Help please

[heartbroken]

I haven't posted for a while mainly been so fed up but I have been reading your posts and thinking about you all.

Edna has been having funny turns, it has been one now and then with a few weeks inbetween but she has had one at around 4pm everyday for the last 4days, she goes very cold and shakes doesn't know whats a matter doesn't know what to do.
could someone tell me please if these are TIA's I an going to the doctors in the morning to try and get a appointment is it urgent she see's someone,

also the pyiso came wedsday to get her to walk better as she needs help all the time her coments was there it nothing wrong as she was walking up and down the room with NO help tottaly the oppersite to mornal. but she has made a appointment for next week sending a car to pick her up and they want her to go on her own but my dad and myself don't think she would be ok on her own as she would be frightened, lost and confused, please could I have your thourhts on this
thanks for your help.

 

[citybythesea]

Heartbroken,

I don't know exactly what is going on. I've never heard of tia's having a schedule. But what you describe sounds like a seizure of some sort. I would most definitely take her to the Dr.. It may be nothing....it may be something but you deserve to know, it concerns you and let them know it CONCERNS YOU. I don't see your GP just wiping it under the rug. I think he too will want to know. A tia can be found after the fact with a scan of the brain. A seizure may take a little more to discover. In the meantime, you sit down and breath a moment, you are doing so well at caring for her. I am sure she would not want you too make yourself sick. You are in my prayers and lots of hugs coming from across the way. Let us know what happens and keep posting.....we're here for you. To make your life easier.


HUGS


Nancy

 

[citybythesea]

an after thought...I wouldn't let her go alone. If she feels she can go alone and relay back to you, then fine. I would personally be holding her hand as she talked to the GP.

HUGS

Nancy

 

[heartbroken]

thanks so much
she isn't capable of going alone as she forgets the minite after and still says nothing is wrong plus she is so frightened of walking that it makes her unable too
will keep you posted

 

[Grannie G]

Hello Heartbroken

Edna`s regular 4pm `episodes` might be comparable to my husband`s regular late afternoon early evening `lapses`. The doctors can`t give any explanation for them. Sometimes it`s sundowning and sometimes it`s a `foggy head`. It could be connected to blood glucose levels but then again perhaps not.

We have never had any straightforward explanation for these `lapses`. It has been left to me to try to work it out for myself. So if you get any answers, I`d be very interested to hear them.

I certainly wouldn`t want Edna to take a taxi journey alone. Why on earth would a doctor suggest it.

Love xx

 

[heartbroken]

thanks sylvia

It was the physio that is sending the car for her, Dad tried to tell her what she is like but she wouldn't listen to him, since I posted i've phoned the nurse that comes to bath Edna from the mental health team she has said in no way can she go alone and is looking into it for me and is phoning back.
Edna has been having spells of feeling foggy last 2 months she often said I feel as everywhere is foggy and I am dizzy I don't know what to do, but just lately she says its not foggy anymore so if these turns are the next stage who knowns, I am at the docs tomorrow to make a appointment I have been thinking about writing it all down and asking for it to be given to the gp we are going to see before hand.

 

[heartbroken]

I have got a appointment for mon at 9.50am so fingers crossed we will get some anwsers what is happening I will let you know.

to day I was talking to a lady at a group we go to and it was said it is a high chance they are epileptic seizures, I am writing a letter to the doctor and taking it to the doc's tomorrow so she is filled in on everything before we go as Edna hasn't seen her before but her doc wasn't available plus hes no good.

I have spoken to the mental health team and found out that the weds appointment is more than I know its for a assesment and to give dad respite that is why they want her to go alone the car thats coming to pick her up is driven by a quilified person and when she arrives a nurse will be with her at all times and she will never be left alone, they have put my mind to rest now I have to convince dad.

 

[Brucie]

My Jan had what I termed 'faints'.

These looked and seemed to be faints, though the doctors thought they were fits, or perhaps TIAs.

The strange thing was that sometimes they appeared to be timed.

They happened frequently whan Jan was asleep and one night she had 6 or seven, at absolutely regular intervals. The last of them I was expecting - I looked at the clock and counted down. sure enough, she fainted exactly on time.

This was not triggered by anything visual as she was asleep beside me.

I have never understood, nor have the medics.

It just happened that way.

 

[heartbroken]

I took Edna to the GP today, I passed a letter explaining things the Doc was great she has put her on asprin one everyday just in case its tia's, plus sent Edna for blood tests, she did look on the records for the brain scan results but said she couldn't access them until we have been back to see the consultant, that has got me worried as I could see something on the computer but couldn't see it properly so roll on the 9th july when we go. Edna has to go back to the Doc's on the 28th july for blood test result.
I will keep you all in touch
thanks for your thorghts

 

[heartbroken]

Today Edna went to the hospital for physio

she was happy to go in the car but and its a big but on return the driver was moaning as she had wet the seat, we don't know what happened if she needs to go again as we was told it would be for 6 weeks, Edna was in a terrible state didn't know where she had been what she did, she was thirsty and wanted her dinner and was wet through.
so did they talk her to the toliet, gave her a drink we don't know, I would say they didn't so tomorrow I have some phoning to do as there is no way she is going again.

 

[Grannie G]

I cannot begin to understand the objection to you going with her. Insisting she travel alone is asking for trouble. What are these people thinking of.

 

[heartbroken]

they said there wasn't room in the car for us, we could take her but then they wanted to see her on her own and we would have to leave.

the hospital is a long way from us 45min ride and we don't have transport unless my brother is of work so today would have been hard to get her there then we would have had to hang about.
I don't know who to phone first tomorrow
I think I will start with the sw then the mht and see what is said.

 

[Grannie G]

I can understand if there`s no room in the transport, and I can also understand the physio wanting to see her alone.

So before you phone you really need to know what you are going to ask for. There is no point asking if you can go with Edna if you will be unable to wait for her while she has her treatment.

Why don`t you write down what you want to ask so you are well prepared.

 

[heartbroken]

thanks Sylvia I will.
Dad is saying she isn't going gain, he won't let her.
I just want to know what has happen to get her in a state.
I will sit tonight and think things through before I phone, no point in getting worked up for nothing but I would like some answers

 

[hendy]

Dear Heartbroken
I think there might be 'rule' that patients who are using an ambulance service(or hospital car) have to travel on their own. However, this applies to non-dementia patients who have all their faculties. Dad reached a stage when he needed to be escorted, I couldn't be with him always due to work commitments and babies etc. We were in the position of having a member of staff(care home, assessment ward) would have to accoompany him. perhaps the physio didnt undertstand how much Edna really did need an escort. It will cetainly need clarification if she needs to go to hospital again.
take care
hendy

 

[heartbroken]

thanks
as soon as I learnt that she was to go alone I got in touch with the MHT and asked about it to be told that she would be met a the hospital by a nurse that would be with her at all times and she would be well looked after, thats why we let her go also it was said it was for 6 weeks, Edna didn't bring back the appointment card with her so we don't know if they are fetching her next week, if has got to go next week same time then we would have to cancel it as Edna has a appointment with the consultant who first sent the phyiso to see her so may be he knows what is happening

 

[Chrissyan]

Tell the consultant what is going on ie: the fact that you do not know what is going on & someone needs to be with her. With regards to the transport, I do not drive & the first time my Dad had to go to the memory clinic I was told I could go in the transport with him. In the end I didn't need to as he was 'double booked' Such is the nature of the illness, he had arranged to go with me in their transport & to go with his ex-daughter-in-law her car. Bless her, much more use than her ex, my brother!

 

[Margaret W]

Heartbroken, I'd not allow my mother to go anywhere without me or a trusted member of the care home staff (i.e. Janice and nobody else). And my mum is only mid-stage dementia. Every dementia patient is different and my mum's main problem is understanding time. A 45-minute journey would seem like all day to my mum, she would need reassurance every five minutes, and last time I took her on such a journey (for a new hearing aid), she thought she had lost her room at the care home and they would have given it to someone else, and she would have nowhere to go. You should have seen her when she got back, she shot through the front door and immediately asked "can I stay for a bit of dinner, cos I have nowhere else to go?". What idiot ignores the needs of such a person?

Make phone calls, put on pressure, insist on being there (and being transported with your mum). Not on otherwise.

Love and hugs

Margaret

 

[heartbroken]

I've made phone calls,
The hospital physio is a awnser machine so I left a message to phone back which they did 5hrs later to tell me that Edna had brought a appointment card home but we don't know where it is and she had a appointment next week so I canceled it, then I asked about why was she so wet their reply was we did ask her if she wanted to go she said no, I then informed them that they should have asked her to try as she always says no, it has now been put on her records that she needs to be tolieted. the lovely nurse that helps us bath her phoned me on her day off to ask how she was, so I told her what happened she is not happy and is going to see what she can do to help us, she has said it could be possible for her to take her and stay, we are going to talk to the consultants next wed, we have a list already to talk about, I think Edna is hearing voices as I catch her unaware she was hitting her head shouting I wish you lot would shut up and leave me alone, plus dad said that its as though she is talking to someone at night as she is going to bed, after she has had a shaking turn, roll on weds then we might get some answers plus the brain scan results at long last.
sorry for long post
thanks for your surport

 

[connie]

Dear heartbroken,
I must commend you on how well you are looking after Edna's best interests.

I fully understand how frustrating it must be for you, and commend you for keeping such a close eye on Edna.

Just a thought: (Even sitting them on a folded towel can sometimes preserve their dignity)