deathrowjuliet Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 sandrine, your grandmother experienced a mind altering stroke and then has developed dementia on top of it, so her brain is really jumbled and the neurons are misfiring big time, look up dementia on the web for some ... I wonder how common it is for survivors to experience a mind altering stroke and then develop dementia? If this is the case, what are the odds of recovery? Sandrine :uhm: PS. Knowing that I must take in consideration the age, overall health, and many more variables in context, I would love to hear if any of you caregivers and/or survivors have had a similar situation. I would be very thankful. Wishing you all a great evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yin Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Sandrine, Is your movie poster for real? As a survivor, I can assure you that although my stroke was mind altering, I've experienced far better mind altering drugs in the 70's then I did my stroke. I think you are giving this one part of stroke deficits too much emphasis. Yin Also, I'm not really sure how sincere your inquiry is? After all if I remember correctly, your grandmother had the stroke and she is 84? Maybe the stroke hastened the onset of the dementia. To me, dementia seems to be prevalent in the elderly in some form or another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstockman Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Hi Sandrine... sorry don't like the poster.. I know you said your grandmother was very active and healthy pre stroke. I am wondering if the cause is one or a combination of the medication she is on. Medication can reaact quite differently on elderly paitients, also I was around 100 lbs. changed Dr's.. he adjusted some medications to my wieght... If you could find a primary physician who specializes in geriatrics. Also possibility of trying some medicatin for alzheimers/ or dementia. If she is more agitated in the evening she may be afraid to go to sleep.. did the stroke occur while she was sleeping? she may fear another, or possibly fear of dying while asleep. Anti anixiety meds would be helpful to calm her down. I was in the medical field for over 30 years, and also have seen many addicted to prescription meds. You or your mother would be in control of the amount of medication she would receive.. and at 84 if it helps I dont really see a concern for addiction versus having her calm and happier. I use an antianxiety.. one at bedtime. 1/2 one once in awhile if I need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstraugh Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Sandrine, The poster is on the "dark" side. Granted, with what you are dealing with right now, this may be a natural reaction. If your Grandmother's fears continue, please be sure to discuss it with the doctor to see if it's a reaction to meds or even just her own body/weight wise and dosage adjustments aer needed. It is hard seeing someone who was so vibrant at 84 years of age do a sudden reversal. If her overall health prestroke was good, this may be an indicator on how she may recover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrowjuliet Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 Sandrine, Is your movie poster for real? As a survivor, I can assure you that although my stroke was mind altering, I've experienced far better mind altering drugs in the 70's then I did my stroke. I think you are giving this one part of stroke deficits too much emphasis. Yin Also, I'm not really sure how sincere your inquiry is? After all if I remember correctly, your grandmother had the stroke and she is 84? Maybe the stroke hastened the onset of the dementia. To me, dementia seems to be prevalent in the elderly in some form or another. Hi, First I would like to apologize if I offended anyone here for posting the poster from the movie "Dementia 13" by Francis Ford Coppola. I will briefly give some background info. i work in film but have an anthropology background in symbolic and cultural. I have been studied on and off various diseases and their interpretations/symbolic aspects of a disease. Dementia is of course a great example to study for it is in a contradictory force (this condition has evolved since human life expectancy has increased. Now, if you look at the poster, one can suspect that dementia has undertone symbolic value as far as society's perspective and understanding of it. Maybe I should have been more careful about just putting it here and assume that it was going to be understood. my apology. now, as far as me being sincere??? what can I say! for which reasons would I not be sincere?? I have my grandmother who two months ago was sharp as a knife. It is a woman of academia, read 1 book/day, taught me how to write/read/think... two months ago, we discussed literature, psychology, philosophy, anthropology.... Now, she screams that my mother and I want to feed her dolphins and other nonsense... You remember correctly she is an 84 year old woman who had a stroke. but an important detail to me is that there was no sign whatsoever i mean whatsoever of dementia or any related brain disorders prior to it. She had the mind of a younger person. Maybe, had lost some vision and hearing capacities. but, that was a woman who was still in great shape for her age, watching her figure, dressing elegantly and thinking straight. Don't I have a good enough reason to be scared and ask anyone who could help if this is normal considering.... I don't recall that all elderly are diagnosed with dementia just because they have reached a certain age. As far as I know, my grandmother did not have dementia two months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Founder and Owner smallory Posted April 6, 2007 Founder and Owner Share Posted April 6, 2007 Hi, has she been looked at by her doctor or with a psychiatrist? It might just be that she is having a reaction to her medications. One of my meds gives me hallucinations. You might want to perform a search of the forums, here, for, dementia. You can also email our volunteer expert who is a doctor doctor at sjennings@strokenetwork.org BTW, I disabled your blog because caregiver questions are asked in the forums. Let us know what you find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrowjuliet Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 Sandrine, The poster is on the "dark" side. Granted, with what you are dealing with right now, this may be a natural reaction. If your Grandmother's fears continue, please be sure to discuss it with the doctor to see if it's a reaction to meds or even just her own body/weight wise and dosage adjustments aer needed. It is hard seeing someone who was so vibrant at 84 years of age do a sudden reversal. If her overall health prestroke was good, this may be an indicator on how she may recover. hi donna. posters gone. sorry again. we are discussing with her doctor who is not alarmed. claims that he has seen cases such as my grandmother that had recovered well after a while did not show any signs of dementia any longer. It is in my nature to question to begin with. In this situation, there are few factors that are causing me to question a lot. maybe i am getting too focused or too scared. it is possible. but, you see, my grandmother was impeccable in her way to present herself, elegant, ... and her mind was 100% all there. We talked literature, science just 2 months ago. Since two nights ago or a bit more, it appears as if she has not one moment of lucidity. It goes from very mild behavior, laughs with us, discusses politics (french election soon. she was very involved) however, her reactions are off the top. when conversing, if she struggles on something she get svery quickly frustrated. so we are reassuring her. however, many times she will get angry, tell us to shut up and no matter how reassuring and caring, touching her telling her we love her: this will turn into a what i guess could be called a panic attack, shaking, the body rigid, loud breathing, crying and screaming, accusing one of us for wanting to kill her, poison her, fed her live dolphins.... this happens mostly at night and since i am taking care of her i might have a blownout version (although the facts remain. those are some of the things she has been saying. last night i had to call my mother: she would scream each time i come near her. tonight, she kept me from taking the basin from under her so I would spill everything down the floor... i am just venting sorry... i don't know how all of you did it. my hat off to both survivors and their loved ones. i don't think i can make it this is how i feel today. we agreed with the doctor to give something with calming effects if this night is as "eventful" as last night. she is on seroquel right now (small dose can't remember exactly 1/2 tablet but mg????) we stopped the lexapro all together. too soon to tell... my other concern is why would she be doing so well at the beginning of her recovery (physicall y we have worked daily with exercises, both mental and physical and again considering her age, it was going very well, i was not worried. the first few days after the stroke were very scary of course. but then after we took her back home, she started to do better and better... mentally and physically. about 2 weeks ago i started to notice some changes. they became more and more obvious up until let's see sunday 1st major crisis then everything went very fast to now...the last two days and nights: of course, we are unable to work very much on physical therapy. we have post-poned her series with a new therapist until everything comes back to a calmer state. She has been very resistant as far as trying to walk.... we did not have this problem for a long time. and it is hard to be more "authoritative" as the doctor said (trying to make her walk) since all this. To all of you who have been helping my family and I i want to thank you for all your time and energy. we don't know each other and yet you have given us tons of support. I, mounie, maman and patricia thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrowjuliet Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 Hi Sandrine... sorry don't like the poster.. I know you said your grandmother was very active and healthy pre stroke. I am wondering if the cause is one or a combination of the medication she is on. Medication can reaact quite differently on elderly paitients, also I was around 100 lbs. changed Dr's.. he adjusted some medications to my wieght... If you could find a primary physician who specializes in geriatrics. Also possibility of trying some medicatin for alzheimers/ or dementia. If she is more agitated in the evening she may be afraid to go to sleep.. did the stroke occur while she was sleeping? she may fear another, or possibly fear of dying while asleep. Anti anixiety meds would be helpful to calm her down. I was in the medical field for over 30 years, and also have seen many addicted to prescription meds. You or your mother would be in control of the amount of medication she would receive.. and at 84 if it helps I dont really see a concern for addiction versus having her calm and happier. I use an antianxiety.. one at bedtime. 1/2 one once in awhile if I need it. hello, i have to check with the meds they r french so i need to check on the equivalents for the us. she takes very few. one for her blood pressure, aspirin, and now seroquel. before lexapro.we started to see a neurologist who works a lot with elderly and who is in close contact with our family doctor. the night is definitely the most intense. She told me she is afraid yes indeed, she is afraid of dying (did not mention while asleep though. those were comments she made during the day to her doctor and I. but that's definitely interesting to look at) i think like you antianxiety and i think we will have to. thank you for all your help sandrine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Founder and Owner smallory Posted April 6, 2007 Founder and Owner Share Posted April 6, 2007 One thing that this behavior sort of sounds like is her frustrations possibly coming through. I cannot explain the confusion but I can definitely tell you that most stroke survivors get very tired at night, which could be an explanation for being frustrated. As one gets tired the stroke survivor language skills become more difficult to form words and they might get frustrated from this. Another factor is emotional lability. Stroke can affect how a person controls their emotions and outbursts, laughing and crying at inappropriate moments are common. You mentioned taking her off Lexipro. Most anti-depressants take at least 6 weeks to have their full effect. After that you usually should think about dosage adjustments, up or down. Stroke is a funny thing how it affects different people and it's tough to give you a definitive explanation of what is happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstraugh Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Sandrine, It very well then maybe that an anti-anxiety med will be needed for her. Fear is to be expected, to some extent, especially for an individual who has led a viable existence until 2 months ago. I have never been an individual who wanted to take medications; however, I have now accepted they are a necessary part of my life. My thoughts ad prayers are with all of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrowjuliet Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 Hi, has she been looked at by her doctor or with a psychiatrist? It might just be that she is having a reaction to her medications. One of my meds gives me hallucinations. You might want to perform a search of the forums, here, for, dementia. You can also email our volunteer expert who is a doctor doctor at sjennings@strokenetwork.org BTW, I disabled your blog because caregiver questions are asked in the forums. Let us know what you find out. Hello steve, and thank you very much for the help. she sees both primary care as well as a neurologist and cardiologist. in france, she has had the same doctors for years since the stroke happened here she obviously seen by anew neurologist but both french physicians and american have been contacted and apparently they agree on the course taken. i will contact the expert you have listed. i need to check her meds they r french there are only few. plaxil I think it is called here??? seroquel since the stroke, aspirin and something else although i need tocheck with my mother thank you again. sorry for the blogging issue. i have made quite a few pas tonight i am afraid take good care sandrine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrowjuliet Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 One thing that this behavior sort of sounds like is her frustrations possibly coming through. I cannot explain the confusion but I can definitely tell you that most stroke survivors get very tired at night, which could be an explanation for being frustrated. As one gets tired the stroke survivor language skills become more difficult to form words and they might get frustrated from this. Another factor is emotional lability. Stroke can affect how a person controls their emotions and outbursts, laughing and crying at inappropriate moments are common. You mentioned taking her off Lexipro. Most anti-depressants take at least 6 weeks to have their full effect. After that you usually should think about dosage adjustments, up or down. Stroke is a funny thing how it affects different people and it's tough to give you a definitive explanation of what is happening. i agree. the frustrations are probably a big part of it especially since she was so independent prior the stroke. the confusion, and what impresses me most is the paranoia of course...???? you are riight the evening and night are the most demanding. she has expressed thisextreme fatigue. emotional lability: I know someone else mentioned it earlier I need to read more on this. because it may be the reason why all her reactions are way out of proportion. watching french politics, sometimes it looks like she is about to dive in to the TV and have a revolution. just kiddin'... i am getting silly... lack of sleep. humor has helped my grandmother and I. when she is calm, we have been joking and it is fantastic to see her face without fears, anxiety, anger and confusion but smiling and hopeful. good night steve and thank you again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrowjuliet Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 Sandrine, It very well then maybe that an anti-anxiety med will be needed for her. Fear is to be expected, to some extent, especially for an individual who has led a viable existence until 2 months ago. I have never been an individual who wanted to take medications; however, I have now accepted they are a necessary part of my life. My thoughts ad prayers are with all of you. and thank you for everything. again.... If you don't mind me asking, how has your experience as a stroke survivor affected your emotions? Please, forgive me if one more time, I am making a faux pas. I do nnot mean anything but great respect for your courage and spirit as well as patience for lost newbies like me. good night donna good night to all of you Hi Sandrine, We have been replying to you and of course you have a right to questions, and to ideas and replies we have. I think the poster is not quite approprite. I do understand your point. Hi Bonnie, my apology to everybody as far as the posters are concerned. it was inconsiderate of me. thank you for all your help. Take good care, sandrine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstraugh Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Sandrine, Prestroke, I was always a sentimental soul - poststroke it has been enhanced. There are times when I have no control over it and will burst into tears. My wonderful daughter, who is 14, will work at "breaking" the mood - generally through laughter as she will tease me that, when I cry, I look like a monkey needing a banana. My doctor had prescribed an antidepressant; however, my insurance would not cover it. For me, it helped me to become more involved with Strokenetwork - it has been a lifesaver for me. On the flip side, I will burst into laughter when timing doesn't really warrant it, I must say that with time, for me anyway, the emotional lability has decreased from what it was when I first experienced the stroke. I am 2 years post. I must also say that pre I was a person who had to work at controlling my temper/impatience. Post I have discovered that achieving patience, for me, is a constant work in progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndChance Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 I wonder how common it is for survivors to experience a mind altering stroke and then develop dementia? If this is the case, what are the odds of recovery? Sandrine Both neurological and vascular dementia seem more common in elderly survivors. If by "recovery" you mean returning to her prior state, the chances are almost zero because the brain heals so slowly we survivors rarely live long enough to see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arogers Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Sandrine, As I'm reading this thread, as well as others you have begun it occurs to me the extreme differences in strokes. I know how many questions you have, especially given your grandmother's apparent excellent health prior to her stroke. I'm a little concerned though that all the replies you get may be confusing you even more. Please remember in all of this the differences in people's bodies, ages, overall physical health, type strokes...all of it determine how they respond to stroke. I've noticed so many different experiences and hope you won't attempt to compare your grandmother with any of the other strokes. She is going to recover differently from anyone else here. Her experiences are going to be completely different than others experience. I believe we can give you support best by letting you know that we have walked in your shoes, experienced the fears you have and have come out on the other side of it all. I don't believe we do a very good service to you by discussing our specific experiences and medications though. We all have our opinions, we all have our experiences and we each have different physicians. Certainly some basics are: 1. A geriatric physician and a neurologist who specializes in strokes are very helpful to you 2. Being aware that medications don't necessarily improve a situation within a few days 3. Many stroke survivors experience dementia, and since you are familiar with it, dementia is often worse at night. A suggestion I've heard includes keeping a light on at night. 4. Don't judge how your grandmother is by anything any of us say here - each person is unique and each is going to react to stroke and medication in a different way. What works for one may not work at all for another. As you have been counseled, I would encourage you to be very gentle with your grandmother, not to argue with her, understand that she is as confused as you by her actions, and to not rush to change medications in an attempt to gain an instant "fix" to the problem. It may be necessary for the doctor to prescribe an tranquilizer for her at night. Communication with the doctor is very important right now. Good luck to you, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jriva Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 . Sandrina, You should consider getting your grandmother into see a geriatric phsychiatrist. Medications react differently in seniors than the do in younger people. Geriatric phsychiatrists really understand the effects of strokes, vasular dementia, drug interactions, and adverse reactions to drugs with older people better than any. Once you rule out drugs as a contributors to her problems you might want to check out the information on this sundowners site since you say most of her problms occur at night. Sundowners is a syndrone that can come on with stroke related vascular dementia. Here's a link: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-sundowners-syndrome.htm Jean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrowjuliet Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 Sandrine, As I'm reading this thread, as well as others you have begun it occurs to me the extreme differences in strokes. I know how many questions you have, especially given your grandmother's apparent excellent health prior to her stroke. I'm a little concerned though that all the replies you get may be confusing you even more. Please remember in all of this the differences in people's bodies, ages, overall physical health, type strokes...all of it determine how they respond to stroke. I've noticed so many different experiences and hope you won't attempt to compare your grandmother with any of the other strokes. She is going to recover differently from anyone else here. Her experiences are going to be completely different than others experience. I believe we can give you support best by letting you know that we have walked in your shoes, experienced the fears you have and have come out on the other side of it all. I don't believe we do a very good service to you by discussing our specific experiences and medications though. We all have our opinions, we all have our experiences and we each have different physicians. Certainly some basics are: 1. A geriatric physician and a neurologist who specializes in strokes are very helpful to you 2. Being aware that medications don't necessarily improve a situation within a few days 3. Many stroke survivors experience dementia, and since you are familiar with it, dementia is often worse at night. A suggestion I've heard includes keeping a light on at night. 4. Don't judge how your grandmother is by anything any of us say here - each person is unique and each is going to react to stroke and medication in a different way. What works for one may not work at all for another. As you have been counseled, I would encourage you to be very gentle with your grandmother, not to argue with her, understand that she is as confused as you by her actions, and to not rush to change medications in an attempt to gain an instant "fix" to the problem. It may be necessary for the doctor to prescribe an tranquilizer for her at night. Communication with the doctor is very important right now. Good luck to you, I believe we can give you support best by letting you know that we have walked in your shoes, experienced the fears you have and have come out on the other side of it all. that is exactly why I came here. Thank you Ann, for your support. I would like to reassure you that I am not comparing my grandmother's case to another one. we have similar experiences in that the nature of ailments is the same. However, I firmly believe that no individual is identical to another and no two recoveries will ever be identical. As an example, I never doubted that my grandmother would react to seroquel and lexapro differently than I who took both at different periods of my life (based on the fact: different ages, overall health, contexts, reasons, and even societal i say). the reasons why I am here are: * as you probably know, it is very difficult to get information from medical staff. Since day one at the hospital, I had been a real pain to the team in charge of my grandmother as far as the meds prescribed, tests, prognosis,.... Since my grandmother does not speak english, is unable to use a computer (and lately even unable to read), I feel that my research and discussions with you and other members can only be beneficial to both of us. There is so much more to say... I hope this is a bit reassuring to you. Again, I wanted to thank you very much for your feedback and peace of mind 3. Many stroke survivors experience dementia, and since you are familiar with it, dementia is often worse at night. A suggestion I've heard includes keeping a light on at night. (We tried the light thing. She asked what was wrong with us to leave the light on...yes people are different) she is also very sensitive to light and noise (i make sure the surroundings are comfortable as far as these are concerned. her sensitivity may be why she did not want the light on). as you probably guess, i love my grandmother as if she was a mother (she is in a way my 2nd mother) and i remind her that often lately. she had her stroke in my arms and this experience is a turning point in our lives. take good care Ann, sandrine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrowjuliet Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 . Sandrina, You should consider getting your grandmother into see a geriatric phsychiatrist. Medications react differently in seniors than the do in younger people. Geriatric phsychiatrists really understand the effects of strokes, vasular dementia, drug interactions, and adverse reactions to drugs with older people better than any. Once you rule out drugs as a contributors to her problems you might want to check out the information on this sundowners site since you say most of her problms occur at night. Sundowners is a syndrone that can come on with stroke related vascular dementia. Here's a link: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-sundowners-syndrome.htm Jean thank you jean, i will definitely look it up. i must say though that if the problems are more intense at night, they are still present during the day.as far as geriatric psychiatrist, we called a psychiatrist and specialist in geriatrics whom I know. he was away until the end of april. since my grandmother was not doing too well, we decided to go ahead and met with a neurologist specializing in geriatrics that friends of ours had highly recommended. we shall see. again thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrowjuliet Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 I wonder how common it is for survivors to experience a mind altering stroke and then develop dementia? If this is the case, what are the odds of recovery? Sandrine Both neurological and vascular dementia seem more common in elderly survivors. If by "recovery" you mean returning to her prior state, the chances are almost zero because the brain heals so slowly we survivors rarely live long enough to see it. I may seem a bit strange but I am not completely... just kiddin'. by recovery i mean: Physically and mentally fit to be able to sit up, get up, walk by herself, bathe by herself, cook at times (less complicated dishes in case. she was a fantastic cook and food is very important here), do some gardening another passion, read (that's key: she used to read 1 book / day) and do crossword puzzles (she loves anything that is literary and will make her mind work at the same time), write (her hands are so shaky and the writing is too clumsy as of now), Most imporantly, peace of mind so she can enjoy fully her children and grandchildren. We know the return of her prior state is impossible. we have already applied for her to stay in the us with us. she used to live alone in france and until then was very happy with her life (4 months in the us 6 months with her friends and other relatives in france) i think that if these goals are met (more or less), recovery will be a success. it would be fantastic thank you for your post 2nd chance and take good care of yourself sandrine :oohlala: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrowjuliet Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 Sandrine, Is it possible, if you've not already done so, to have familiar things around her that she may remember or you can talk with her about. Could help with regard to the fearfulness/insecurities. yes i thought about the objects. the problem is that everything she is very familiar with are back in france. there is that barrier: she is far away from home. but at least, since she has been coming to my mom's quite often over the years, she is not that disorientated. when she is here, she would own the kitchen (we gladly let her). so i think she is ok and finding herself in these walls. but specific objects souvenirs...alll back in france. we talk a lot about the past. she confuses everything. oh yes, nother thing. my grandmother lost a 5-year old son, of course, the tragedy and the emotions that come with are one of the main themes for her dementia. Very often, she woke up in the middle of the night, yelling for her baby... or during the day, she would say that this baby (speaking of my dog) is hers now... She often wants to go over their names. She has 6 (well 5) it is still extremely difficult for her to remember all their names and the order from older to younger. Numbers she says are a mess. very tough time. although one night, she started to tell me her addition table: 12 + 12 = 24 type of deal. and she was pretty good. This morning, she did something that left me open-mouth. she was standing up waiting for one of us to take her outside in her reel chair. She started to do the sign of the cross. and all of a sudden, she starts walking just like before her stroke, lifting the walker up in the air as if it was a piece of furniture that was in her way. She did not go too far but far enough for the three of us to stay speechless. of course, we got a bit scared but she stopped and lean against the walker with a big smile: "Miraculo" she said laughting. you were talking about humor. yes, my family and i are discovering that humor is a great helper and she is very receptive to it too. we were able to avoid some crises with it. kept her mind from going in the wrong direction. we also have installed cable where she can watch french television. There are some TV shows she used to watch in france broadcasted here. Her vision got pretty damage i am afraid. the stroke happened in the back area of the brain, where vision structure (i don't know too much of medical terms brain....) resides.... so voila. last night has been easier. let's see what tonight reserves... thank you donna :hug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dstraugh Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Sandrine, Every small step forward is a step in the right direction. Is it possible to have some of her items from France sent to the US for her - especially sentimental or something she would cherish w/o upsetting her too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanderson Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 hi sandrine, sounds like you have been getting some expert responses to your posts, which have been helpful to you, i am so glad for you. we have a great group of people here. since my stroke 5yrs ago, my emotions are a roller coaster. i will cry at the drop of a hat sometimes, then as quick as i start, i will stop. i also get depressed easily, but will usually pull myself out of it. this is all stroke related, along with confusion but the meds do help, and i never liked to take drugs nor needed to prior to stroke now they are all necessary to function. i do hope your grandmother continues to surprise you at times with her recovery. as everything does, it just takes time. all of you are wearing yourselves down, do try and get some rest, as things sometimes look different in the morning. be patient and let the meds fully kick in and hopefully all will get better. hostkimmie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrowjuliet Posted April 7, 2007 Author Share Posted April 7, 2007 Sandrine, Every small step forward is a step in the right direction. Is it possible to have some of her items from France sent to the US for her - especially sentimental or something she would cherish w/o upsetting her too much. hi donna, we could definitely ask for a few things she likes very much to be sent here. I will mention what you recommended to my mother and i am certain it should not be a problem. thank you again :oohlala: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrowjuliet Posted April 7, 2007 Author Share Posted April 7, 2007 hi sandrine, sounds like you have been getting some expert responses to your posts, which have been helpful to you, i am so glad for you. we have a great group of people here. since my stroke 5yrs ago, my emotions are a roller coaster. i will cry at the drop of a hat sometimes, then as quick as i start, i will stop. i also get depressed easily, but will usually pull myself out of it. this is all stroke related, along with confusion but the meds do help, and i never liked to take drugs nor needed to prior to stroke now they are all necessary to function. i do hope your grandmother continues to surprise you at times with her recovery. as everything does, it just takes time. all of you are wearing yourselves down, do try and get some rest, as things sometimes look different in the morning. be patient and let the meds fully kick in and hopefully all will get better. hostkimmie hi kimmie and thank you for your words. my family does want to give seroquel a good try. i think lexapro was not working and that we did the right thing taking her out. she has been on seroquel for two days and i don't know if this is the reason why she was calmer today. Still, delusions, and other dementia symptoms, she can have episodes where she'd cry all of a sudden for no apparent reason (well lie: usually it is frustration that backfired). the most intense are the delusions, the obsessive behaviors (repetitions, verbal, actions, fixed ideas) of course paranoia crises and panic attacks are still a scary part and i hope they will go away eventually. she does not recognize us or confuses us, thinks we are going to hurt her... I still have to get used to this. But I am more positive tonight. there has been a slight improvement (calmer) and thanks to all of you, i feel less like i am walking in complete darkness. have a great week-end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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