A life in the day of.........................

[ROSEANN]

Hi Sylvia
Like Dhiren my husband asks if we have any thing on today,and if I say yes gets all worked up until we get there.

I have to take him for another scan on Monday so am not telling him until we are on the way.
His fear of hospitals since he came home is unbelivable.
How come they have very little memory but can remember the bad things?
Love Roseann

 

[Mameeskye]

Hi Sylvia

Now that is a useful CPN.

I hope that Dhiren is a little better today. It must be so scarey when you still have the odd periods of lucidity and you cannot find a memory. I remember being told all about confabulation when at uni years ago. It was when discussing alcholics but probably has a place here. As the brain cells are destroyed the brain has fewer and fewer memories. it cannot cope with this so it confabulates (ie makes up) memories to take away the emptiness. To the person involved these are very real memories.

I know that it happens in dementia too. No wonder Dhiren becomes manic and scared when you try to change reality as he perceives it. You are so strong to be able to walk away. It is a gift.

Love

mameeskye

 

[gigi]

Hello Sylvia,

I have nothing to add...there are some interesting explanations to Dhiren's behaviour....all valid I think.

Eric too asks in the morning..or any time really.."Who's coming today"..."What have I got to do today"..or..(in past work mode...).."What's on the agenda today?"

And heaves a sigh of relief when I say nobody or nothing..

I'm so sad for Dhiren because he is such a caring and sympathetic person..and if he has insight into his "manic" behaviour I can well understand how much it must torture him afterwards.

I'd also like a piece of your CPN, please....

love gigi xx

 

[julieann15]

Mum has a new CPN

Mum's previous CPN - was not a great communicator and she managed to ruffle both mum's and my feathers. Last week she left and in comes new one
Mum's new CPN rang me yesterday and offered to go in next week to do mum's pill box and make sure all was ok as we will be struggling to get in due to our committments.

I was absolutely gob-smacked

Julie xx

 

[Grannie G]

Thank you all for your imput.

WE`ve just come home from the final day of Folk Week.

I didn`t think we`d make it as Dhiren was so distant this morning. His face was `haunted` and strained.
And then it cleared.
It really is like Jekyll and Hyde.
So we went out.

It was lovely. I decided we`d sit and watch rather than tire ourselves out wandering around. There have been Workshops all week and today we saw the results.

Members of the public, Morris Dancing, Folk Dancing, Maypole Dancing and playing instruments. Children with a wet wipe in each hand imitating the Morris Dancers, pretending to clog dance in their croc shoes.
Good fun.

And now we are home and I asked Dhiren if he wanted a drink or anything to eat and got my head bitten off.
`I`m not a baby. If I`m hungry I`ll eat. If I`m thirsty I`ll drink.`
Oh Dear! Here we go again.
So I came to TP and logged on and he has just brought me a cup of tea and asked what time we are having dinner.

Julie......Good CPNs are worth their weight in gold.

 

[lesmisralbles]

Give up, what is a CPN

I wish you would all talk

Barb & Ron XXPound's shilling and pence.

 

[Grannie G]

Hello Barb

CPN Community Psychiatric Nurse.

 

[BeckyJan]

Hello all:

CPN is Community Psychiatric Nurse - one of the Mental Health Team.


It must be one of those days Sylvia. David has been horrific today. So muddled it is untrue. Yesterday I was his Mum - today he is wondering where she is, where is his Dad, where is Uncle R!!!! (all born 1898 or early 1900s). Not just once but again and again. AND he is very cross with me - a new issue for me as this has not been a problem before.

I hope you enjoyed your cuppa. (David is calling me yet again)

Love Jan

 

[Grannie G]

Dear Jan

David`s confusion does seem to be increasing doesn`t it.
And I wonder why he has suddenly started being cross with you?
I can`t say I`m used to it, even though it`s a long term behaviour. It still shocks me at times. It must be devastating for you.
I hope it doesn`t last.
Love xx

 

[connie]

Dear Sylvia and Jan,

You have my sympathies. I know how hard it is to comprehend, and accept irrational behaviour. Yet another disturbing facet of this illness.

Please take care now, deep breathes really do help.

 

[heartbroken]

Hugs Syliva

reading your post helps me so much its like reading about Edna a few months ago.
we are going to try daycare next week Edna has already said she is not going we will see when the time comes.

hope sundowning is not to bad tonight and you have a relax evening take care xx

 

[Margarita]

Yet another disturbing facet of this illness

Sure is.

I also had a hell of a day , with mum & nurse taking mum blood from a vain in her hand , as no other Vain would work to get blood out of it . I know it can hurt , but the scamming as mum was scamming was so irrational, it went on on so loud , I've only heard screaming like that in a mental asylum when I use to visited someone back in the 60s, in my childhood, so that was it today for mum so much irrational talking . Finally now mum has settle down.

I`m not a baby. If I`m hungry I`ll eat. If I`m thirsty I`ll drink.`
Oh Dear! Here we go again.So I came to TP and logged on and he has just brought me a cup of tea and asked what time we are having dinner.

Must say its Nice to read that Dhiren , still has it in him to assert himself, then having the insight to show you he can still make you a cup of tea

That all gone now with my mother . Bloody disease it a pain in the ass .

 

[BeckyJan]

Bloody disease it a pain in the ass .

Well said Maggie - I could not say it better myself.

Love Jan

 

[lesmisralbles]

So does every one get a CPN ?

CPN is Community Psychiatric Nurse - one of the Mental Health Team.

Does everyone get one ?

Is this something I bring up with the new SW on Tuesday ?
Or, with Ron's Mental health clinic ? He goes on the 29th of this month.

I have noticed over the past few week's Ron does not talk as much as he use to. Fall's asleep all the time,it is like he cannot focus on anything for long. Yet, when he eat's, he eat's
Can you feed someone 24 hour's a day to keep them awake and talkative. JOKE

He is also starting a sentence, and forgetting what he has asked mid way through it Then he will say, forget it, I was taking rubbish anyway

We sat in the garden today, yes, it was not raining. I wanted to empty some of the pot's, (ruined by the rain) clean them and put them away. Ron fell asleep. He woke when I brought out maccaroon's and a cup of tea. Several macaroon's later, asleep again.
He laugh's a lot in his sleep, I mean he chuckles so much. It is so nice to see him smile and relax. If only I could do the same

Barb & Ron XX

 

[christine_batch]

Dear Barb & Ron,
We did not have a CPN but that is so common.

Love from
Christine xxx

 

[Margarita]

Is this something I bring up with the new SW on Tuesday ?
Or, with Ron's Mental health clinic ? He goes on the 29th of this month.

with Ron's Mental health clinic ? He goes on the 29th of this month.

Yes talk to someone in the mental health clinic, your very lucky if you can get on .

My mother does not come under the mental health team in my area. so my mother social worker said to me, when I ask her if I can get a CPN for my mother , we do not offer that services to your mother as your mother come under the elderly dementia team , but you can get one for yourself if you want one bloody cheek of the woman to say that.

My brother has a different kind of mental illness, then my mother so come under the mental health team in my area . So I talk to my brother CPN about mum .

In my area they have decided that its not politically correct saying that a dementia is a mental illness , as they say its organic, which is a Fact & true. But in doing that they pulled it out of the mental health unit section. Its all to do with Cut back really, because now they don't have to legally pay for a CPN for my mother .

Chew a thought on this .

Dementia is generally a progressive organic disorder

mental illness does not progress .

 

[Grannie G]

Getting a CPN.

I`m not sure whether it depends on area or postcode or challenging behaviour.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/depression/mentalhealthprofessionals_000358.htm
I suppose the best thing to do is ask if one is available for you.

 

[Lynne]

So ,,,

You wouldn't think that a Memory Clinic Nurse is a CPN then?
That is what I was led to believe last week.

 

[connie]

Dear Barb, not sure if this helps.

A few years ago in this area you had either a CPN or SW, that's if you were lucky.

They both had to do dual roles. In that we were fortunate.
Lionel's CPN was brilliant at the job she trained long and hard to do (especially when he was suicidal) but have to say hopeless as a SW.

I think with the recent cutbacks a lot of people are struggling without either.

 

[Margarita]

You wouldn't think that a Memory Clinic Nurse is a CPN then?
That is what I was led to believe last week.

My mother memory Nurse is now our head of Dementia unit, she got promotion.

They both had to do dual roles. In that we were fortunate

Yes the same happen with my brother in our area of the mental health , his CPN is also his social worker . CPN was not very happy with that when it all change over , as he never done the Job of a social worker before.

Mind you I am not complaining as he does a very good Job of both, just more work load for him