What can I expect next?

[connie]

I appreciate the 'one size doesn't fit all' syndrome, but have to say Lionel goes to "day Care" for ME. However he does enjoy it in his own way, but is always at great pains to expain to anyone who will listen "I only come here to give Con a break". Whatever works, give it a try. Connie.

 

[galliwotsit]

My husband was encouraged by occupational health to join the START project whose clients are all under the mental health umbrella. He discovered at 54 that he could paint pictures - quite good ones at that and is also developing a talent for pottery. The groups are usually 6 or less and the staff are geared up to client needs and are very helpful when keys, coats, mobile phones and wallets are forgotten and left behind and also so understanding if they are aware that it is not a good day for him. He too started going to 'give me a break' but he has developed an interest and when now when he is stressed and not coping he gets his paints out and shuts the world out. I think he is channelling his fear, anger etc as when he finishes he is much calmer goes for a sleep and rejoins the world when he is ready.

The centre he attends does different types of painting - oils, basic etc as well as pottery, mosiac, woodwork, creative writing and are developign new projects to encourage people to attend.

 

[alaneg]

Hello everyone.

No change in my dad unfortunately. I was hoping that since he was prescribed the Fuoxotine anti-depressant he might have become a little more lively and taken a bit more interest in things, but he is still spending about 23 hours a day in bed and although he is able to get up and move around slowly, he just doesn.t want to do anything except lie there. Does anyone know how long it takes for this stuff to have any effect, perhaps I am a little impatient as he has only been on it for about a week.

Luckily he has taken to the Fortisip drinks that the doctor has prescribed as he wont eat. He has three a day and apparently this is enough to sustain him so I don't have to wory about forcing solid food down him.

Alan

 

[Sandy]

Hi Alan,

You can find a good deal of information about Fluoxetine (Prozac) here:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a689006.html

With regard to how long it might take to see an improvement, it says:
It may take 4 to 5 weeks or longer before you feel the full benefit of fluoxetine.

Take care,

Sandy

 

[Dearth]

Hope I'm not intruding here...

Just wanted to give another link to a site that might be ueful... The British National Formulary Website... I use it to get all my info. on medication including effects, side-effects, contra-indications etc.

BNF Website

Hope it's of some use.

Best wishes to you and your Father.



N.

 

[mailife49]

alan

HELLO ALAN,
YOU ARE A WONDERFUL LOVING, CARING SON, AND AS THE SAYING SAYS, "WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND". SO IF ONE DAY YOU'RE IN NEED OF "TLC" , I'M SURE YOU'LL GET IT....


I KNOW HOW COMPLICATED ALL THIS SEEMS AT THE BEGINNING, GUESS A LOT OF US HERE HAVE BEEN WHERE YOU'RE AT NOW.........

AS FAR AS THE INCONTINENCE PART, EVERYONE'S DIFFERENT I THINK, I MEAN IN LESSER AND GREATER DEGREES. FOR INSTANCE, WITH MY MOTHER, SHE WAS INCREDIBLE AT GOING TO THE LOO WHEN SHE HAD TO.... AND EVEN IN THE LATER STAGES, MY MOTHER'S STILL ALIVE (91), SHE WOULD BE ASKED BY THE CARERS IN HER OWN HOME (NOT NURSING HOME) CONSTANTLY IF SHE NEEDED TO GO, ONE CARER ASKED SO MANY TIMES THAT I THOUGHT MY GOD SHE'S MAKING ME WANT TO GO!!!!!!!!!!

THE AGENCY WHO SENT THE CARERS TO MY MOTHER'S HOUSE, PROVIDED PADS AT THE BEGINNING , BUT AS TIME WENT BY, I NOTICED THERE WERE NAPPIES, AND I JUST HAD TO ADJUST MYSELF TO THE IDEA....... BUT SHE HAD DETERIORATED A LOT WITH LOTS OF URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS, WHICH MADE HER STATE OF MIND WORSE...........

THE MOST WEARING PART OF THE ILLNESS WAS AT NIGHT TIME WHEN I HAD TO BE AWAKE MOST OF THE NIGHT AND HAD JUST ARRIVED MYSELF(BY PLANE) WITH MY DAUGHTER AND WE TOOK TURNS, MY THEN 15 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS MARVELLOUS AND REALISED THAT I WASN'T UP TO IT!!!

AS TIME WENT BY THERE WOULD BE AN OVERNIGHT CARER EVERY NIGHT AND ONCE ONE LEFT HER IN A SOAKING BED AND THE MORNING CARER BROUGHT THAT TO OUR ATTENTION......... SO THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

OVERNIGHT CARE IS VERY EXPENSIVE ESPECIALLY IF THEY DON'T SLEEP, THEY ARE PAID A LOT FOR THAT......... IN THE END MY MOTHER HAD A HIP OP AND AFTER THAT SHE STAYED IN A NURSING HOME , BUT I WON'T GO ON ABOUT THAT...........

EVERY STAGE IS DIFFICULT, AT THE BEGINNING WITH THE AGGRESSIVE OUTBURSTS, AND YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW WHY TILL AFTER SOME TIME HAS GONE BY , THEN MISSING OBJECTS, BURNING THE ELECTRICAL KETTLE BY PUTTING IT ON THE GAS RING, HIDING THINGS UNDER THE CHAIR, FORBIDDEN STUFF LIKE CRISPS AND SWEETS - MY MOTHER HAS SLIGHT DIABETES! TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE IN A VERY LOUD VOICE IN PUBLIC PLACES AND GIGGLING, WELL ALL THAT IS PART AND PARCEL OF THIS DEVASTATING DISEASE.

I DO HOPE YOU ARE ABLE TO COPE WITH HAVING OUR DAD AT HOME FOR A BIT, BUT AS TIME GOES BY YOU WILL HAVE TO THINK OF YOURSELF TOO........ IT'S VERY DRAINING, BUT IF MONEY IS NO OBJECT AND YOU CAN HAVE CARERS 24X7 THEN GOOD ON YOU, I'D SAY......... ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ADORE THAT PERSON, NOT EVERYONE DOES!

ANYWAY ALL THE BEST,
mailife49

 

[alaneg]

Mailife49,
Thanks for the reply, but I think you make me out to be more saintly than I really am. I spend some time most days reading the posts on this site and realise how lucky I am with Dad at the moment. The problems others are facing with their loved ones are far greater than I am having to cope with. My concerns about Dads constant sleeping are for his sake as I feel that there should be more to his life than just dozing so many hours of the day, it does howeve make life quite easy for me. However much I try he just doesn't want to do anything. His greatest pleasure of the day appears to be going back to bed after I have got him up for some reason!

The hardest part is trying to persuade him to have a bath. The look of abject missery on his face when in the morning I tell him it is bath day! The last few times I have persuaded him to have a shower, something he was never keen on when he was well. This is a bit easier as he can just step in and stand, rather unsteadily, as I spray him down from outside, it must be rather an amusing sight as I usually get almost as wet as he does! But he does still make the effort to clean himself and he is awfully happy when I say he can go back to bed!

I realise that things will probably get more difficult in the future but we will just have to see what happens and cope as best as we can.

Best wishes to all the carers out there

Alan

 

[KarenC]

Prozac Well Tolerated

My elderly parents have both taken Prozac, with no ill effects. I can understand your reservations about drug treatments, but the selective-seratonin-reuptake-inhibitor type of anti-depressants seem to be well tolerated by most folks. They do take a few weeks to take effect, so unless there are real problems I think it's worth giving it a try for a while.

Good luck,
Karen