X Y and now Zyperexa

Saturday- went in the evening to see Peggy...sleeping in bed at 7:30, back to being groggy, and mumbly, and drooling. We watched TV, she seemed to enjoy it.   I brushed her teeth. Bloody on one side.  She's not letting them brush her teeth.  SO, what that means is she is knocked out, yet still lashing out.  Not a good combination.

Sunday- We all went to see her in the afternoon.  Still groggy, still mumbly, still drooling.  WHAT IS GOING ON!  I'm frustrated.  They know I am.  These changes in meds are hard to bear.  Could it be the depakote?

The doc took her totally off of Risperedol and is now trying Zyprexa....let's see how this goes.  He also completely stopped the Paxil.  I'm going to see him again on Thursday, and hopefully we can get Peggy to a place where we are all comfortable.

The thing about Alzheimer's is that she's probably totally comfortable, quite happy as a clam.  She doesn't even feel pain!  Like when I brushed her teeth, she winced a little, and I asked her if it hurt, she tells me "no".  She doesn't know a thing is wrong with her.  When I ask her, she always says things like
"fine, wonderful, beautiful..".  When Sonny her caregiver asks her, she tells him to "Shut up!" 
What am I supposed to do with that?

When I close my eyes

I re-play everything.  I think about Peggy.  It goes around and around, what happened today, yesterday, last week, last year...  I'm okay, really I'm okay.  I'm better this week anyway, I've let some of the pressure off of me.  Talking, being here on this blog, with friends, my family, my new caregivers, old caregivers, the Doctors, and holding her hand.  I'm able to reach out when I need support.  It's just when I close my eyes at night I can't get away from it.

This week was really about me being patient.  Changes are really hard for Alzheimer's patients and their families.   A lot of trust must go into care giving.

This is Linda's theory.  Peggy has come out of her psychotic state, and is now very depressed.  Because  she is now more aware of herself.  Her age, her disease and where she is.   I know she is depressed.  She has been diagnosed with depression for many years.  More than 12, and that's 12 years of PAXIL, which apparently stops working after 4 or 5.  Why is she still on it?  I don't know.  Honestly, I don't.  I've questioned it to all her doctors every time, and it has never changed.  (Another middle of the night swirl in my head)  So, after the risperdal and depakote adjustments get tweaked to hopefully the best levels for her, we are going to change paxil for another anti-depressant.  Why? Honestly...I said to Linda,  "What's wrong with delusional?"  At least she's happy when she's 16 and talking crazy to herself.
"Because she's violent." Linda says.

Sunny said she was embarrassed by Nana, she didn't want her to be the mean one.  Her outbursts are embarrassing and difficult and you really see the pain and fear Peggy has inside.  So, I continue to do what I think is best for Peggy, and my family.  I listen to all the opinions.  I ask questions.  I am patient.  I wait to see, how the meds responds and how she responds.  I watch her, I watch how the care givers are with her.

I stop by often.  She's pretty out of it still.  She's wakes up when I'm there.  When I'm there she responds.   She smiles, she'll eat a little something.. when I'm there, when I'm there, I can't always be there.
Gidget and I bring her daffodils, no response. Gidgey hangs on her and says "wakey wakey, sugar bakey"  Nothing!  That's hard core.

The daffodils fade, I bring tulips.

I take her outside for a walk.  She mumbles to me, she looks me in the face, like she wants to say something.  It's like someones last words, or a long held secret....or a...nothing.

Thursday, I meet with the Psychiatrist.  I am relieved to see that he thinks she is too lethargic, and changes her dose of risperdal right away.  I'm really happy he takes the time to explain to me why we switched from seroquil anyway.  (because of her behavior, she needed more of an anti-psychotic, he would of had to prescribe more seroquel, which means more side effects.)  I'm surprised, it's not the depakote.  He's coming back next Thursday, I do feel that everyone is on the case.  I hang out, I go get us green tea frappacinno drinks.  Hers with whip cream.

You know what works the best, to relieve my anxiety about Peggy.  Just being with her.  I know that sounds weird, and contradictory.  But honestly, it's easier just being with her, holding her hand.  That way I  know where she is, even with my eyes closed.
  

Depakote

alzheimer's disease and behavioral symptoms

Here is a link from the Alzheimer's Association that talks about what's happening to Peggy.  It gives me relief to find that it is the disease not her.  I know it is, but it gets so god damn personal sometimes.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us for the walk. The response is overwhelming. Your money goes to things like the website where I am able to research her behavioral problems and drugs.  I have gone from really feeling alone and sad to being uplifted by my friends, family, the doctor, the gals at Sunrise and a little depakote.

Flowers Arranging

We went to the Library sale on Saturday morning...then maybe the park... but we decided to just hang out at Nana's.  The girls were up for it.  I have to "bribe" Sunny a little more these days, but Gidgey always wants to go.  So, we stopped at Whole Foods, let the girls pick out flowers and snacks and juice and just went.  We get out the special, fragile vase.  Her mother's (another Margaret), she responded so well to the flowers and colors.  She even said "this is fun" when we lured her off the chair into her room to arrange them.  Here are some really wonderful pictures and a video of her arranging them and responding to the girls.  I'm a little more nervous now that she is off of the Depakote because she is more likely to shout out, or act more "mean".  By that, I mean not sharing her muffin with Gidget, and getting irritated if the girls holler or fuss.  She is much more lucid, talking and laughing to herself and to people that aren't there.   But it's better...she's not as out of it.  Not that she's with it, she's just, more alive.
Watch Peggy arranging the flowers