiences and what they are going through, and empathising, and caring. We are not alone when we share.
I'm blethering on but do continue writing, Magaret. It is over three years now since I found TP and I do not know how I would have got this far without it. I know it has also made a huge difference to you joining TP.
Please don't hide away and weep alone. We need each other.
As Garnuft said:
With much love
Loo xxx
I have read some of your posts here earlier on, and also your other thread, and feel I know you. I can certainly empathise with much you write. But today I sat and read it from the beginning.
Please do not stop writing. This is where you can pour it all out and say it how it is, the good and bad times. Like many others I enjoy reading about your good visits and feel your sadness about the bad ones.
Remember we would not come here and read what you write if we were not interested, and we are interested in you and George.
So much of what you write, and also others, could be me writing. Those heartbreaking bad times are so familiar....I know when I write on the shared 'Loo and Saffie' thread I write much too much and not everyone wants to read long posts. But although it may sound selfish it does help me to 'let it out'. As well as being a record of my husband Henry's journey through this dreadful disease.
Also I deeply appreciate all those who read my posts and take the time to reply. It truly does help me to know I have valued friends here on TP. Including you who have also posted to me.
I draw so much comfort and strength from the kind, caring support I receive. Without it there would be nothing.
I also need to read about others experiences and what they are going through, and empathising, and caring. We are not alone when we share.
I'm blethering on but do continue writing, Magaret. It is over three years now since I found TP and I do not know how I would have got this far without it. I know it has also made a huge difference to you joining TP.
Please don't hide away and weep alone. We need each other.
As Garnuft said:
Hoping to hear from you again soon.
With much love
Loo xxx
Last edited:
Dear Jay
My heart goes out to you.
He is more settled now, more content, although his dementia has progressed much more. The comfort is the distress and anguish have gone. Although even yet it can still occasionally happen. Good and bad days, days when he complies and gets on well with the nurses and carers then days when he lashes out.
It is a terrible soul destroying destructive disease.
Sorry I can't say something comforting, only that I empathise as will others, and I hope that this disitressing period does soon pass.
Love
Loo xx
My heart goes out to you.
There are times when I do that, and I know how it feels. But somehow or other we do get it back again. Until the next time.
It is very distressing when these things happen and you feel that you have gone backwards to how how it was earlier on. One step forwards then two steps backwards. That happened when my husband was first in hospitals six months, and then for a long time after he was in a care home. Just when I thought he was settling, the awful agitation and distress was going, back it would come. But then it did eventually lessen, longer spaces between such episodes.
He is more settled now, more content, although his dementia has progressed much more. The comfort is the distress and anguish have gone. Although even yet it can still occasionally happen. Good and bad days, days when he complies and gets on well with the nurses and carers then days when he lashes out.
It is a terrible soul destroying destructive disease.
Sorry I can't say something comforting, only that I empathise as will others, and I hope that this disitressing period does soon pass.
Love
Loo xx
Last edited:
Margaret please don't stop posting. I am reading yours and George's journey and feeling sad for you on the bad days. I know I don't post but that is me, everyone else seems to say the right things at the right times and I just don't know what to say or what I can add.
Hi Margaret
You need to make space in your PM inbox
Love from Lyn
I have cleared it Lyn
Hello All,
I am so sorry for being such a drama queen, I was in such a bad place, after I visited George and saw how totally helpless I was to try to comfort him and show him how much I loved him, he was so distressed and confused. I have cried so much over the past few days, I don't have any tears left. I have found so much comfort in what you have all said to me, I just felt that I was such a bore, talking so much about how I was feeling, when I read my thread, it was all about ME, I was not looking at the bigger picture, you are all suffering so much and have done for longer than I have. I have been so wrapped up in my own sorrow that I have neglected to see what effect this dreadful illness is having on our sons, the are hurting just as much as I am, they have lost a wonderful Dad, a great friend and above all a confidante they will never forget especially during their teenage years. It must be so awful for them to see George as he is, and they must cry just as much as I do, but they don't carry their sorrow on their sleeves as I do. I have done an awful lot of thinking over the last few nights, and I am going to try to be a lot stronger. The past few days have given me an insight into what I have to face, and I will be stronger I hope when that time comes. I can convince myself just now that I will manage, because George was so much better yesterday, and I feel a lot better today. He was almost back to having that twinkle in his eye and I got my hugs and little kisses and he managed to tell me he loved me a few times. "My cup runneth over."
You have all been so kind to me and I have come a long way since my first post on Talking Point, you have have made me strong and given me the will to carry on. I knew there would be pitfalls, because many of you have prepared me for them, but I just crumbled when the time came during the week. Thank God I have been given another chance and having some of the old George back will better prepare me for the next time, and with your help I will get through the dark days.
Thank you all so much, and please, if I do begin to sound like a broken record Tell
Me !!
I love you all,
Margaret xx
I am so sorry for being such a drama queen, I was in such a bad place, after I visited George and saw how totally helpless I was to try to comfort him and show him how much I loved him, he was so distressed and confused. I have cried so much over the past few days, I don't have any tears left. I have found so much comfort in what you have all said to me, I just felt that I was such a bore, talking so much about how I was feeling, when I read my thread, it was all about ME, I was not looking at the bigger picture, you are all suffering so much and have done for longer than I have. I have been so wrapped up in my own sorrow that I have neglected to see what effect this dreadful illness is having on our sons, the are hurting just as much as I am, they have lost a wonderful Dad, a great friend and above all a confidante they will never forget especially during their teenage years. It must be so awful for them to see George as he is, and they must cry just as much as I do, but they don't carry their sorrow on their sleeves as I do. I have done an awful lot of thinking over the last few nights, and I am going to try to be a lot stronger. The past few days have given me an insight into what I have to face, and I will be stronger I hope when that time comes. I can convince myself just now that I will manage, because George was so much better yesterday, and I feel a lot better today. He was almost back to having that twinkle in his eye and I got my hugs and little kisses and he managed to tell me he loved me a few times. "My cup runneth over."
You have all been so kind to me and I have come a long way since my first post on Talking Point, you have have made me strong and given me the will to carry on. I knew there would be pitfalls, because many of you have prepared me for them, but I just crumbled when the time came during the week. Thank God I have been given another chance and having some of the old George back will better prepare me for the next time, and with your help I will get through the dark days.
Thank you all so much, and please, if I do begin to sound like a broken record Tell
Me !!
I love you all,
Margaret xx
Margaret, I'm so glad you feel better and have resolved to continue sharing. And I'm also very happy that George is also a little more engaged and settled.
This is such a difficult time and we all need support, sometimes we feel strong and sometimes we crumble. I know you've been here supporting me and so many others, and that's what this is all about, give and take, sharing our joys and our despair. I really don't think there are any supercarers either, so please don't feel you're weak or needy, or that everybody else is coping well, I sure don't cope.
Stephanie, xxx
This is such a difficult time and we all need support, sometimes we feel strong and sometimes we crumble. I know you've been here supporting me and so many others, and that's what this is all about, give and take, sharing our joys and our despair. I really don't think there are any supercarers either, so please don't feel you're weak or needy, or that everybody else is coping well, I sure don't cope.
Stephanie, xxx
Last edited:
Dear jay
I have been reading your threads over the years, you have had so many ups and downs, and I appreciate that you have shared your dreadful visit on Friday. I feel so humbled when I read how much you all have to cope with, and I am sorry to have even thought of given up so easily just because everything was not good for ME on the bad days, poor George, he must have been going through hell, being so very confused and there was I feeling sorry for myself. Thank you for giving me the support to pick up the pieces and be strong again. You and the others on TP are my guardian angels.
Take care,
All my love
Margaret x
Hello All
I am very pleased to say that I had another very nice visit with George today. When I went in he was very busy with two carers, and he was smiling with them, so that was a very good sign, I stood and watched him for a while until one of the girls noticed me and told him I was there. He looked so pleased when he saw me, I just wanted to hug him so tight. He was happy to sit in the lounge today and took part in the ball games. What a difference from the bad days, I will just hold on to the good days and make the most of them while I have them. I know that there will be bad days to come, and I hope that with your help I will be able to handle them a bit better than I did earlier this week.
Take care,
Much love,
Margaret xx
I am very pleased to say that I had another very nice visit with George today. When I went in he was very busy with two carers, and he was smiling with them, so that was a very good sign, I stood and watched him for a while until one of the girls noticed me and told him I was there. He looked so pleased when he saw me, I just wanted to hug him so tight. He was happy to sit in the lounge today and took part in the ball games. What a difference from the bad days, I will just hold on to the good days and make the most of them while I have them. I know that there will be bad days to come, and I hope that with your help I will be able to handle them a bit better than I did earlier this week.
Take care,
Much love,
Margaret xx
