Honestly, I hesitated writing this post but the truth is that blogging is a cheap version of therapy. HA! I can still hear my therapist's voice after all these years, asking "And how did you feel about that?"
How do I feel about our lives lately? Frustrated and stressed because the responsibilities we shoulder are not getting any easier and putting one foot in front of the other becomes an effort. I have a pretty good sense of humor and positive outlook, but there are days!!
Very, very rarely do I slide into the "glass half full" mode but Thanksgiving pushed me into the zone. My sister and brother-in-law hosted us this year and dinner was wonderful and we had a great time at their house. The only problem with having Thanksgiving at someone else's home is that there are no leftovers to feast on for days.
The Mother was going to ride with us so she spent the night at our home. We went shopping for a few things and stopped at our favorite spot where she ordered a burger and a beer. The beer part was very uncharacteristic for her.
Later that evening she became violently ill and on Thanksgiving day she had to take a nap before dinner was served. I thought perhaps the beer had made her ill but that was not the case. Things went downhill from there. On Friday she awoke covered in hives, head to toe. My sister took her to the ER where they determined she was having a very bad allergic reaction to the medication that was recently prescribed for her memory problems. Saturday was better but it was it back to the hospital yesterday. My sister called from the ER with the news that her daughter was in one room with pneumonia and our mother was in the other room with another flare of the allergic reaction......scary stuff including hallucinations. Those meds are bad mojo.
Unfortunately the medication we believed would help the onset of dementia has created a firestorm of problems and my siblings and I just have to accept the fact that memory loss is preferable over the side effects and allergic reactions.
I'm laughing here because I feel like one of those people who drones on, ad nauseum, about every little ache and pain or problem. I'm not like that, really I'm not, but sometimes....... well, you know.
My therapist would ask, "And how do you feel about that?"
And I would answer, "Old, drained and stressed."
Thanks for listening.
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Oh yeah, it's Cyber Monday and there's no need to gas up the car. I've created a 10% off coupon that my readers can use for Cyber Monday purchases in my Etsy shop. The code is:
cyber
How clever is that?
16 comments:
I'm so sorry to hear about your mother's reaction to this medication. What a disappointment, and what a horrible thing to go through! It must have been awful for her, and for you and everyone involved.
I'm sorry that things are so stressful right now, and I'm sure it's very tiring and overwhelming. Life can be a huge challenge at times, that's for sure.
I hope that things calm down soon and that there's some smooth sailing ahead before too long.
Sometimes life seems too hard. :(
I'm so sorry. I've had those days (who am I kidding, years...) and I know how stressful they are. Take care of yourself as much as you can. Thanks for sharing.
It's too bad that the medicine doesn't agree with your mom. Yes, the memory difficulties are preferable to all that she's going through. Would you believe that some people advocate taking double doses of that stuff for efficacy? Each person is unique and what works for one... Anyway, I know how draining it is. I'm so glad that you and your sister are working together on this issue. Sending you a gentle hug and time to sit down and take a breather.
I'm sorry that your holiday was so stressful. Everything is complicated by age, and the responsibilities of caring for a parent are a mine field of emotions. I'm glad that you have this place to vent, with understanding people to support you. Wishing you peace of mind and heart. Love, Penny
Grandma's epilepsy medication...same thing. Now the doctors are mad at me for not keeping her on a lower dose of the medication, plus another medication to manage her adverse reactions and hives, plus another one to temper the effects of those two medications!
So, I get to keep her doped up on three drugs to prevent her bi-annual epilepsy attacks, or let her live easier the other 363 days a year.
Exactly how does giving her 363 good days a year make me the bad guy?????
*&%@ neurologists!
Uhmmm, I mean happy Monday to everyone! Hope you're all having a great day!
Why yes, yes I did just return from yet another Dr. appointment with Grandma, how can you tell?!
A loving cyber hug from one who understands to some degree what you are going through. Both my mom and mom-in-law passed away a couple of years ago..and I miss them so much. But I do not miss the stress. Now Hubs health problems take up our time. Take care of yourself. Best wishes for a reasonably sane December.
All I have to say is that after a week at home, I was more than ready to get back to work.
I'm so sorry to hear about your mom's situation - and yours! I just lost my dad after 2 months of medical complications starting with a drug reaction. It's stressful to say the least when you become the parent to your parents. Hang in there - you are a member of a large club. Continue to reach out!
My heart goes out to you. I am so sorry to hear you are going through this.... And boy, can I ever relate. My widowed mother was diagnosed with dementia and also put on a medication (Aricept) that made her sicker. We ended up getting her off that medication, but the dementia and heartbreak of caring for her remain. Midlife ain't for sissies. Will keep you in my thoughts.
As I write this, I am gearing up for Mom's evaluation at the Geriatric Clinic at our local hospital. They specialize in dementia cases, so I am hoping I will get the advice I need. Maybe your local hospital offers something like that? Keep us posted.
I am so sorry to read about your mother. That is some serious stuff. We went through this with my mother in law. Actually she has Alzheimers and her twin sister had what your mom has. It's just awful. Hang in there and just know that you are not alone out there. We're here if you wanna talk. :-)
Hugs
Thank you for sharing with us, so often we try and hide our difficulties and show a cheery face to the world without realising that we are not alone in our troubles. And that only adds to the stress of life. There are times when I slip into a slough of despond and feel that it is one health problem after another for my husband and myself and it is hard to be positive about the future. I do hope that your family's health problems are soon resolved and that you will have something to feel cheerful about. Hugs from Devon.
Just take it one day at a time, don't worry about tomorrow. Most people get their turn with these terrible conditions. It's a slow death with dementia. It is good you are not alone with these decisions.Linda
Gosh I am SO sorry for your mom! I've had insane hive outbreaks and they are no fun, and actually are quite serious. Where is that peaceful holiday that is so frequently pictures on Hallmark cards anyway? Seems like most folk have more than a few holidays like yours. Chin up girl. this too will pass.
So sorry to hear about your mother. It seems these days that the drugs that are supposed to "help" our loved ones seem to be worse in some other way. I don't know of one drug that doesn't have a long list of side effects (usually includes the thing you're trying to get rid of) that are worse than what we started with. It's hard taking care of a parent. Been there, done that, things will change.
Really informative blog post here my friend. I just wanted to comment & say keep up the quality work. I’ve bookmarked your blog just now and I’ll be back to read more in the future my friend! Also well-chosen colors on the theme it goes well with the blog in my modest opinion :)
Very good stuff..
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