Hi to you all

[Nannie Les]

Hi there, had this site recommended to me by my local Alzheimers Ass. My mum in law was diagnosed with this awful illness approx 4 years ago. I have been part of her life since I was 13yrs old, I am now 60, and I love her as my own mum. The phase we are going through at the moment is the hiding of anything & everything. The poor carers, who go in 4 times a day to cook her meals, have to play hunt the cutlery at every visit. Also she has this thing about moving furniture in both her lounge & bedroom, she broke her shoulder in two places mid December and has only been back home for 3 weeks and she is back to shifting furniture that Arnold Schwarzenegger would struggle with, I have no clue where she gets the strength from. However she often makes me smile with her anecdotes, last week she was wondering around from room to room obviously 'looking' for something, I said 'mum, if you tell me what you're looking for I might be able to help you find it' bless her she just turned around and said 'I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for but I'll know when I find it' With a philosophy like that she should be running the country.
Bye for now x

 

[Grannie G]

Welcome to Talking Point [TP] Nannie Les. At long last a member who has found TP through her local Alzheimers Association.

'I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for but I'll know when I find it'

What a gem. I know exactly what your MIL means.

I hope you find the support on TP meets your needs. It has been a lifeline for most of us, as you will soon find out as you read the posts.

Your MIL sounds quite contented at this stage. Is this what you find?

 

[Lynne]

Hi Les

Welcome, and we're all nodding our heads at the familiarity of your word-picture I'm sure. My mum went through that stage last year, then thankfully just stopped doing it. Very thankfully; you wouldn't believe how many hiding places there are for smallish items in a 2 bedroom bungalow! Or perhaps you would.

Best wishes

 

[christine_batch]

Hi Nannie Les,
Welcome to Talking Point.
Good on the Alzheimer's knowing the right place to send you.
It is really amazing just how much strength people with AD/Dementia do have, especially once they have set their minds on certain things.

People will come on line later and you will see just how much support there is here.

Best wishes
Christine

 

[hendy]

Dear nannie les
Sorry to hear your mum-in-law has Ad. As a newcomer to the site myself( been looking after Dad for 5 years) it has been a godsend and a lifeline. It is terribly isolating to be a carer. Some of the things we have to deal with... you can only understand if you've been there.
I too was amazed at your m.i.l. moving furniture so shortly after recovering from a fractured shoulder!! I had a fractured shoulder last year, after my operation it took four months to recover enough strength to pick up any kind of weight at all, never mind moving furniture. Remarkable!! I was told that even Rugby players cried with the pain of it. Keep posting!
kind regards
hendy

 

[Nannie Les]

Many thanks for your welcome

Today was mums follow-up appointment for her broken shoulder and after speaking to my local Alzheimers Assoc co-ordinator yesterday, decided I would write a short note for mums consultant advising him of mum's memory problems and suggested that her answers would only be as she thought they should be at the time of asking, also that I was greatly concerned at the constant moving of heavy furniture and the damage they might cause regarding the metal plates and screws which are keeping her shoulder together. This I gave in at reception with her appointment card and requested that it was read in private by her consultant before he saw mum. This idea was brilliant the consultant (although 2hrs 10mins late)was kindness himself. He wondered if physio could be an option, he asked mum if she did any excercises at home to which she answered, "of course I do I have an excercise bike and a rowing machine which I use each evening before I retire to bed". (obviously in her best hospital voice) And bless her she did about 30 years ago but both have long since been scrapped. I again mention my concerns about the furniture moving to which he replied "won't do her any harm at all in fact probably better than any hospital physio she would receive, see her again in 3 months"

I'm sure my note made the world of difference to the consultants attitude and thought the suggestion a brilliant one and one I will use in future.

Again many thanks for your kind welcome x

 

[ishard]

I often wonder with my mum if she feels pain as she used to because she too lifts and moves very heavy things and it must strain her at least, but she never seems to mind, even if I do.

I do know that 'pain' is also an emotonal reaction so perhaps it is affected by AD. It makes sense that it is so.