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[viv]

Sorry to hear about you loss Eddie.

Glad to hear that things are moving with the care of your mum. As Bette says its reassuring to have people into help when you cant be there.
Thats my big problem. My mother is digging her heels in with regard to having help in the house. So its either sister or me and thats it.

Its a bit full on and I sometimes find it difficult to hold on to my patience with her.

Let us know how it goes.

Honeyb
x

[Bette]

I really couldn't cope with that, Honeyb. You're an angel.  I'm very lucky in that Mum really likes having others go in; she's naturally sociable and so the interaction is good for her.
Bette x

[viv]

We keep being told she does not want strangers in the house and they wont do things the way she wants them done. In other words she cant be so demanding and boss them around 

The situation may be taken out of her hands in the not too distant future. Sister is very good at promising things and then "forgetting " about them. Which leaves.....now let me think about this one....oh yes ME.

Honeyb
x

[Eddie]

HoneyB, We had the same thing with mum, but she can hardly use her arms now, i think it's to do with her circulation being poor especially after stopping warfarin, makes sense to me. So she is having to realise that she can hardly do anything. I am her carer and i receive carers allowance for it, but i'm not sure now what i'm supposed to do for her and what we can ask for help with?
Bette, as you say it's good to know there are other people around, i hope at the very least to get the medical prompt increased, both me and brother have holidays booked at the same time, well we overlap by a few days, so we could really do with the extra help then.
Eddie. x

[Bette]

How are things, Eddie?
Bette x

[littleminnie]

If you get in touch with social services they can provide care while you are away. They will do everything, feed her, bathe, etc. You do have to pay, but it's not so bad if it's only for a few days.
LM x

[Eddie]

We are getting some help. Got the assesment finished today, mum's needs are 3 med prompt with dressing in the morning and getting ready for bed, preparing breakfast, leaving soup or sandwich prepared for lunch and prep dinner. Two longer visits in mornings for shower assistance! We are overwhelmed. Also there are three days when both me and my brother are on holiday that they will do four med prompt.
The social worker has requested respite care if needed and all the equipment for the house.

The cancer, well that's another thing, her pre-op is on Friday, but we feel she's just not strong enough yet. See what they say. Def since we took her meds away her confusion is so much better and no more dangerous events have taken place.
So all in all getting much better.
Hows your mum Bette?

Eddie. x

[Bette]

That's so good to hear, Eddie. 
Mum continues to progress physically (even getting a bit of her appetite back) but we're still struggling with the confusion which I have to admit, I'm finding very difficult. 
She's had an abcess on her back (it's a flare-up of a problem she's had a few times over the years) and although it's healing well, they swabbed it and found traces of MRSA so she's on ABs for that. Meanwhile, she still has a urine infection so they're waiting for test results before deciding what to prescribe. Hopefully that is responsible for much of the confusion but it is worrying.
Good luck on Friday.
What meds were causing the confusion problems, do you think?
Bette x

[Eddie]

Bette, We think she was taking upto 6 zopiclone (sleeping pills) and then upto 6 dihydrocodeine 30mgs through the night. She still had 6 dihydrocodeine during the day on top.
It's awful when there is infection after infection, antibiotics just knock them out too, your mum is on warfarin too which complicates the antib's.
Eddie. x

[Eddie]

Yes Susan, i think so too, i think we are heading for nearly a month since the major confusion, hallucinating and total memory loss. 3.75mg is one dose, doc agreed with an occasional extra one, but to take 22.5mg is scary.
Eddie. x

[Eddie]

We now have a digital safe, she took a serious huff at us, but we had no choice, we told her the warfarin had caused it because she stopped that at the same time.
She still has high dose temazepan 20mg every night. So i think her tolerance is quite high now.
Eddie.x

[Trey]

Eddie, don had temazapam and they told me he had days to live last week. He couldn't transfer as could not bear weight on his one good leg.  He couldn't talk just gibberish.  He had 15 mgs and one night had a total of 30.  I took him off slowly, less each night and tonight he will have only five mgs of Valium.  He now talks and can bare weight enough for a transfer.  I thought it was the brain tumor and it was the temazapam.

Hope that helps a bit. 

Thinking of you and Bette.  Our CNA said it is a little like having a 174 pound baby.

[Eddie]

Trey. Well done you for taking control. Much better for Don.
It will be my intention to cut these down too, i asked for a placebo? Doc just laughed.
Eddie. x

[Trey]

Do it slowly to avoid withdrawal. Good luck!  BTW placebo, great idea.

[purplenanny]

Thank you ladies, I did not know that about zopiclone. I take one a night. My GP did say not to take them for more than a fortnight but did not explain why. They do help me sleep but I will try and miss a few nights
Purplenanny x x