Ann,

Has Bill started any new medications in the last 6 weeks? When my dad was put on Aircept for his dementia, we noticed an increase in awareness about a month out. My understanding of the dementia drugs is that it does take several months to know if they are going to help or not.

What ever the case for you and Bill, hang in there!

Jean

Yes, Bill started Aracept about eight weeks ago. Maybe that's what is going on. I'm not sure about general awareness, but he certainly seemed to "wake up" to some things last evening. Today he has seemed a little more interested in making "lists" - something he did routinely when he was working in insurance sales or mortgage brokering. It's all very intriguing to me.

Ann, my Dad took aracept as well. For him the result was almost immediate, and the documentation for that medication indicates that as well. For others, it takes some more time. Whatever, how facinating to have these conversations. Denny always asks me, "How Long?" "How long what?" I say. Then he points to his head, mouth, the length of his arm and leg. I ask if he means how long since his stroke and he says yes. I tell him and then he asks how long again, and I know he wants to know when he will "get better." That is always the hard question to answer.

I've probably mentioned this somewhere on the boards but my dad was part of the clincial trials for aircept and he had to be tested by geriatric psychiatrist every three months because of it. Once it built up in his system, we could always tell if he missed a pill, it was that dramatic of a difference. I credit the drug for us being able to keep my dad out of a nursing home for so long.

Don's mother had dementia before my dad did and in the transitional years of it, she always asked a lot of the 'how long' and 'what's happening to me' kind of questions, too. It breaks your heart and I'm glad they are coming up with more and more ways to treat dementia.

Jean

Thanks for your comments! It does help to know I'm not alone in all these experiences. I guess the good thing about the blog is in sharing my thoughts - and others doing the same - we find how much our experiences are alike - even though each is unique.

NOW...about that horoscope thingeee....(Read my last paragraph!) Bill didn't feel well yesterday. He didn't say exactly what was going on but he did sleep alot. He asked "we don't have to go anyplace, do we?" Honestly, that's the first time he has indicated he didn't want to go anyplace. His blood sugar was up and I couldn't figure out why, since he had been eating well. He didn't eat much at all. We were lying in bed around 8 o'clock and he said he just couldn't get his breath - I'd noticed it for a few days. I took his temp - 99.1 and his norm is around 98.1...So, a call made to the doctor on call.......Take him to ER......Of course it was a madhouse - even for a Tuesday night. We got there around 8:45 and weren't seen by the doc until around 10......off to x-ray and bloodwork........Finally at about 2 a.m. he came in and announced Bill has pneumonia. After finding a 24 hour pharmacy we arrived home around 3:30.

A week ago we'd been to the doctor and were seen by the nurse practitioner. Bloodwork, x-ray - negative. Friday evening we went to Urgent Care because he wasn't feeling well - Everything sounded fine. He had just had bloodwork and x-ray - how is his anxiety level? Is he being treated for anxiety? (All in his head, in other words.)

Bill has been to ER on numerous occasions since we've known each other. Never once has he gone based on an imaginary illness. I learned from his pneumonia in March that an unexplained increase in blood sugar can indicate infection. I'm glad I leaned that lesson - hopefully we won't go the route of March.

So, the "stars" knew it - somebody close to me was in jeopardy. I had forgotten all about that silly thing until just this morning.