Hello all, haven't mailed for a long time as things seem to have been rolling along quite smoothly! To update, my Mum was diagnosed August 2006. She now accepts that she has to take her daily pill, but anything out of the ordinary/different coming into the equation completely throws her. She had to go to the doctors on Friday (my brother took her) and he has prescribed tablets for an ongoing arthritic knee problem. To confuse the situation she also has a corn on the other foot. My brother showed her how to change the plaster and what tablets to take (he then went home and typed up step by step instructions). I had popped in later that day and the corn plaster was off and her foot was pink - she had got completely frustrated and confused and had rubbed the iburofen tablet onto the corn. She also thought that morning had been the day before.
To anyone outside it sounds quite funny, but it really is quite draining and even after all this time it's still hard to get your head around things.
My brother did pop back later that night, and on Saturday it was a completely different story. She knew and understood what she had to do, although she does object to taking so many tablets!
Mum has had a lot to deal with over the last couple of months. My sister has recently moved to Ireland, so that's one less person coming in to see her. She also has her memory assessment coming up which always annoys her as she doesn't see why she has to go, now we have another hospital x-ray appointment. She does live on her own and had regular visits from Social Services who were happy for her to be living on her own. She is still able to manage the normal day-to-day living.
I must admit my patience levels have greatly increased, I don't get frustrated with her as she's like a vulnerable child when she's upset. It's like she knows there's something wrong, she's just very stubborn and won't accept it.
Although like I say it's very draining, is this the best way of dealing with things. I know everyone is different it's just difficuly to know the best way to tackle things.
To anyone outside it sounds quite funny, but it really is quite draining and even after all this time it's still hard to get your head around things.
My brother did pop back later that night, and on Saturday it was a completely different story. She knew and understood what she had to do, although she does object to taking so many tablets!
Mum has had a lot to deal with over the last couple of months. My sister has recently moved to Ireland, so that's one less person coming in to see her. She also has her memory assessment coming up which always annoys her as she doesn't see why she has to go, now we have another hospital x-ray appointment. She does live on her own and had regular visits from Social Services who were happy for her to be living on her own. She is still able to manage the normal day-to-day living.
I must admit my patience levels have greatly increased, I don't get frustrated with her as she's like a vulnerable child when she's upset. It's like she knows there's something wrong, she's just very stubborn and won't accept it.
Although like I say it's very draining, is this the best way of dealing with things. I know everyone is different it's just difficuly to know the best way to tackle things.
