Mom,Me and Alzheimer's blog

Feeding Tubes

2011-12-03T05:27:00.001-08:00

Feeding Tubes Pros and Cons in Elderly
Elderly people with critical health are often put on tube feeding. Digestive health begins to diminish as you grow old. Hence, very old people often show poor digestive abilities. As a result, they rapidly lose 20 to 30% of their body weight. If proper nutrition is not provided on time, they can easily risk their life. Feeding through a tube becomes inevitable during times of trauma or surgery, as oral ingestion becomes severely impaired. Medical conditions like dementia, stroke also prevent an individual from normal ingestion of food. Feeding tubes for cancer patients serve a great purpose during such terminal illnesses. However, feeding tubes for the elderly involve myriad risks and complications which are as follows.

Risks of Feeding Tubes

Discomfort
People who are put on a feeding tube often experience discomfort due to gas that enters through the site of insertion. If the tube is not inserted or placed properly, it can give way to air which causes a lot of discomfort for the patient. Also, as the human digestive system is not designed to digest only fluids, the person can take some time to adjust to a liquid diet.

Infection
If there is a leakage at the site of insertion, it could mean a free entry to bacteria and other pathogens. The enlarged stoma at the site of insertion leads to misplacement of the tube, which provides passageway to bacteria.

Clogging
Clogging of feeding tube is one of the most common problems with feeding tubes. The feeding tubes should be cleaned before and after every meal and must be replaced periodically. Clogging also limits the amount of liquid that can be given through a tube.

Disappointment
Tube diet does not provide any kind of gastronomic pleasure to the patient. Eventually, the patient loses interest in meals and goes into depression. Less than 40% of the patients who are tube fed survive more than a year.

Feeding tubes pros and cons should be considered while recommending them to babies as well as elderly. In babies, emphasis should be upon strengthening the oral ingestion skills of the babies, while elderly patients must be provided with proper care and caution while tube feeding

When mom could not eat without choking I also had the choice to take her out of Hospice and have a private care doctor or hospital put in a feeding tube. Hospice will not put in a feeding tube. My friend which is also a nurse told me that after awhile her body would not be able to take in the food right. She would swell up and be very uncomfortable. This is not on the pros and cons I found on the Internet but I am sure it is true. I hope you all don't have to decide if your love one needs a feeding tube or not . It is a hard thing to think about.
Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers. Your support at is so helpful. Yes , my BF is still around . He is wonderful. We are going to his jobs Christmas party this next week and I am kind of looking forward to it. Maybe I am getting social again. Hoping everyone has a Wonderful Christmas .

Better Mood

2011-11-26T08:34:00.000-08:00

Today is a much better day. Thanksgiving went great . My future daughter- in- law and her family are wonderful. She is a great cook and did almost all of it. Coming home to an empty house is still a little weird. It is dark and lonely. I think I told you my son moved out. Just a week or two after mom passed so I am having that empty nest thing along with missing mom.
When the grave digger man dug her grave he had to move the stone to be able to get to close enough to dig and that was almost a month ago . Well yesterday the stone was finally returned to where it belonged and I could put the flowers my niece made on top of it. We also got matching ones for both sides of the stone. It looks very nice and that made us all happy. Going out there and seeing the stone off to the side of the graves was bothering me and my sister. Her even more for some reason. My sister's son is going through a divorce and that is tearing my sister up. They have a 7 year old daughter that does not understand while daddy is living with grandma and not with her . My sister can't stand not knowing what is going to happen to her grand -daughter. She wishes her son and the grand- daughter would be able to live with her but of course the girls mommy is not going to let that happen. But it would be nice .
I still don't think I have grieved for mom enough . Waiting on the big break down. Just been to busy and can't get my mind around it. Work is not working out. I used to work at this place and loved it but now I feel out of place and like a teenager at there first job. Hope that changes. Everything is different than when I worked there before. But the money is good. Got my first check Thurs. Love that!!! I was looking in the newspaper for jobs yesterday trying to figure out what I could do that I might be comfy in. Guess what popped out at me . Home Health Aid , Companion for person with special needs. CNA's needed. Never wanted to do these kind of jobs before but now when I think about it they seem right.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2011-11-24T04:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, This is the first holiday without mom. In less you count Halloween . Every year for the last 3 or 4 years I would get invited to some one's house for Thanksgiving and I would say no I have to stay with mom. Sometimes my sister would ask me if I wanted to do something and she would stay with mom. But she has kids that she can be with and they all cook a big meal so I wanted her to be with them on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We could of had a big dinner here but it always seems like a lot of work on me and not so much on everyone else. We cook and I care for mom. We eat and I care for mom We clean up and I care for mom. They rest and I care for mom. Not so much fun for me and mom. Anyway this year I am going to my son's girlfriend's mom's house to dinner. It is going to be weird. Being social is something new to me now. I need mom . I miss mom and dad. No one to hold me back and I want her here so I can say I need to stay with mom. Used to I would cry and say I want my dad now I cry and say I want my mom and dad. Time to grow up right? There are to many I's in the post again. It is all about me, me, me. Trying to get better . Just going a little slower than I thought it would. The real world is harder than I remember. Working and being out in public is going to take awhile to get used to. The Lord willing by Christmas I will be back in the game. Happy Thanksgiving.

Aspiration Pneumonia

2011-11-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

	Good Morning All. It has been a busy few weeks. I actually got some work done around the house. And I did paint mom's room so I could move back into it. Since it used to be mine. Taking her stuff off the walls and out of the closet was the hardest. I just did not know what to do with it. I will give the pictures back to the family members who gave them to her I guess. I split up her cloths , gowns and personal stuff with my sis. Mom died from Aspirating on her food which gave her Pneumonia. I wanted you all to have a little info so you would know what happens when aspirating. It seemed so painful for mom. The doc said sometimes you do not realize the person is aspirating but with mom you did she would almost choke to death. We felt so sorry for her. If only she could of told us what was going on. We thought she had a cold . She would cough even when not eating. The poor thing. I wonder just how long she was doing this. We will never know. I got a job yesterday driving a Transit Bus which I did before so it will be good. Took the drug test and now waiting on that to come back than will start training. Hopefully I can remember everything it has been a few years since I drove a bus. Hope all is well with you and yours. Have a great Veterans Day and Thank you Veterans for all you have done for us. Aspiration Pneumonia is the reported cause of death of a high proportion of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients
	Aspiration pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs and airways to the lungs (bronchial tubes) from breathing in foreign material. Aspiration pneumonia occurs when foreign materials (usually food, liquids, vomit, or fluids from the mouth) are breathed into the lungs or airways leading to the lungs. This may lead to: A collection of pus in the lungs (lung abscess) Swelling and inflammation in the lung A lung infection (pneumonia

Pulmonary aspiration is the entry of material (such as pharyngeal secretions, food or drink, or stomach contents) from the oropharynx or gastrointestinal tract into the larynx (voice box) and lower respiratory tract (the portions of the respiratory system from the trachea (windpipe) to the lungs). A person may either inhale the material, or it may be delivered into the tracheobronchial tree during positive pressure ventilation. When pulmonary aspiration occurs during eating and drinking, the aspirated material is often colloquially referred to as "going down the wrong pipe."
Consequences of pulmonary aspiration range from no injury at all, to chemical pneumonitis or pneumonia, to death within minutes from asphyxiation. These consequences depend in part on the volume, chemical composition, particle size, presence or absence of infectious agents, and underlying health status of the person. In healthy people, aspiration of small quantities of material is common and rarely results in disease or injury. People with significant underlying disease or injury, especially hospitalized patients, are at greater risk for developing respiratory complications following pulmonary aspiration because of certain factors such as depressed level of consciousness and impaired airway defenses (gag reflex and/or respiratory tract antimicrobial defense system).
As the lumen of the right main bronchus is more vertical and of slightly wider diameter than that of the left, aspirated material is more likely to end up in this bronchus or one of its subsequent bifurcations.

Starting Over

2011-10-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

What am I going to do today? It has been years since I did not have anything I needed to do. I am kind of lost. The funeral directer called and ask how many death certificate's I needed. I ask him what I needed them for. He said to get everything out of mom's name into mine. That sucks. I just want to leave everything the way it is. Not in the mood to do that. Don't want to clean her room. Don't want to get rid of her stuff. Don't want to do anything. Yesterday I went to Circle of Life Hospice. Where she passed away and got a brick in her name to be put on the sidewalk in her memory. We ask for donations in her name to be sent there instead of flowers and a lot of people just gave me checks . I had enough to get one for my dad and mom. It is so pretty there. They have a walkway lined with bricks of people who have passed away there and some in Honor of people. The money goes to Hospice to fund the wonderful work they do.
My sister went to order the date to be put on the tombstone yesterday that cost her $100. My brother paid the Chaplin $50 at the service. My son paid to have the grave dug. That was $400 dollars cash they wanted up front. I said will you take a credit card and the funeral guy said no it had to be cash. My 21yr old son wrote a check for that. That is sad. I had to borrow $400 dollars from my son. I need a life. It is time to go back to work.We have been paying for the service for years now so at least I had that taken care of. How do people afford a funeral when they are not prepared for them. It cost so much. This not having anything to do is not what is it cracked up to be. I need a paycheck coming in and something to do. I think I will make myself be lazy the rest of the week. Than Monday I will go check out the place I used to work. I know I need to rest but not really resting. My son is moving into a new apartment next week. And I will be really alone.
I need to tell you about my boyfriend. So not really alone but alone in the house. He is a friend from school who I run into from time to time around town. Well he came over a few months back just to check up on me . Than he called to ask me out . And now we are dating. It is nice . New but nice. I think without him this might of been a lot worse. Seems like I have him on my mind more than losing mom. I think if it was not for him keeping me busy when he is not working or at his home I would be a lot worse off. Thank the Lord for my wonderful family and friends new ones and old. That are keeping me sane.

In The Arms Of Jesus

2011-10-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

Mom passed away yesterday Oct. 18th around 8:46am. It was a bit of a surprise I was not expecting it to happen so fast. And she just all of a sudden started breathing loudly and I thought she needed more pain meds. But the nurse said her heart beat was very faint and they could not get a blood pressure reading so she told me it would be soon. I called everyone to come but no on made it in time. My boyfriend was there with me so I was not alone. He is new but that is another story. Anyway I am very pleased at how peaceful she went. And I think the Lord for all he has done and the blessing's he has gave to use over the years. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

It's Time For Mom To Go

2011-10-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Bloggers, I have been thinking about this post for years. Now it is here and not sure what I want to write.
Mom is in Hospice she can't eat or drink without it going in her lungs. Her brain does not tell the flap that keeps food out of her lungs to close. Or it is just to weak to work anymore . So when she eats she almost chokes to death. It is so hard to watch. So painful looking. We are giving her drinks "kind of " when she is thirsty but that is it.We kept feeding her up till yesterday morning and than we decided her choking was so much more painful than not eating. She is not asking for food. But when she would smack her lips we would give her applesauce or a milkshake. It was awful. And she really did not seem to want it like used to. But she enjoys cool water in her mouth and she sometimes will not open her mouth for that but when she does she seems to love it.
The doc gave me the pros and cons of feeding her and not feeding her. I can keep feeding her and she will get pneumonia and than die or we can not feed her and she will dehydrate but she will just sleep a lot and than slip into a coma and than die peacefully . I can't stand the thought of her being thirsty but not feeding her is not bothering me so bad because she does not seem to want anything to eat. She is content it seems. Alzheimer's Sucks. Prayers Please and Lots Of Love To All.

I Am Ready For A Shot To Fix This Infection!!!!

2011-10-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

In some cases, Alzheimer's disease may in fact be the result of an infection, and may even be transmissible, a new study in mice suggests.

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In the study, mice injected with human brain tissue from Alzheimer's patients developed Alzheimer's disease. The mice developed brain damage characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, and over time, the damage spread throughout their brains, the researchers said.
Mice injected with brain tissue from healthy humans showed no signs of the disease.
"Our findings open the possibility that some of the sporadic Alzheimer's cases may arise from an infectious process," similar to the way mad cow disease arises from infection with diseased proteins called prions, said study researcher Claudio Soto, a professor of neurology at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

MyHealthNewsDaily

"The underlying mechanism of Alzheimer's disease is very similar to the prion diseases," Soto said. "It involves a normal protein that becomes misshapen, and is able to spread by transforming good proteins to bad ones. The bad proteins accumulate in the brain, forming plaque deposits that are believed to kill neuron cells in Alzheimer’s," he said.
However, the new findings are very preliminary and it's unclear if the same thing could happen in people. Moreover, the transmission occurred under highly artificial conditions that a person would likely not experience.
The researchers are currently setting up experiments to determine whether the same transmission can occur under more natural routes of exposure, Soto said.
The study was published today (Oct. 4) in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
Pass it on: Alzheimer's disease may be able to spread, similar to the way mad cow disease spreads, a study in animals suggests

Game Day!!!

2011-10-01T05:15:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Bloggers!!! It is Saturday and I have been up since 4am. Oh the life of a caregiver. Mom and I both have colds and she coughed all night. The nurse was here yesterday and said it is not in her lungs only upper chest. That is good. I just have a runny nose. Hope she is better soon and I don't start coughing.
Today is Game Day . The Arkansas Razorbacks are playing at the Dallas Cowboy stadium today against Texas A&M. It is a big deal. I hope we win . We lost to Alabama last week so we need this win. My son and his girlfriend left for Dallas yesterday after classes and staying over for the Cowboys game tomorrow . That will be fun. Maybe we will see them on tv.
A friend of mine is coming over after work to grill steaks today . Kind of looking forward to that and kind of not. It is hard to have company and care for mom. It is hard to watch football and care for mom. I have to either leave her in bed longer or get her up sooner or leave her up in her chair longer or not get her out of bed at all. Just so I don't miss any of the game. She does not have cable in her room and that makes it hard to watch the game and care for her in there if it is not on a local channel.
Sometimes I leave her in her chair till half time than put her to bed to change her if the game starts early. And if it is a late game I put her to bed early. But making sure she gets all her meals in is hard. I am just so unorganized. I fill bad if I put her bed early when she is wide awake. Than if she is in her chair I worry about pressure sores on her bottom. Worry, Worry, Worry. I have so many worry wrinkles. LOL!!!! Hope all your teams win today. Unless it is Texas A&M. LOL!!!!

Mini Vacation

2011-09-20T03:53:00.000-07:00

Good Morning all. It is 5:30 am . I should be back in bed. No nurse or aid coming today but no I am up and at it. Been up since 3. I am going to Eureka Springs Arkansas today for a mini vacation. Be back tomorrow sometime. So wanting to get started.
Got up to turn and change mom at 1 but than I could not go back to sleep again. Layed in bed thinking about the day till 3 so gave up trying to go back to sleep. Turned and changed her again than ate breakfast and took a shower. She is wide awake now. Don't know if I want to get her up or leave her in bed. She would love a milkshake so I will give her one of those in a min. My sis is coming over at 8 than I am out of here. It is chilly. Around 49 degrees. Debating on what to wear. Will be in 80's here later. Shorts or jeans? Can't make up my mind. Guess I will wear jeans now and change into shorts later maybe. A friend and I are going to the Passion Play . It is a live action play in a big outside open theater about the last days of Christ. I saw it when I was a teenager but it is bigger and better now. Can't wait. Better go give mom her milkshake. Have a great day.

Great Walk To End Alzheimer's

2011-09-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

Here is our Team Hudson for this years Walk To End Alzheimer's. Some had left before the group picture but the walking picture has at least parts of everyone. LOL!!! It was a nice day. Kind of chilly at first and than sprinkled a little than the sun came out and warmed us up fast.
My sister stayed with mom. We left her in bed till I got home than got her up so we could feed her a good lunch. My sis. gave her easy stuff in bed . Milkshakes ,yogurt , fruit. All of her favorite things. But after we got her up we made her oatmeal and eggs. She was having trouble eating oatmeal for awhile but doing better now. And her UTI is all gone. So it was a good week. Hope this coming week is the best for us all. And God Bless American on this day and always.

Can't Sleep Again

2011-09-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

11:26 pm and I can't sleep. Mom is sleeping so sweetly. Her UTI is so much better. And she has been happy and talking a lot. Can't make out all she says but she is sure talking to someone about something and smiling while doing it.
I turned her and changed her around 9:30 and just peeked in at her and she looked so comfy. I will need to turn and change her again soon. And than hopefully I will be sleepy.
Usually I have nothing to do except care for mom and wait on the aid or nurse to come visit her but tomorrow I have two Doctor's appointments and I can't sleep . Isn't that the way it always turns out? I did not drink a late Cherry Dr Pepper either so it must just be nerves. Since caring for mom my old body is giving out. I have a naval hernia so have to get an ultra sound and see whats going on with that and it is time for my yearly Mammogram. Not sure how they got set for the same day but I guess it works out good . They will be over with all in one day. And they are close to the mall so in between appointments I believe a visit to the mall is in order don't you? Maybe lunch. My sister will wonder what has happened to me.
Time to go bug mom again. I bet she won't be happy. Have a great evening.

Happy 84th Mom!!!

2011-09-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

Well another year.This is the 3rd birthday I have been writing this blog. Time sure has passed fast. I just don't have anything to write anymore.Seems like she is stuck in this stage of Alzheimer's and can't get out.The nurses just can't believe how long it has been . Being on Hospice 3 yrs is not normal. The Lord only knows why we are still here. There must be a reason. Someday he might show me. For now we are just living day by day.
Mom had a pretty good 84th birthday. Better than the day before. The nurse brought her medicine for her UTI Thurs and I think it is working.
I usually make her lemon cake but this year I let my son pick and he wanted spice cake. And she did not mind. She ate it very well.
The Arkansas Razorbacks are playing there first game of the season. The score is 40 to 0 Ark. So my son is a very happy man I am sure. He is at the game with his girlfriend. I can just see them having a great time.
We have rain and cooler weather coming tomorrow so it will be a nice long weekend. I mowed today and it was hot. Should of waited till the cooler weather but have to do it when I am in the mood. My son would of done it tomorrow or Monday but if it rains than no mowing.
Hope all have a wonderful Labor Day.

Yes It Is A Monday

2011-08-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone. I hope all is well for the bloggers in the path of Irene. We got a nice thunderstorm last night. Sure needed the rain.
Mom has not been feeling good all weekend. I believe she has another UTI . And her tummy is all swollen. I don't think that is a good thing. UTI's are very common in older people in mom's shape and many die from it. She sure gets them a lot but so far we have cleared them up. The nurse will be by today and we will figure it out.
I have some kind of allergy or poison Ivy thing going on my face. My eyes are blood shot and swollen and I have a rash near one eye and on my chin. It itch's a little . To top it off I have a lunch date with a friend. And I really wanted to go. I still might it my eyes look better by then.
The cat might of got into some poison Ivy and brought it home to me. No more letting him give me some loving. He loves to rub your face with his head. But no more. Not taking any chances.
Got to go. Have a great week.

What Do You Think?

2011-08-19T17:38:00.001-07:00

TUESDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, especially wine, may lower the risk of dementia, according to a review of previous research.

The team at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine analyzed data from more than 365,000 people who took part in 143 studies that were conducted since 1977.

Moderate drinkers were 23 percent less likely to develop dementia, Alzheimer's disease and other forms of "cognitive impairment," a phrase used to describe a decline in thinking skills. Moderate drinking is generally defined as a maximum of two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.

On the other hand, heavy drinking (more than three to five drinks per day) was associated with a higher risk of dementia and cognitive impairment, but the researchers said this finding was not statistically significant.

"We don't recommend that nondrinkers start drinking. But moderate drinking -- if it is truly moderate -- can be beneficial," study co-author Edward J. Neafsey, a professor in the department of molecular pharmacology and therapeutics, said in a Loyola University Medical Center news release.

Wine appeared more beneficial than beer or spirits, but that finding was based on a relatively small number of studies, the study authors noted.

The researchers said the protective effect of moderate drinking remained after they factored in age, education, sex and smoking, and that the effects of alcohol were the same in men and women.

They also noted that the association between moderate drinking and reduced risk of dementia and cognitive impairment was statistically significant in 14 of 19 countries, including the United States.

Still, experts in neurological health weren't entirely sold on the findings.

"This study was well-designed and well-executed but falls in the category of epidemiology [population wide, observational studies]," said Dr. Sam Gandy, chair in Alzheimer's Disease Research and professor of neurology at the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. "There are at least a dozen reports such as this, touting the beneficial neurological effects of alcohol. Each report brings calls and visits from patients, interested in what advice they can take away and apply to their own lives."

Gandy said that proof that moderate drinking helps curb dementia rates could only come from a prospective, randomized clinical trial -- something that hasn't happened yet. "Until there are some randomized clinical trial data, no patient guidance is warranted," he said.

Another expert agreed. Dr. James Galvin, director of the Pearl Barlow Center for Memory Evaluation and Treatment at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, said that there is growing evidence of a beneficial effect of moderate drinking on dementia, but "we should not rush out to buy bottles of Merlot, Cabernet or Pinot just yet."

And he added that the brain-healthy effects of moderate drinking noted in studies might just be a marker for an overall healthy lifestyle. "The Mediterranean diet with whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, olive oil and moderate red wine also reduces the risk of dementia, as does exercise, social engagement, mental activities and an optimistic outlook on life," Galvin said. "It is clear that heart healthy behaviors are also brain healthy behaviors."

For their part, the researchers said that it's not clear why moderate drinking may reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment, but one premise suggests that alcohol might improve blood flow in the brain and thus brain metabolism, the researchers said. And they offered up another theory, that small amounts of alcohol may make brain cells more fit by slightly stressing them and increasing their ability to cope with major levels of stress that can eventually cause dementia.

The review appears in the August issue of the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about dementia.

First Lady wrote back! Kind of.

2011-08-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I got an email from Mrs Obama but it was a form letter so you know she really did not read my email or our blogs . Anyway how are all you guys. I have been busy. It has been hot but we have gotten some rain. Mom had a real bad weekend a few weeks ago but she is ok again. My son got us a new tv so we could watch Football in style. We had to rearrange the living room which was a mess. I needed to vaccuum under everything but I had no bags for the vaccuum because I just tossed the last one I had the other day. It was busting at the seams. Oh well everything is covered up again that needed to be cleaned.
Hope all you guys are doing good. Sorry I have not read any blogs for along time. Just can't make myself do it. I am so lazy . I just want to eat and sleep all the time.
The Memory Walk is next month so we are going to make t-shirts the end of this month. Kind of excited about that. Thanks again for the donations and go to a walk in your area. I'm not kidding it is great.
Heres my email from the First Lady .

Dear Karen:

Thank you for sharing your views with me. I am always so encouraged to hear from Americans who are interested and engaged in the democratic process, and I hope you continue to stay involved in these important national discussions in the months and years to come.

As our country faces tough challenges, please know that the President and this Administration are working hard every day to move our country forward. Although we have made enormous progress, there is much left to do-and we need your help. Your engagement is vital, so I urge you to stay involved in your community and in civic life. To learn more about the President's agenda and the latest news from the White House, please visit www.whitehouse.gov.

Again, thank you for writing. I wish you all the best.

Sincerely,

Michelle Obama

First Lady

2011-06-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

http://walktoendalz.kintera.org/faf/donorreg/donorpledge.asp?ievent=456825&supId=297848008

I had a wild thought last night. I could not sleep so around 2 a.m. I got up to change and turn mom. And than tried to go back to sleep. Which is easy most of the time but not last night for some reason. Yesterday I waited all day for my sister to come so I could get out . Than just when I finished posting my last post about really needing to get out of the house she walked in the door. Better late than never . So I jumped in the car and did lots of things I needed to do. And for a treat I stopped by Sonic for a Cherry Dr Pepper and Fries. I eat so healthy. Anyway I guess the Dr. Pepper was a bit late in the day and made me a little wired. No sleep for me last night.
Well, I am still bugging people for donations for my Walk To End Alzheimer's . By the way thank you all that have donated. Love ya bunches! And everyone that have Walks in there area please go if you can. It is great fun or donate to your walk.
My wild idea last night was to email our President, Our First Lady and the rest of Congress including Arkansas's own Hillary and hit them up for money. I also ask Mrs. Obama to check out my blog and yours too. I hope she does . I also have been bugging Maria Shriver I wish she would come to our walk and speak or walk with Team Hudson. Won't that be something? So I am going to leave this post up awhile just in case because I am sure it takes awhile to go through all there mail. I would like them to read what we go through day by day. Being a caregiver is a full time , life changing job. Alzheimer's not only takes the life away from the one who has it but the family of that loved one. They have to stop living there lives completely and start living life for the loved one with Alzheimer's because they cannot live it on there own anymore. We need help , money , resources and so much more. I just don't think Washington knows what it is all about.
Mrs. Obama please read my past post. My old one's . My first ones. They tell it the best . Than visit my followers and blogs I follow. That is the only way you will see what life of a Alz's. caregiver goes through. Thank you and God Bless .

Dad's Day

2011-06-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

I hope all the dad's had a wonderful Dad's day. I have been trying to get to my dad's grave all week to visit and put new flowers but have not gotten away. I also have been trying to think of something to write a post about. Alzheimer's or mom and could not think of anything. Than I read Had a Dad's post today and she made me think of something to write. She is a great writer .
I think I might of wrote about this before but I forget . But Dad died when I was 4 months pregnant . My son turned 21 in April so that is how I keep track of how long it has been since dad died. That kind of sucks but it's what it is. He died in a farming accident. I was at work and a nurse from the hospital called to tell me he had been in a accident and died and my mom had told her to call me . Ok have you ever gotten news like that and was able to function. It is hard. I told one of my co-workers what had happened and just left . All the way home I was praying that is was not true or a mistake. Anyway he died fast and was gone in a instant. Mom is dieing slow . She has been dying for so long. We just wake up every morning wondering if today she will turn worse. The nurse says it can happen at any time. And it has a couple of times. But she comes out of it. I am so Thankful when she is back to her normal than I start the waiting game again. Why can't things just be perfect all the time. Perfect birth , life and death. Things don't always work out Perfect. But we seem to always make it through. I am going to get through this. And I do Thank the Lord everyday for my Son . He came at the worse time of my life and has been the best thing that has every happened to me. Hopefully I will get out today. I have not been out since last Sunday not this Sunday last Sunday. Except to the store for a few minutes so that may be why I'm in a crazy mood. I really need to get out of here. It really has been the longest day . Have a great first day of summer.

Brain Scans

2011-06-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

Acording to Caring.com there might be a brain scan to spot early warning signs of Alzheimer's available this year. But that will not help people with the disease.
So no help for our love ones yet. There still is no cure. The only thing I see good out of this is maybe getting you on meds to slow Alzheimer's done. The sooner the better. I do believe that. But we need more money and time spent on looking for a cure. And money to care for the 5.4 million already affected by Alzheimer's and for the love ones who care for them. I am sorry I wrote about this before but In 2010 Alzheimer's and Dementia caregivers had 1.9 billion in additional heathcare cost.

I know first hand how heathcare cost can blow through your checking, savings, and or your retirement money. We just need the gov. to realize this. Ok I am done for today. Have a great week.

Dry Skin

2011-06-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

Mom's skin is pretty dry. We put lotion on it everyday. But it is dry and flaky. Today Agingcare.com had a story on skin .
It said to bath every other day instead of everyday because this will dry out the skin. Mom's aid only comes twice a week and I give her a sponge bath "kind of "in between so I think we are good on that. It also said to dress in Cotton instead of other cloths. I think all mom's gowns are cotton.
Increase water consumption. Mom drinks all day. I am giving her sips of water because she is always thirsty seems like. She drinks Gatorade, tea, nutrition drinks or juice with meals plus a glass of water with that . But I need to lay off the tea . Agingcare says Caffeine can cause itching. She really loves her tea. Maybe one glass a day won't hurt. Using a wash cloths to rub off died skin instead of those fancy other things you can use to bath with will help. And Humidifiers or vaporizers will make the room not so dry. I am going to try all these. Plus get a better lotion . The bottle Hospice brings is thin and like water and I just buy the cheapest . I think a good lotion will do the trick.

A Must Watch

2011-06-02T18:15:00.000-07:00

I got this from one of my wonderful blogger friends. It is a must see . Click on the title and it will take you to the web site. I started crying the very first minute into it because I was reliving going to the doc. with mom instantly. Get your tissues.
http://www.hbo.com/alzheimers/memory-loss-tapes.html

Blueberry Pancakes and Chicken Salad

2011-05-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hoping everyone had a wonderful long weekend. We did . My son grilled Chicken one day. I made a roast in the crock- pot the next day and Yesterday was the best. I made Blueberry pancakes for breakfast. And mom can eat pancakes . They mash up good and she loves them, She also does good with very tender roast , potatoes and carrots. So when we make something for us that mom can eat it is a good day. I am a whiz at mashing things with a fork these days.
But the best was the Chicken Salad my son made yesterday. He got the idea from Subway . They have a new chicken salad sandwich with dried fruit of some kind in it and apples. He went and got one . I thought it was ok but he really loved it. So he found a recipe online . It calls for 4 cups chopped chicken , 3 cups chopped apples , 3/4 cup mayo. Than dried cranberries, raisins and chopped celery to taste. It is amazing. I can't stop eating it. I made a sandwich for lunch and I keep going back to get more for snacking with crackers off and on all day. It is the most healthy thing I have ate in months. Can't remember the last time I ate an apple.

Backing up your blog

2011-05-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

I see everyone is having trouble with blogger today. My followers list is gone and when I went to visit one of my favorite blogs A Gathering Place she lost her's too and has not been able to sign in to her blog. She also said some people have lost there blogs or post completely so she sent us over to Mariette's of Back to Basics for info on backing up your blog. Head on over and check it out . I am going to try it now. Good luck everyone. Losing all my post would be so sad and I know it would be for you too. Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. It is not raining here. The sun is shining. OBOY!!!! If you click on the title it will take you to Back to Basics. And visit Rebecca's blog too. She makes wonderful things for the home.

Dressing

2011-05-24T05:18:00.000-07:00

It is cold and rainy out. Sure does not seem like May except for the nasty weather. Tornadoes all around us. I pray for all the families in Joplin Mo. and surrounding towns effected by the storms this week. We have more coming tonight in our area so take care. I am ready for spring to be over and summer to start. It hasn't seemed like spring anyway. Cold most of time.
Since my son is getting up at 5:30 every morning for his summer job . I have been getting up too. We eat breakfast together. I have seen him more the last week than I have for months. His school hours are all different and we seem to be up at different times. But now he leaves and comes home the same everyday. I like it but I am sure it is hard on his girlfriend. Last week I think they only saw each other one maybe two days. She came over to have supper with us one night and she told him he was so nice and lovable. I told her absence does make the heart grow fonder. LOL!
I am going to go bug mom in a minute . She won't like it . But since I am up earlier she is up earlier. Makes since right? I start getting her ready to get out of bed and hour earlier. I don't think she notices the deference much . Just as long as she is getting fed. She does like to eat. Thank Goodness.
I haven't wrote about any tips from the Alzheimer's Caregivers Playbook I was reading for awhile so thought I would do that.
Mom is easy to dress now. We just put her in an hospital gown and she is ready to go but I remember when it was not so easy. Making her change cloths and take a shower was really hard. She was stinky there for awhile. But later on she started letting us give her showers.
1. Allow twice the amount of time you think it will take for her to get dressed.
2. Don't act rushed or in a hurry.
3. Limit her choices to two outfits. Let her pick which one she wants to wear.
4. Lay her cloths out in the order she needs to put them on.
5. Talk her through getting dressed.
6. Use short , simple, one-step instructions.
7. If she loves one outfit and refuses to wear anything else , buy several outfits that look just like it.
8. Use pants with elastic waist and pullover tops to make dressing easier.
I always wanted to make mom some cloths with velco on them but never got around to it. We could just rip those suckers off. It was getting really hard to get her in pants right before she stopped walking . She would fall at any moment . Her knees would just buckle under her without warning. I finally started putting her in skirts . Seemed to go faster. And when is was potty time . Skirts were much easier to pull up then having to pull pants down. But that won't work for our male love ones. I would go with the Velcro. LOL! We got mom shoes with velcro instead of shoes strings . I love them. When she still wore shoes anyway.

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

2011-05-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

It is cold and rainy today. My feet are cold. We have been enjoying sunshine the last few days than back to rain and chilly weather. I promise that I will not say a bad word this summer when it is hot. I will try not to anyway. It has been such a long winter . Just can't wait till summer is here to stay.
I here the world is coming to an end the 21th of this month . Well, since we have heard about it I am not to worried. Doesn't the bible say something like He will come as a thief in the night. Not to worried about when he is coming . We need to be worried about being ready when he comes.
Anyway I was a bit lazy again tonight so we had Cheesy Mashed Potatoes , Applesauce, and pureed mixed veg. I was not in the mood to cook any meat. So that's why mom got cheesy mashed potatoes rather than just reg. ones. Had to get some protein in there somewhere. She was still chewing on the scrambled eggs she had for lunch anyway . Mom is like a chipmunk . She pockets things in her cheeks. For breakfast I was not so lazy. We had homemade biscuits and gravy. Mom eats bread better than biscuits . So she had bread and gravy. I actually like bread better . But my son loves homemade biscuits. He will be starting his summer job Monday . We will miss him. He will be so busy all summer.
Mom had her evaluation from Hospice today. I believe they will keep coming. She is not getting any worse but of course with Alzheimer's you never get any better either. The nurse measured her arm the other day and she is losing weight but not to fast. That is good. Her bones are sticking out all over. I hate it. But she eats good and I love that. We just take it one day at a time and the good with the bad. Hope everyone has a nice weekend. With some sunshine.