STORM2K

http://articles.health.msn.com/id/100096371?GT1=6853

I hope I don't have this to look forward to...

It is the most horrible, terrible, heartbreaking, and guilt ridden syndrome that any family member can go through. I'm not talking just about the one who has it but about the family members who have to deal with it. Watching a vibrant, intelligent, artistic parent or spouse loose the desire and ability to do anything including recognize you is a real downer. It is a slow insidious problem with no cure. Mother's doctor told me to think in terms of reversing the growing pattern. It was exactly what happened.

She lost the ability to remember, reason, talk, bath, walk, then had to be diapered, fed, and finally bed ridden. You can do nothing but love them and spend as much time as you can with them. You must also balance what they need with what you can give of yourself without injuring your own health and mental stability.

I visited my mother daily for many years, then 3-4 times a week for 3 years, after she went into assisted living. When she got to the point of no longer knowing or recognizing me, though I called often to check on her, I did not go to the nursing home to see her but once a week. Too many others depend on me to allow myself to stay as depressed and guilty as I felt every time I saw her.

I pray daily that I do not get Alzheimer's. On a more positive note.
I read once that people who keep active minds, who challenge themselves to keep on learning have diminished chances of getting Alzheimer's.

And here you people thought I liked weather. Didn't know I was just keeping my mind active, did you?

MomH wrote:It is the most horrible, terrible, heartbreaking, and guilt ridden syndrome that any family member can go through. I'm not talking just about the one who has it but about the family members who have to deal with it. Watching a vibrant, intelligent, artistic parent or spouse loose the desire and ability to do anything including recognize you is a real downer. It is a slow insidious problem with no cure. Mother's doctor told me to think in terms of reversing the growing pattern. It was exactly what happened.

She lost the ability to remember, reason, talk, bath, walk, then had to be diapered, fed, and finally bed ridden. You can do nothing but love them and spend as much time as you can with them. You must also balance what they need with what you can give of yourself without injuring your own health and mental stability.

I visited my mother daily for many years, then 3-4 times a week for 3 years, after she went into assisted living. When she got to the point of no longer knowing or recognizing me, though I called often to check on her, I did not go to the nursing home to see her but once a week. Too many others depend on me to allow myself to stay as depressed and guilty as I felt every time I saw her.

I pray daily that I do not get Alzheimer's. On a more positive note.
I read once that people who keep active minds, who challenge themselves to keep on learning have diminished chances of getting Alzheimer's.

And here you people thought I liked weather. Didn't know I was just keeping my mind active, did you?

I had heard that as well. It is great to have hobbies.

I'm sorry about your mother. I can't imagine how difficult it was for you and the rest of the family.

MomH wrote:
I pray daily that I do not get Alzheimer's. On a more positive note.
I read once that people who keep active minds, who challenge themselves to keep on learning have diminished chances of getting Alzheimer's.

And here you people thought I liked weather. Didn't know I was just keeping my mind active, did you?

I'm with you on keeping the mind active. My father has it but he has not gotten to the point yet of forgetting our names but he is getting much worse. But we are very lucky that he can still pretty much eat and change clothes etc..but it's getting very hard on my mother.

His father had it also and was just like your mother for many years. Somehow my grandmother and some other family members took care of him for many years. I do not know how they handled it.

My wifes family has a history of it in her family also. So I am worried about our kids. Her mother does not have it but she has been in a NIH research study in the Washington DC area for almost a decade now. They evaluate different things once or twice a year and she spends a weekend with them.

I thought about doing it myself. It's a terrible disease that puts allot of stress on the caregivers as you well know. Hopefully a cure will be found some day. Or at least something that can keep it from coming on as quick. I know there are allot of experimental drugs out there but I have yet to hear of anything promising.

I see Alzheimer's with our patients, at the office. I see them
gradually regress into that child-like state. There's medications
like Aricept and Namenda that kind of seem to hold them back,
for a while, then they tend to cross over that line...

It's so sad to see, and, seeing the family cope is really sad.
Thank God, I've never had to deal with it, myself...only from
a office nurse point-of view!