My grandmother is ill

[Solidify]

A couple of days ago I noticed something my grandmother does often and I thought I'd share it with you all to gain a better understanding of this whole situation. After all, the more you know, the more helpful you'll be.

When my grandmother has to get dressed or undressed, put her winter boots on or off, or simply fold clothes (something I've suggested my mother have her do to keep her busy), she doesn't quite seem to know what she's doing while she's doing it. For instance, she'll come inside and start removing her winter boots (unzipping the side zipper) but only a couple of seconds later, she'll zip them back on and put her jacket back on. It's as if she's completely lost. Another example is when she is trying to sit down on our sofa. She supports her weight with her arms on the couch and makes believe she will slowly sit down but then she just pauses in the motion in a very awkward stance.

I asked my mom what her diagnosis is and she told me 'she has Alzheimer's'. Do those look like symptoms of Alzheimer's?

[Guest]

My dad is EXACTLY the same as your grandmother, in a pretty late stage of Alzheimer, can't form a sentence because either forgets what he was going to say, doesn't know what he was going to say or just walks off. When there is something on tv like a nature show or something with a shark, he starts yelling SHARKSHARKSHARK, he gets pissed at the ads where people are yelling to sell crap, he starts yelling back.

[Solidify]

My dad is EXACTLY the same as your grandmother, in a pretty late stage of Alzheimer, can't form a sentence because either forgets what he was going to say, doesn't know what he was going to say or just walks off. When there is something on tv like a nature show or something with a shark, he starts yelling SHARKSHARKSHARK, he gets pissed at the ads where people are yelling to sell crap, he starts yelling back.

My dearest sympathies for your father's illness but I don't find that I can use that to relate both situations.

[Toxhicide]

Isnt this what happens to some soldiers when they come back from war?

[H0p.e]

I'll try to be as nice as I can here because you made the effort to read my posts but plain and simple; if you don't have anything intelligent to say, don't say anything at all. Jail?

I'm sorry if this comes of as blunt but you need to check to see if your conscience is still intact bud.

It doesn't sound like you have many options. Would that give her a place to sleep and food to eat?

[Logan]

Well I honestly don't know what to say other than be strong for your mother and try to help as much as possible.

[Solidify]

Well I honestly don't know what to say other than be strong for your mother and try to help as much as possible.

That's what I've been doing up to this point but the stress is building up for my mother. Also, it's starting to get to both my sisters and I as well.

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Updated December 22nd, 2010;

My mother says that my grandmother has schizophrenia but I wasn't convinced so I decided to take a look at my grandmother's prescriptions and dosages. Here is what I found.

Spoiler (Click to View)

In order of appearance.

PMS-Quetiapine

Quetiapine belongs to a class of medications known as antipsychotics. It is used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia, manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder, and depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder. It works by affecting the actions of certain chemicals in the brain known as neurotransmitters. [...]

Riva-Citalopram

Citalopram belongs to a group of medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It is used to treat depression. SSRIs improve depression by increasing the amount of serotonin (a neurotransmitter) in certain areas of the brain, which in turn improves the ability of the brain to transmit messages from one nerve cell to another.

Although you may start feeling better within a few weeks of treatment, the full effects of the medication may not be evident until several weeks of treatment have passed. [...]

Amlodipine

Amlodipine belongs to the family of medications known as calcium channel blockers. Amlodipine is used to treat high blood pressure and angina (chest pain). It works to control blood pressure and reduces the number of angina attacks by widening and relaxing blood vessels.

Hyzaar

This is a combination product that contains two medications used to lower hypertension (high blood pressure), losartan and hydrochlorothiazide. Losartan belongs to a class of medications called angiotensin II blockers. They help to lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels. Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic or "water pill" that helps control blood pressure by getting rid of excess salt and water.

This combination medication is used to treat high blood pressure for people who are stabilized on losartan and hydrochlorothiazide used as individual medications.

Lipitor

Atorvastatin belongs to the group of medications known as HMG CoA reductase inhibitors ("statins"). It is used to treat people who have high cholesterol levels, including those people who have certain inherited cholesterol disorders. When you use this medication, you also need to make lifestyle changes, including switching to a diet low in fat and cholesterol, quitting smoking, and increasing the amount of exercise you do.

Atorvastatin works by blocking an enzyme that is used to make cholesterol in the liver. When that enzyme is blocked, less cholesterol is produced and the amount of cholesterol in the blood decreases. Atorvastatin lowers the level of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad" cholesterol), and raises high density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good" cholesterol) levels. Reduction of cholesterol levels in the blood has been shown to reduce the risks associated with heart disease, such as heart attack.

Atorvastatin is used to reduce the risk of heart attack in people experiencing symptoms associated with heart disease.

Atorvastatin is also used to reduce the risk of heart attack in people with high blood pressure who have at least 3 additional risk factors for heart disease but not experiencing symptoms associated with heart disease. The risk factors of heart disease for these individuals include:

• being male
  
• being 55 years old or older
  
• enlarged heart ventricles
  
• family history of heart disease
  
• smoking
  
• specific abnormalities on an ECG
  
• the total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratio that is greater than or equal to 6
  
• type 2 diabetes
  

Atorvastatin is also used to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes who have other risk factors for heart disease but not experiencing symptoms associated with heart disease. The risk factors of heart disease for these individuals include:

• a specific type of protein in the urine
  
• being 55 years old or older
  
• disease of the retina
  
• smoking
  

The medication usually takes about 2 to 4 weeks to have a significant effect on the cholesterol level in your blood. After this time, your doctor will likely send you for a blood test to check for changes in your cholesterol levels. [...]

Synthroid

Levothyroxine is a thyroid hormone supplement used to treat people who do not produce enough thyroid hormone on their own. Levothyroxine helps to reduce the symptoms of low thyroid hormone such as weight gain, sensitivity to cold, lack of energy, and dry skin. It may take several weeks for this medication to have a noticeable effect on your condition. [...]

Apo-Omeprazole

Omeprazole belongs to the family of medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). It slows or prevents the production of acid within the stomach.

It is used to treat conditions where reduction in acid secretion is required for proper healing, including stomach and intestinal ulcers (gastric and duodenal ulcers), the prevention and treatment of ulcers associated with medications known as NSAIDs, reflux esophagitis, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, heartburn, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

It is also used in combination with antibiotics to treat stomach ulcers caused by H. pylori bacteria. [...]


I'm nowhere close to being able to question a licensed doctor's pharmaceutical expertise but from what I see, there's a whole lot of medication for my grandmother's cholesterol. It just seems very overwhelming, not to mention, redundant.

[Dont Worry]

Well, I read your entire OP and I gotta say something. How are you dealing with all this? How do you feel? Also if you think that your grand mother is completely un-bearable, then I think you should work out something about putting her in a home. I know you said you could not afford it, but try talking to the owner or something if you and your family really can not handle her.

One more thing. I think this idea is stupid but I am putting it out there. Could your grandma be classified as "Insane"? You could maybe put her in an insane asylum. I really do not want this statement to offend you in any way, so please do not be offended. I watched the video and all I can say is I feel really sorry for her, and your entire family dealing with all of this.

I think to benefit your mother a LOT, maybe you should suggest to her, to go on a vacation for like 2 or 3 days and in that time maybe you can take care of her? That way if your mother does ever "blow it", it will be much longer and that might reduce her stress.

I dont know if you have a job, or if you are a student, your age, or anything like that, so please take all these suggestions as if I know nothing about your family. These thoughts just popped into my head and I felt like sharing it. If you ever want to talk or ANYTHING of that sort, you can PM me here and I will give you my MSN or something..

Take care.

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I appreciate the suggestions on how to handle the situations but as I stated, at the time being, that's just not an option. The money cannot be rounded up, even if we tried. When my uncle passed, she took my uncle's share of savings, as my grandmother would have wanted, and spent the money on a new car as it was a necessity. We have nothing left to pay for the retirement home.

I just read that, Sorry I did not read the comments.

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[Solidify]

Well, I read your entire OP and I gotta say something. How are you dealing with all this? How do you feel? Also if you think that your grand mother is completely un-bearable, then I think you should work out something about putting her in a home. I know you said you could not afford it, but try talking to the owner or something if you and your family really can not handle her.

One more thing. I think this idea is stupid but I am putting it out there. Could your grandma be classified as "Insane"? You could maybe put her in an insane asylum. I really do not want this statement to offend you in any way, so please do not be offended. I watched the video and all I can say is I feel really sorry for her, and your entire family dealing with all of this.

I think to benefit your mother a LOT, maybe you should suggest to her, to go on a vacation for like 2 or 3 days and in that time maybe you can take care of her? That way if your mother does ever "blow it", it will be much longer and that might reduce her stress.

I dont know if you have a job, or if you are a student, your age, or anything like that, so please take all these suggestions as if I know nothing about your family. These thoughts just popped into my head and I felt like sharing it. If you ever want to talk or ANYTHING of that sort, you can PM me here and I will give you my MSN or something..

My grandmother's case is not one of exceptional behavior. After doing my research, I found out that it's a common situation among distressed patients. However, what's unusual is the situational circumstances we're all in, as in, the background support we can provide her. Most patients that suffer from such illnesses are hospitalized or treated accordingly to their needs. The only difference here as well as the sole reason I'm reporting this exceptional instance is because my family and I have exhausted our resources and options.

As for your second inquiry; I'm an 18-year-old student with a part-time job. My income is nowhere near being capable of supporting such a drastic implementation. Lastly, I wouldn't mind having you as a reference. I've PM'd you my MSN.

[Solidify]

While I'd like to admit that everything worked out for the best, it hasn't. Although we had a great Christmas, everything always returns to what is was before. But I realized something on Christmas eve that I really made me feel thankful inside. As we were all seated, enjoying our eve's dinner, my grandmother was incorporated in our family's dinner conversations. While she was slow to respond at time, she was catching on; answering question and formulating sentences that we could not usually understand as opposed to fragmented phrases.

I now understand that human interaction is what needs the most. Sure she needs rehabilitating medication to stabilize her neurotransmitters but above all, if she has the pleasure of discussing things with others, I found that she'll live a healthier life.

That night, as I watched my grandmother answer questions and formulated sentences that she hadn't done so since my uncle's passing, I was amazed and truthfully heartfelt. Maybe there is some hope for my grandmother and companionship is a fine place to start looking.