Meet fellow Caregivers - Introduce yourself

Hello @rmftucker Nice to meet you, at least electronically! It warmed my heart to read your husband got good care through the VA. So much negative press lately, it is good to know they are doing right by some of our Veterans!

I was a caregiver for my mother-in-law while she had dementia and Aricept helped her with a wonderful plateau period. I was also the primary caregiver for my wife for 14 years as she battled brain cancer and struggled with many dementia-like symptoms.

I like your comment that it is a journey taken together. You are a wise one!

I send you all the peace, courage, and strength I can.

Yep, @macbeth it is a fine line we caregivers often are forced to walk with some of those in the medical community.

A sad commentary, but a very necessary discussion I believe.

I am Donna and care for my husband with early stages dementia. I'm starting to see him drop things and constantly itching his head . Wonder if we should see the dematologist for the itching. Know he will soon have cateract surgery.

For the past several weeks, my husband has had bad headaches, then his eyes were hurting. Then he felt the back of his head and said he could feel a "lump" inside his scull at the neck line. His neck also really itched, (all the cancers he has had, has had severe itching) so, I called the doc and we saw him yesterday. He gave Bob a shot in the back of his neck of cortizone (sp) and has scheduled a cat scan for him for next week. We shall see! Am I worried? Yes! Also for my son Richard with his bone marrow red cells making too many red ones. Am I worried about my problems? Yes! But I can't do anything about them for the minute. Today I had to go to Portland, to Oral surgeon, does that hurt? Yes, have to go back and finish in couple weeks. It is a 90 mile ride each way. Am I tired? Yes. Husband gave his two cents worth on the 2 # bar of cheese that he saw in the frig! Why did I buy that, when we already had one. Cause it only cost $4.50, instead of $8.00. So with out any more discussion, I pulled out a pan, cut up some frozen bacon, white onion,
yellow pepper, cooked it all up and added it to cooked macoroni, added A bunch of chopped up cheese, cooked it till melted and put a
"large" spoonful on a plate with some cucombers and gave it to him. (I'm tired can't spell, sorry) Would you believe it he wanted more!
I done for the night. Hugs to whom ever needs one) I DO!

Hugs right back at you!

Hello @donnajane. I am not a doctor, nor a medical professional of any kind, only a fellow caregiver, so this comes just from my experiences.

With my mother-in-law, any time an action or reaction became repetitive for longer than two days, we wrote it down and brought it to the attention of someone in her medical team. Some of these they could not counteract, but some they could offer suggestions and help with since often with my MIL's dementia, a small item ballooned as it became far more frequent and long lasting in its repetition.

Not sure of your 'layout' with your husband's doctors, but we also did our best to stack appointments so it was the least intrusive for my MIL. She struggled whenever she was out of her house.

Peace and strength,

Good morning, @shortshot80. Sorry this hug is late. I hope it helps just as much with a cup of morning coffee. I wish you a day with some sunshine and a smile from someplace. I will hold your husband in my thoughts. My wife's headaches were always problematic.

Thanks for the smile too! I remember a day my wife was insistent I get to the grocery store to buy all the ingredients to make enchiladas. Looked up a recipe (I am a terrible cook), got all the ingredients the next day, and proudly wheeled her into the kitchen to visit with me while I put them out to begin cooking her meal. She lit into me -- with why did you buy all that (insert explicative) unnecessary stuff! The cans are still in my cupboard 🙂

I am glad your husband ate and ate well! Sounds to me like some dynamite comfort food to me! 🙂

Comfort, peace, and strength to you both,

Joyce is the name. Getting through to rational appears to be impossible now. Caring for 90 year old mother with dementia. Finally after months of searching, found a therapist and that has been a huge difference in my daily life. I'm not alone.

Hello @joyce13 Nice to e-meet you here. I wish you the very best along your caregiving journey. It is never easy and when irrational becomes the norm it becomes ever more challenging.

So good to hear you have found support though a therapist. Awesome! We all know the isolation and loneliness that often accompanies caregiving can be one of its greater challenges.

Wishing you peace and strength!

Hi i am new to this group my name is Kepi and i care for my husbands mom whom i love very much we moved in with her in Dec 2015 because she had some silent strokes that has left her legally blind and in Feb on the 8th she was Dx with late on set Alzhymers. In Dec i downloaded a book called the 36 Hours because i felt there was something else going on with her. On the 8th of Feb. Her secondary caregiver brought home the same book from her Dr. She was put on Aricept after her mmse was 18/30 in May her mmse was 25/30 after i looked at her lab work i noticed her vitamin B levels were way down along with her vitamin E so I also added those in February. She is doing really great. And of course we had a small dog which she now owns lololol Bella just lives mom and mom loves Miss Bella. Thank you for ketting me share and join this group.