When I arrived to visit my mom the personal daily assistant (PDA) was working with her. My mom was on her feet and walking along the hallway hanging onto the railing. I feel excitement being able to witness such a noticeable improvement in mom. After years of living with dementia, I have not expected to see any improvements in her quality of life. We had hoped that getting her out of the wheelchair and back on her feet would return to my mom a sense of control. For several months she’s had to rely on someone to help her toilet, change, shower and simply move.
We are working with a therapist to get mom’s legs stronger and work on her balance. That is a tall order, but given how tenacious mom has been through many other set-backs, I’m starting to feel hopeful.
Within hours of returning home I get a call from her care manager with hospice. She touches base with me weekly and we chat through mom’s status and outlook. She tells me that mom is really low and wonders if that is normal for her. I explain that since my dad’s death, my mom has told me she is unhappy and doesn’t know why she’s still here. I’m relieved to hear that my mom shared her feelings with the care manager. My mom has always been a very private person, and the wall she kept up has been in place even though her dementia has progressed. It seems like the wall is falling. I explain to the care manager that I discussed this with the doctor and wondered if we could find a “happy pill” for mom. While I would like to find a solution, I’m also concerned given how the pain medication Tramadol affected my mom. Would a mood pill come with the same risks? They were going to try something, but she doesn’t see that anything has been prescribed and will follow-up with the doctor.
I share with her my wish that we were in a state with medical marijuana laws. I’ve heard many reports that pot brownies have been very successful supplements for individuals suffering from dementia and feeling low. I know my mom would not refuse a brownie … ever.
I won’t let this news minimize my mom’s progress in a positive direction.I still believe getting my mom back on her feet will bring a mood enhancement for all of us. Celebrated
Wow, what wonderful news, that she’s showing such signs of improvement! My mom takes a huge slide downhill physically when she gets a UTI, and I’m always relieved when she bounces back, even though it’s never been 100% to where she was. She was having hallucinations several months ago, along with being crabby and lethargic, and the doctor prescribed an anti-psychotic and an anti-depressant (escitalopram) for mood. The effect (once we figured out that both had to be given at night) was positive – no signs of acting “drugged”, and no more hallucinations. And, all things considered, she’s relatively happy and works with us on what we have to do – a huge change from the first few months we were here.
Thank you for sharing! Sounds like we have a lot in common.
Good news about your mum’s improved mobility. I hope you can find medication whcih will help her mood – and I wish I’d known about pot in brownies when my dad was still alive (legal or not). He would never have said no to a brownie, either!
Kay, that was so poignant. My dad had Alzheimers, so I can certainly understand what you and your mom are going through. I hope her doctor will find the right mood-elevating drug — or brownie — for her. I know she would enjoy the brownie so much more than a pill!
Pennie