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Update on my mom

post #1 of 12
8/18/08 at 10:02am
Thread Starter 
She doing okay. She has good days and bad days. She has the same symptoms as a stroke patient. Confusion, eating issues, bladder and bowel issues, short term memory. All in all I'll take all of that to have my mom and her same personality. She A-Fib'd Sunday morning early that's a little scary. It's going to be a long road to recovery and I'm not sure the long term prognosis. We will see. I'm very overwhelmed with Attorney, Medicaid, housing, rehab, long term care, my job, children, school. OMG, I feel so alone most days in which I am. I'm an only child and not a single family member has called to offer help.

I have filled out all my paperwork at work to exhaust my vacation and then FMLA "Family Medical Leave Act" will kick in, I don't get paid once the FMLA kicks in. I just need to hold myself together and stay strong for my mom and as she continues to fight, so will I!
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post #2 of 12
8/18/08 at 10:41am

Re: Update on my mom

i hope that some family comes forward and helps you out... you and your family will be in my thoughts!!
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post #3 of 12
8/18/08 at 11:04am

Re: Update on my mom

Best wishes, hun.
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post #4 of 12
8/18/08 at 11:44am

Re: Update on my mom

I will keep you in my prayers and hope that family members start to help you!! Wish some of us BBU'ers were in your area to help you.
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post #5 of 12
8/18/08 at 1:09pm

Re: Update on my mom

I grapple with some of these issues myself as an MS patient. I hope you don't mind, but I have a few suggestions from my own life and research into this subject.

1. Keep the mind active. Do not use waste away the day watching tv. Continue with crafts and hobbies she enjoyed before. Read. Do word games, card games, any kind of game to keep the mind active. Puzzles are also good. Play music instead of television. Music has been found to increase childrens' ability in mathmatics.

2. Become a list keeper. Of course, remembering where she is on the list can be a problem. So a checklist maybe good, she can check off items as she does them. I had a dear friend with Parkinson's. He was a scientist and a professor of science at a major university. This method could have helped him.

3. Post lists all over the house of things she needs to remember. For example: post a list of things she needs to do before she leaves the house. Is everything that needs to be unplugged, unplugged? etc. When a person does not have memory problems, most of this stuff is effortless without thought, but to the person with memory loss, it is vital for independant living. Dh's grandma with Alzhemier's lost her home because she left a burner on and started a small fire. Her landlord evicted her over it. I have lists all over my house. I used my crafting skills to make them attractive. Somedays I need them, some days I don't.

4. If possible, keep physically active. Studies have shown physical activity increases mental ability and well being.

5. If necessary, label drawers, closets, and cupboards with lists of contents. Again my friend with Parkinson's had to do this.

6. If Medicaid will pay for it, I understand an occupational therapist can be quite helpful in these areas. I asked my dds' OT about this last week. There are OTs who specialize in this area. He or she might be able to help with the other areas as well.

I have issues with frequent choking so I use a straw with all my beverages. It is a common practice at restraunts anyway and at home people may think it's a little odd, but often they like being offered a drink with a straw as well.

I don't know what all her issues are or if they are similiar to mine. I hope you have found some of this helpful and she recovers speedily. I don't know how you all feel about counseling, but there is a grieving process with any permanent major change in health. A psychologist will be alert for the signs of depression and be able to reccomend medication, if necessary, also just talk things out.

If you need to talk, PM me. I might not be able to help, but I am able to listen. In a small way, I have been there with the mental fitness issues.
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post #6 of 12
8/18/08 at 9:02pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Update on my mom

Thank you Grace, I believe that you hit on about every concern I have right now. Therapy, living alone, being independent, I'm working with a great social worker at the hospital. We discussed rehab and she's going there for 3 months. It will be spring before we know forsure her mental capacity.

Thanks everyone for your support....
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post #7 of 12
8/19/08 at 12:24pm

Re: Update on my mom

Keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers!
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post #8 of 12
8/19/08 at 12:46pm

Re: Update on my mom

I have been hearing more about art therapy these days. They are using it loads at my VA to help combat traumatic brain injuries and for mental hygiene. I have also heard of it being used with Alzhemier's patients to great benefit. I don't know if they provide this therapy at her center. My therapist at the VA keeps drawings by his TBI patients on the walls. These are people who had no artistic talent before. The drawings are quite good.

There have been giant leaps in retraining the brain in the last 30 years. It is possible to actually rewire around the bad spots, but it does take a lot of effort on the part of the patient and their therapy team.

Keep an eye on TBI research at the VA. They are just learning loads about retraining the brain thanks to all the veterans coming back with TBI.

The physical injuries are bad, but I know it's the mental ones that hurt the most.
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post #9 of 12
8/19/08 at 1:09pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Update on my mom

Currently,

They're still trying to keep her stable. They haven't even begun to assess her deficits, she's still in Neuro ICU and will be until later this week and perhaps into next week. That will come when she's stable. I'm worried, very worried about her mental capacity. I'm not so sure my family understands the long term effects and or outcome.
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post #10 of 12
8/19/08 at 1:23pm

Re: Update on my mom

There is hope is all I am saying. Is she able to talk?
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post #11 of 12
8/19/08 at 2:20pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Update on my mom

Yep, she's able to speak and she's signed papers yesterday. Her hand/eye coordination looks good. Simple questions are being asked and she's not precise with her answer even for simple yes or no questions. Not sure she's comprehending fully but with the brain still having fluid. I'm beginning to wonder if they won't insert a shunt to relieve some of the pressure. I'm very hopeful that she is on the road of recovery and as long and she doesn't loose her ambition. It's going to be a struggle when therapy kicks in especially if mentally she thinks she doesn't need it.

She's already asking why????? and indicating she's fine and perhaps she is but they need to make sure of that and she doesn't understand that. I'
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post #12 of 12
8/19/08 at 4:02pm

Re: Update on my mom

Just do the best you can - day by day.
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