My Mother Has Alzheimer's Disease

I thought Mum would go on forever. It never occurred to me that she would die. I had planned on her living at the nursing home for at least another ten years. Twelve weeks ago, Mum had a series...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2015/07/how-end-came.html

I'm sure I mentioned in my second last post that Mum has definitely entered the 7th stage of Alzheimers Disease.  She's become incontinent and usually can't put together a sentence that makes ...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-seventh-stage.html

Mum's Alzheimers was affecting me very badly. I felt like I, too, was just waiting to die. But something happened that made me want to live again. I don't say much about how I am feeling. But I...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2014/10/i-took-my-life-back-and-started-living.html

Sometimes Mum says funny things. I took her to McDonalds, which she used to love, to try and get her to eat something. She had a lot of trouble with her cheeseburger. I asked why she wasn't eatin...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-foods-not-what-it-pretends-to-be.html

Mum says some cute things at times. The dog was lying in the sun yesterday and she said, "Ned's having some sunrise." And later when Ned was sitting at her feet, "Ned's purring at me with his p...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2014/06/neds-having-some-sunrise.html

Mum is 87 now. I'm not sure how long she's had Alzheimers Disease but it's probably close to twelve years. I keep looking back and recalling weird symptoms that I would now pick up on, but didn't...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2014/04/april-2014-reminiscing-about-poor-ned.html

Yesterday I had to take Mum to the skin clinic. She's so quiet these days. She used to like music but if I turn the car radio on she usually can't stand it and wants it off. She hardly says anyth...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2014/01/what-are-names.html

I went and collected Mum from the nursing home at 10 a.m. We opened our presents. She knew it was Christmas but was very quiet. She just sits quietly now because she can't think of anything to ge...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2014/01/christmas-2013.html

I had to get up early to pick up Mum from the nursing home, drive to town, park the car and get onto the train. The staff had dressed her really nicely for the day, by 7 a.m. and she was waiting ...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2013/10/international-fleet-review-sydney.html

Sometimes Mum has amazing insight into her condition. The other day when I picked her up to take her out, she just couldn't put the seatbelt on. "The seatbelt Mum, not the seat! No!" I said. And ...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2013/10/its-dark-in-my-brain-today.html

Mum hasn't changed much in recent months. I've been able to take her for two nights away in the country to see her cousin. I still pick her up every Saturday and take her to my house for the da...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2013/07/june-2013.html

One of the things Mum really likes to do is to feed the ducks and geese at the creek. She never forgets the ducks are there and always wants to give them bread. Bread isn't really good for ducks,...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2013/04/feeding-ducks.html

I couldn't resist this. It's funny and it's not funny, because when Mum was living at her own house and at my house I used to do things like this! I also tried: *Putting cellotape over switches...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2013/04/alzheimers-sorting-out-tv-remote-and.html

Mum is doing pretty well. She's still able to enjoy a day out. On Anzac Day, we must have walked three miles to get to the march and three miles back. She wasn't even out of breath. Here she is w...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2013/04/anzac-day-25th-april-2013.html

It's now 30th December and I'm pleased to report that we survived Christmas. I was absolutely dreading it and had discussed it with the head nurse at the nursing home where Mum has been a permane...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2012/12/surviving-christmas.html

Mum is always asking where her jewellery is. She's never happy with the response, it's in her jewellery box under my bed. She wants to have that box to check that everything is in there. But she ...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2012/12/solving-jewellery-problem.html

I have changed the name of this blog from "My mother has dementia" to "My mother has Alzheimers Disease". The reason is, that previously, the specialist had said it's most likely vascular dementi...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-mother-has-alzheimers-dementia.html

I don't know what to do. After Mum's latest rampage, the damage to the car door, the broken window, the upended furniture, the broken door knob - what do I do?  Virtually everyone is saying, "...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-do-i-do-what-am-i-to-do.html

What a terrible time we have had the last few days. On Friday, she was particularly crazy, her eyes looked odd and she went deaf. The doctor couldn't see any wax in her ears, but the nurse syring...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2012/10/mad-as-cut-snake-mum-jumps-out-of-car.html

Mum has really deteriorated mentally recently. I decided to take her back to the gerontologist for further advice.  I noticed she doesn't seem to be swallowing properly. I thought the swallowi...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-gerontologist-said-about.html

We have a 24 hour emergency Alzheimers nurse available. I've just had to call for help. Mum has been berserk this afternoon and tonight. She had to see the geriatrician and I think it unhinged he...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2012/10/calling-for-help.html

My daughter is staying with me, temporarily, sleeping in the flat out the back. Mum is giving her a bad time. She says things like: *I hate you. You're not my granddaughter *You're trying to h...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2012/09/snow.html

I can't believe it. For the past 2 days, Mum has been 'nice'. I can't recall any 'nice' days in years. She's always belligerent, nasty, paranoid and generally horrible. But yesterday and today, s...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2012/09/two-days-of-nice-thanks-to-commonwealth.html

Very bad afternoon. For the past three weeks, the Lexapro hasn't seemed to have been working as well any more. Symptoms were breaking through. She's been really obsessed with the cats every night...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2012/08/paranoia-police-and-hospital.html

I have noticed a few changes in Mum's condition over the past few weeks. I must re-read some of my previous posts and makes sure I'm not repeating myself, but I'm pretty sure these changes are re...

http://loreleilorelei.blogspot.com/2012/05/after-three-years-noticeable.html