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

[BeckyJan]

Hello Sylvia:

Oh dear, yet again, I do hope things are calming now for you.

Your post reminded me of a friend. His wife had alz. and he found she was 'worse' when her blood sugar was down. He would give ice cream, a cake, or something between meals and this worked for a while.
Not sure if this could apply to Dhiren with his diabetes but its a thought for others.

Take care Love Jan

 

[TinaT]

I was just thinking on simiar lines Becky Jan. I was wondering if Dhiran really does have 'black out' kind of situations which may be caused by his diabetes (plus - and a big, big plus - ) his dementia?

xxTinaT

 

[Grannie G]

Just popping in to say hello.
[HUG]x

Hello janjan, How are you?

 

[Grannie G]

I was just thinking on simiar lines Becky Jan. I was wondering if Dhiran really does have 'black out' kind of situations which may be caused by his diabetes (plus - and a big, big plus - ) his dementia?

xxTinaT

I doubt it`s he diabetes as this episode happened only an hour after we`d had dinner.

I`d be more inclined to think it was the dementia.

But who knows?

 

[Brucie]

Your post reminded me of a friend. His wife had alz. and he found she was 'worse' when her blood sugar was down. He would give ice cream, a cake, or something between meals and this worked for a while.

Interesting.

At one stage, in desperation at none of the consultants having an inkling of what was wrong with Jan - particularly why she was fainting regularly - we went to Harley Street, to a consultant my Mum had used. The consultant specialised in issues of the menopause and she put Jan on progesterone - Jan had gone temporarily blind in one eye when I first met her, so could not use oestrogen.

Whether or not the HRT helped, she also suggested carrying around a small quantity of digestive biscuits and said Jan was to eat one every three hours if no other meals intervened.

Since Jan latterly mostly fainted in her sleep, it is difficult to figure out the blood sugar thing.

Just shows one will try anything... shame nothing worked!

 

[Margarita]

I was wondering if Dhiran really does have 'black out' kind of situations which may be caused by his diabetes (plus - and a big, big plus - ) his dementia?

I hope you don't mind me saying , Just that may be it could be that Dhiran can not remember that time , because its all a blank to him ,because he has forgotten it . So the only way to explain it is to say he had a good sleep .

Just that when my mother has a episode, she tell me " no recuerdo" translated into English is " don't " remember " .

 

[BeckyJan]

particularly why she was fainting regularly

Another interesting point - one which I guess the professionals are not much concerned!!.

David had 'fainting' or 'black out' stages for about 4 yrs before my concern that it may be 'more serious'!! (I started searching the web around 2000).

No one has ever connected those early years with the present Alz. or Mixed Dementia diagnosis.

Sorry Sylvia for diverting your thread - will get back on course again soon
Love Jan

 

[Margarita]

Now mum seeing a someone head on a chair , see had to get right close to it twice to make sure it was not someone head, I had to move the chair she thought she saw it on . so now she can't see if anymore .

 

[Helen33]

Hello Sylvia

Did tonight's sundowning last long? It must be really upsetting when Dhiren says he is frightened of you I am just so glad that these episodes do not spiral

I am going to try an early night tonight ready for the onslaught of next week.

Love and best wishes

 

[Grannie G]

We have come to bed with the confusion as bad as ever.

Dhiren still had hunger after soup and an omelette so then had half a salmon sandwhich.

He is still puzzled about how he came to live here, does he live here and where `here` is.

But he is not resentful or angry or going home tomorrow and for that I am grateful.

 

[BeckyJan]

Good night Sylvia:

I hope Dhiren's confusion does not spread into the night.

Sleep as well as you can. Love Jan

 

[Grannie G]

Thanks Jan. Good night too.

 

[lesmisralbles]

Ron thought he was in a hotel this morning.

Wanted to look in the wardrobe for his coat.
Wanted a screwdriver.

Told me glass had fallen from the ceiling/roof, it had gone in his eyes.
And now he is asleep.

Barb X

 

[Brucie]

Sylvia

I know each and every stage is bad in its own way, but your posts remind me strongly of the hell that sundowning brings.

We are past that now and in a different hell, but in time I may come to evaluate sundowning as the most distressing.

Take care

 

[Grannie G]

Just for the record, the last time I looked at the clock was 12.30am. and he was still lying wide awake and restless, twiddling his fingers [I think he was counting] and tossing and turning.

He wanted to be well away from me in the bed and complained I was taking too much room. I suggested I would sleep in the spare bed to give him more room, but he didn`t want me to do that. I told him he was disturbing me and I needed to sleep , and he lay still from then on.

That was good. Previously he would have got up in a huff and spent the night in front of the fire.

 

[Sandy]

Hi Sylvia,

Then he was hungry. he is often very hungry after an `episode`. he had a tin of soup and was still hungry. He had an omelette and was satisfied.

The link with blood sugar and these episodes may be kind of a chicken and the egg kind of question. Certainly mental confusion is a symptom of low blood sugar. I can usually tell that my husband (an insulin-dependent diabetic for 17 years) is drifting towards a hypo by his mood/conversation.

If last night's episode happened just 1 hour after dinner, unless dinner was very carbohydrate light, low blood sugar doesn't seem to likely.

What is also possible is that the huge mental load of trying to deal with orienting himself to his current surroundings (caused by dementia)is using up vast amounts of blood glucose, leaving him in a depleted state.

This web page may make interesting reading:

http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/carbs.html

The relationships between the mechanisms that regulate glucose levels in the brain and Alzheimer's disease seem to be the subject of recent research, so there is still plenty to learn:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7866022.stm

Take care,

Sandy

 

[Grannie G]

Dear Sandy

Thank you so much for that information. I have emailed your links to Paul and Terry.

I doubt Dhiren`s episodes are caused by low blood sugar as I have done many a test during such episodes and the glucose levels are acceptable.

What is also possible is that the huge mental load of trying to deal with orienting himself to his current surroundings (caused by dementia)is using up vast amounts of blood glucose, leaving him in a depleted state.

I think this is more likely as the episodes usually occur when Dhiren is tired.

Your post has been really helpful.

 

[Helen33]

Hello Sylvia

I'm just catching up and am glad to see that you are getting some very helpful information.

I hope you are managing some rest

Love

 

[heartbroken]

thinking of you and sending hugs

hope you are having a better day xx

 

[Grannie G]

Thank you Helen and Lesley

The restlessness has started again......2.30pm Dhiren was looking for his black shoes. I showed him where they are but he needed to look himself so I have left him to it.

I can hear him pottering and the front door opening and closing. Thank goodness it`s raining.