Comments on: Following The Public’s Business http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/ Firedoglake weblog Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:47:09 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: martha http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515553 martha Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:16:08 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515553 <p>Great, sounds like my mom’s situation. We didn’t want to face reality because she’s only 74. My father in law is 83, so that’s a bit more palatable, I guess. Well, not really, but…</p> Great, sounds like my mom’s situation. We didn’t want to face reality because she’s only 74. My father in law is 83, so that’s a bit more palatable, I guess. Well, not really, but…

]]> By: Fern http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515549 Fern Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:11:26 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515549 <p>Thanks for that advice - She is seeing a gerontologist, someone with a very good reputation. I just with her GP had referred her much earlier - things have been deteriorating for quite some time.</p> Thanks for that advice – She is seeing a gerontologist, someone with a very good reputation. I just with her GP had referred her much earlier – things have been deteriorating for quite some time.

]]> By: martha http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515542 martha Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:07:23 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515542 <p>I think one big lesson we learned was to make sure you’re working with a gerontologist or an internist that specializes in elderly people. General practitioners are great, but they don’t have the time to keep up on all the latest stuff. A huge issue is that many really common drugs that older folks take actually makes dementia worse or causes dementia-like symptoms. So, if you live near a university town with an Alzheimer’s clinic, go there. My FIL’s gerontologist was ticked recently when the FIL’s general practitioner prescribed some meds that made things worse for a few days…</p> I think one big lesson we learned was to make sure you’re working with a gerontologist or an internist that specializes in elderly people. General practitioners are great, but they don’t have the time to keep up on all the latest stuff. A huge issue is that many really common drugs that older folks take actually makes dementia worse or causes dementia-like symptoms. So, if you live near a university town with an Alzheimer’s clinic, go there. My FIL’s gerontologist was ticked recently when the FIL’s general practitioner prescribed some meds that made things worse for a few days…

]]> By: mui1 http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515531 mui1 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:57:01 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515531 <p>My grandfather had alzheimers as well when I was a kid. It’s hard hard hard. I always feel guilty when I think of him as if there was something I could have done better.</p> My grandfather had alzheimers as well when I was a kid. It’s hard hard hard. I always feel guilty when I think of him as if there was something I could have done better.

]]> By: Christy Hardin Smith http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515530 Christy Hardin Smith Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:56:09 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515530 <p>So sorry, Fern. Big hugs…it’s really rough.</p> So sorry, Fern. Big hugs…it’s really rough.

]]> By: martha http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515526 martha Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:54:38 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515526 <p>(((Fern)))</p> (((Fern)))

]]> By: Fern http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515518 Fern Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:52:49 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515518 <p>My mother was just diagnosed this week - Alzheimers - but there is already a lot of deterioration. So we are going down that road too.</p> My mother was just diagnosed this week – Alzheimers – but there is already a lot of deterioration. So we are going down that road too.

]]> By: martha http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515509 martha Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:48:17 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515509 <p>I think that’s probably what my grandma had–it’s been 12 years ago, so pre-Aricept. She was much more agitated and difficult to “control”. So far, FIL is his usual sweet self, just a quieter shell. Mom, we’ll see.</p> I think that’s probably what my grandma had–it’s been 12 years ago, so pre-Aricept. She was much more agitated and difficult to “control”. So far, FIL is his usual sweet self, just a quieter shell. Mom, we’ll see.

]]> By: Christy Hardin Smith http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515508 Christy Hardin Smith Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:48:12 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515508 <p>Oh Toby, I’m so sorry. My grandfather had similar issues years ago before they ever had any medication that could help (back in the mid-80s). It was so tough on everyone, most of all him — he was constantly alternating between abject terror and utter, weeping confusion. It’s so incredibly tough to watch someone you care about go through that.</p> <p>We are at the very early edge of it with my FIL, and I’m not certain where it is going to go from here…</p> Oh Toby, I’m so sorry. My grandfather had similar issues years ago before they ever had any medication that could help (back in the mid-80s). It was so tough on everyone, most of all him — he was constantly alternating between abject terror and utter, weeping confusion. It’s so incredibly tough to watch someone you care about go through that.

We are at the very early edge of it with my FIL, and I’m not certain where it is going to go from here…

]]> By: TobyWollin http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515501 TobyWollin Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:44:24 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/26/following-the-publics-business/#comment-1515501 <p>Aricept had no effect on my mom - but she had multi-infarct dementia, which is an entirely different beast. One moment, she was great - the next, she was screaming and yelling that we were trying to poison her. It was real ’see the aliens coming out of the ceiling - making a break for the front door - taking clothing off in public’ sort of stuff.</p> Aricept had no effect on my mom – but she had multi-infarct dementia, which is an entirely different beast. One moment, she was great – the next, she was screaming and yelling that we were trying to poison her. It was real ’see the aliens coming out of the ceiling – making a break for the front door – taking clothing off in public’ sort of stuff.

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