Chapter 234 - Some Changes

Last week she saw the new neurologist for the 2nd time. He suggested she return to Madopar taking only 3 a day plus some quick release to provide help between times.Our chemist is to contact him on Monday because she says Madopar is unavailable in the dosage prescribed. Until that is sorted out she will remain on the following, which she typed, with comments, to give to the neurologist because I think to do so saves a lot of time & confusion during the appointment.

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MEDICATION AS AT 17TH AUGUST 2011

6am 1X 1mg Sifrol

1 X 40mg Deralin

1 ½ X 100/25 Sinemet

Medication kicks in around 7am.

If I get up no later than 8am I am able to shower easily and get dressed. If I leave it any later I need help

Medication usually lasts me until 8.30am when my legs start to ache and I need to sit down.

8am 1 X 200/50 Sinemet CR

9am 1 ½ X 100/25 Sinemet

Around 9.15-9.30 I have a piece of toast.

Medication kicks in around 9.30am

10am 1 X 40mg Deralin

Medication has worn off by 11.30am

12noon 1 X 1mg Sifrol

1 ½ X 100/25 Sinemet

Medication seems to kick in around 12.30pm but I am shaky.

Lunch is a bowl of soup and slice of bread around 12.30- 1pm.

I can move around but my legs are shaky until around 2.pm

2pm 1 X 40mg Deralin

2.30pm shakes stop & Medication seems to be working but only lasts for about another ½ hour.

3pm 1 ½ X 100/25 Sinemet

Medication kicks in about 3.30 pm

4pm 1 X 200/50 CR Sinemet

Medication lasts until around 5.30pm

6pm 1X 1mg Sifrol

1 ½ X 100/25 Sinemet

1 X 40mg Deralin

Medication kicks in around 6.30pm and Dinner is between 6.30 and 7pm.

Medication lasts until 8pm

9pm 1 ½ 100/25 Sinemet

Medication gives a bit of relief but does not kick in very well and it is difficult to get ready for bed around 10pm

I usually go to the toilet between 4 & 6 times between 11pm & 2am.

I sleep between 10pm and 2am but keep waking to empty my bladder but go straight back to sleep.

Midnight 1 ½ X 100/25 Sinemet

1 X 40 mg Deralin

1 X 200/50 CR Sinemet

Usually sleep from 2am until 4.30-5.00am when I wake to empty my bladder but don't get back to sleep as my legs are stiff & shaky and I have cramps in my calf muscles and ankles.

6am take tablets,

Sifrol, Sinemet 100/25 and Deralin. Usually doze off between 6am & 7am when I need to go to the toilet again.

If I get up no later than 8am I am able to shower easily and get dressed. If I leave it any later I need help

.This usually lasts me until 8.30am when my legs start to ache and I need to sit down.

TUESDAY 16^th August:

Needed my hair cut so I decided not to eat any lunch and just have a piece of toast around 1pm,

I had an appointment at 3pm. Was too shaky at 3pm so put it off until 4pm when I had no trouble.

WEDNESDAY 17^th August:

Had to go to a meeting from 2pm until 4pm so only had a piece of toast for lunch. Took Deralin at 2pm. Had no problems as I was sitting down even though my legs were feeling a bit stiff from about 2.30pm. Took my tablets—Sinemet 1 ½ X 100/25 at 3pm and had no problems getting up and walking out of the meeting at 4pm.

We then went shopping until 5pm. Arrived home at 5.30pm and needed to sit down until after tea.

I have a book which deals with protein intake being delayed during the day time and catching up at night. I don't feel that it is only protein that stops the medication from working, it is just food of any sort.

We occasionally meet people and go out for lunch and I only order roast vegetables and gravy and I have problems with the medication not kicking in until after the 6pm dose. On these days we don't have an evening meal-just a piece of toast or a sweet and my 6.00pm medication works well and even the 9pm dose works.

I have made an appointment with a dietician in [town] on Saturday to see if she has any answers.

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She continues to intolerant of enclosed spaces, often saying she is OK while we are out but has more tremors once we arrive back home. She finds entering our bedroom to go to bed bothers her as well. However, when I sugessted I move my bed to another room she protested that she did not wish to sleep in a room on her own. I have found that she is bothered should I go to bed early to read because, she says, "You are likely to go to sleep reading and not hear me when I need you." So this morning I re-arranged the bedroom to make a larger space in the middle of the room and easier access by taking the chest of draweres and the cheval mirror into the "living" area. We will see. From time to time she wants to use the special foam mattress that we bought several years ago, but I'm in no haste to retrieve it from the ceiling because I suspect she will feel she will be trapped in a "hole" in the mattress in a short time.

At long last she has begun stitching Christmas Carol (Dickens) designs on a plain white table cloth, a task she has post-poned for some 8 years. This is a family heirloom-to-be. She has also stitched some red work designs I did for her onto some aprons to be used at a friend's party.

This afternoon we saw the movie "Red Dog". Her 3 PM meds should have been taken part way through the movie but she was afraid of dropping them in the dark so delayed until we came out.