Chapter 81 - A Clayton's Panic Attack
I can't see what triggered it. I peruse my notes of the last few days. We had a pleasant weekend with visiting friends. Then on Monday she showered & dressed herself without needing any help at all, then in the afternoon we bought a gazebo thing which I erected beneath our patio awning as protection from European wasps (no, not the ones of religious fervour) when we dine with Mr A. Fresco, not quite successfully it turns out. On Tuesday, help was needed with dressing, TENS on her lower back before she attended KYB. On the way home we popped into the local library to see the display of our photo group's masterpieces. She received an email from our friends around the bend (geographically) returned from their pilgrimage to the city of churches so I rang them to join us in house warming the gazebo thingy, in which we nibbled our way into the evening on cheeses, dips, some red, lemon-lime-&-bitters etc. And we caught one wasp that wished to join us in a jar which was then placed in the freezer. She was in bed by 10:30pm.
Wednesday began abruptly at 4:30am. Unable to lay in bed, legs insistant about sticking out, tremors laid on, she sat in her chair in the sun room until her 6am quick fix and returned to bed. Between then and 9:30 she rose for the toilet several times (1's & a 2), on the last occasion returning to bed saying she was "a danger to herself" but again she was unable to control her legs in bed, stiff & straight. By the way, each in-out of bed & rising from her chair required my assistance. On rising for her chair again she found that she "can't trust my legs to support me". She explained that she felt "weak" down her right side. By 10:10am her tremors were subsiding and by 10:30am her "legs had come back". I suppose her 9am meds had begun to kick in. For lunch we had a light fish salad. At 1pm she decided she needed to lay down to sleep. She was very shaky, her right hand side weak. As she dozed off the door bell rang. After my visitor had gone (I must make a notice "Ring the doorbell at your bloody peril" to hang outside for these occasions) she rose very unstably, toilet again, unable to raise her clothes, still weak on right hand side, returned to her chair. She has panic attack feelings yet no signs of dry mouth, breathlessness, no pains, no dystonia or dyskenesia. I released the clips on her bra because her chest felt restricted. She decided she should have a Kalma happy pill. I found it for her. Around 2pm she decided to try laying on a reclining lounge but needed to detour for a #2 then needed her clothes raised again, although she says she has trouble with those elastic topped jeans and should wear her slacks instead. Once on the recliner she needed her small hand held fan; she was hot & sweaty. By 2:15pm she was feeling the effects of the Kalma as she decided to lay on the bed again. Fifteen minutes later she can't lay any longer, needs her shoes on because her toes are curling so back to sitting in her chair. I set up the pedastal fan for her. Her shakes are calming down until by 4:15pm she is "feeling much better, tremors are fewer". A half hour later the loo again, pants pulled up again. Around this time her distant rellies arrive, having phoned earlier, they intend staying only briefly, we talk them into staying for a meal in the gazebo thingy where a wasp joins us. Usual 7pm & 10pm meds and to bed at 10:30pm (we are trying to begin sleep earlier). A calming evening after a sod of a day.
She needed help out of bed at 2:30am this morning and again at 6am when she took her MR. Rising at 7:15am, she showered, washed her hair & dressed herself, although I was CB'd to the bathroom to fasten the bra clip. Washed her hair damn it! That usually means problems with back aches and feeling bad, adds meaning to a "bad hair" day, yet she is walking about the house doing I don't know what while I type this note about yesterday.
What caused yesterday I wonder? There seemed to be no emotional stress. A relaxing weekend with friends. Reasonably average Monday & Tuesday. Something we nibbled on Tuesday evening perhaps? More likely just a perturbation in the progression of her PD. Do you think I should have taken her to a doctor, the hospital, a faith healer? How should I have described her problems to them assuming an appointment was available earlier than next week? Or waited hours in emergency while physical damage cases & heart problems were attended to?
Yesterday when I mentioned to a neighbour that we intended to drive to the coast today for a PD conference tomorrow he queried "Should you do that when she is ill?" to which I replied that she has been ill since 1991. They just don't understand.
Wednesday began abruptly at 4:30am. Unable to lay in bed, legs insistant about sticking out, tremors laid on, she sat in her chair in the sun room until her 6am quick fix and returned to bed. Between then and 9:30 she rose for the toilet several times (1's & a 2), on the last occasion returning to bed saying she was "a danger to herself" but again she was unable to control her legs in bed, stiff & straight. By the way, each in-out of bed & rising from her chair required my assistance. On rising for her chair again she found that she "can't trust my legs to support me". She explained that she felt "weak" down her right side. By 10:10am her tremors were subsiding and by 10:30am her "legs had come back". I suppose her 9am meds had begun to kick in. For lunch we had a light fish salad. At 1pm she decided she needed to lay down to sleep. She was very shaky, her right hand side weak. As she dozed off the door bell rang. After my visitor had gone (I must make a notice "Ring the doorbell at your bloody peril" to hang outside for these occasions) she rose very unstably, toilet again, unable to raise her clothes, still weak on right hand side, returned to her chair. She has panic attack feelings yet no signs of dry mouth, breathlessness, no pains, no dystonia or dyskenesia. I released the clips on her bra because her chest felt restricted. She decided she should have a Kalma happy pill. I found it for her. Around 2pm she decided to try laying on a reclining lounge but needed to detour for a #2 then needed her clothes raised again, although she says she has trouble with those elastic topped jeans and should wear her slacks instead. Once on the recliner she needed her small hand held fan; she was hot & sweaty. By 2:15pm she was feeling the effects of the Kalma as she decided to lay on the bed again. Fifteen minutes later she can't lay any longer, needs her shoes on because her toes are curling so back to sitting in her chair. I set up the pedastal fan for her. Her shakes are calming down until by 4:15pm she is "feeling much better, tremors are fewer". A half hour later the loo again, pants pulled up again. Around this time her distant rellies arrive, having phoned earlier, they intend staying only briefly, we talk them into staying for a meal in the gazebo thingy where a wasp joins us. Usual 7pm & 10pm meds and to bed at 10:30pm (we are trying to begin sleep earlier). A calming evening after a sod of a day.
She needed help out of bed at 2:30am this morning and again at 6am when she took her MR. Rising at 7:15am, she showered, washed her hair & dressed herself, although I was CB'd to the bathroom to fasten the bra clip. Washed her hair damn it! That usually means problems with back aches and feeling bad, adds meaning to a "bad hair" day, yet she is walking about the house doing I don't know what while I type this note about yesterday.
What caused yesterday I wonder? There seemed to be no emotional stress. A relaxing weekend with friends. Reasonably average Monday & Tuesday. Something we nibbled on Tuesday evening perhaps? More likely just a perturbation in the progression of her PD. Do you think I should have taken her to a doctor, the hospital, a faith healer? How should I have described her problems to them assuming an appointment was available earlier than next week? Or waited hours in emergency while physical damage cases & heart problems were attended to?
Yesterday when I mentioned to a neighbour that we intended to drive to the coast today for a PD conference tomorrow he queried "Should you do that when she is ill?" to which I replied that she has been ill since 1991. They just don't understand.
posted by Kilpike | 7:42 am
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