Chapter 289 - Changes in Constancy
Meds have remained the same after she reduced the Comtan to two a day as below.
0600 Sinemet 100/25, Sinemet CR 200/50, Deralin 40, Comtan 200, Sifrol 1
1000 Sinemet 100/25, Sinemet CR 200/50, Deralin 40
1400 Sinemet 100/25, Sinemet CR 200/50, Deralin 40
1800 Sinemet 100/25, Sinemet CR 200/50, Deralin 40, Comtan 200, Sifrol 1
2200 Sinemet 100/25, Sinemet CR 200/50, Deralin 40, Sifrol 1
And being lazy, I went back to Chapter 287 to copy & paste the list, noticing that I had omitted "CR" so I edited that while there.
I vaguely remember the week beginning well, possibly because I have been sleeping more soundly, since she wrote in her little notebook (sometimes after I rouse on her she makes a few notes) on "10/4 Woke at 2am with aching legs & back needed to go to loo [she means the commode] took 2 Panamax at 3am & eventually went to sleep around 4am. [She has taken to reading Mills & Boon again] Woke at 5.30 - Loo & back & legs aching & P+N [pins and needles]. Took tabs (5) at 6.00 am & couldn't get back to sleep because of back ache. Sweats started at 10.00am". Since then she has kept few notes.
Most of her days were spent making baby quilts and fancy coat hangers for the fete held yesterday by the centre she attends on Tuesdays, so there has been little embroidery stitching. She will now return to the quilt, pieces spread across the lounge room floor, since the recipient has now arrived, although she seems not to be in a panic to resume the assembly of the quilt squares. I can't recall a morning this past week where she has needed the shower/commode chair or any help with showering or dressing; almost sufficient reason not be needed as a carer!
She scared me on Thursday evening. Partway through a TV show I was watching she decided to go to bed. She must have been very tired because most times that is where she experiences most leg pain. When the programme finished I went into my sewing room to complete some stitching. Perhaps half an hour later I heard her call on the CB in my pocket. I found her sitting on the plastic shower chair in her bathroom, quiet, calm, unflustered. "How long have you been sitting here?" "About 3/4 of an hour" she replied. I felt numb. Apparently she had called me on the CB several times but because of the noise from either the TV or my embroidery machine I hadn't heard her. I asked her in future to leave the bathroom door open and scream. She continues to close the bathroom door most times when attempting a bowel motion. An automatic action we all do I suppose.
One morning, probably Friday, she needed to get up (pains in legs, uncomfortable) after taking her 6am meds yet was unable to walk so I wheeled her in the wheel chair out to the TV room then I returned to bed for several hours.
Yesterday, Saturday, she said she had had a bad night yet was able to shower herself then dress without help; I remained in bed. Yet when she needed to leave the bedroom about 0900 she asked to be wheeled out to the TV room. By 1100 she said she was tired; she looked so. I helped her lay down, but almost immediately she had to rise and go to the loo for a bowel motion. On returning to the bedroom she didn't want to lay down because "that's when my legs pain." I convinced her to take a Panedine ("Polly doesn't like me taking pain killers" she said). By 1130 she was sound asleep sitting in her bedroom chair. I guided her into bed. Obviously I was not going to make it to the computer club so I rang my apologies; and we were still able to set up a Skype demo while I remained in my dungeon at home. She came to at 1355 just in time for her 1400 meds. By 1420 she was hungry; she wanted spaghetti on toast, so I microwaved the contents of one of the small tins kept in the cupboard for this whim.
Over a year ago I introduced her to Lumosity; my idea being that "game" brain training exercises may be good for her, as I'm sure that her finger and mental activities are most beneficial for her. Yet from the beginning she was unable to meet the challenge of Lumosity, was discouraged and only completed the exercises very intermittently (they send daily reminder notices), although whenever I asked she said "I last did Lumosity a few days ago." For whatever reason, the Lumosity subscription did not automatically renew, so when I asked her yesterday whether she wished me to pay for renewal she said no. In like manner, I don't often see her using the passive pedaling machine we recently bought. Although I am positive of the benefits of both Lumosity and the pedaling for her, there is little to be gained by haranguing her and raising stress levels.
So this morning I came to about 0530 to see her reading a Mills & Boon. Her legs were shaking under the bedclothes. After the 0600 meds she seemed restless and excited, she said it reminded her of the trip back from the clinic in the southern City many years ago. Unable to return to sleep, I had a shower about 0700. When I returned to the bedroom, she was sitting on the bed, anxious for my return (I never have quick showers). "I need the loo!' she exclaimed. On my way to the shower I had pushed the commode out of the way ( at night we have her pill & water bottle laden trolley plus the wheeled commode parked between our two beds and a remotely controlled pedastal fan at the end of hers; a bedroom of hazards) beyond her reach and she was unable, partly due to the urgency, to reach it without accident. So I positioned the commode for her to slip sideways onto it. Then the wheel chair was needed to take her out to the TV room. I made her a piece of toast. About 0900 she took herself off for a shower and then dressed without needing help. Now at 1000 she is about to take meds and is organising things to stitch together the quilt for the new arrival.
In preparation for our visit to Hot Air City on Wednesday next, I downloaded and burnt to DVD a number of YouTube videos detailing apomorphine , or apokyn as some call it. I was in two minds about showing the material to her. Last evening I asked whether she wished to watch the several hours of videos; she did, and on completion only commented on a three part Pommy demo intended for nurses showing how to assemble the syringe and pump mechanism. I had to agree that the procedure looked unduly messy and complicated. Otherwise she was unmoved by watching the material. We both noticed, in a useful Yank marketing video, one patient who had a DBS also needing apomorphine.
She occasionally mentions the "shivering", "shudders" and the horrible feelings she has in her head, shoulders and back. I suspect she experiences such horrors a lot but no longer mentions them. From time to time she still needs a fan turned on in the TV room, her sewing room, the bedroom when she has the "sweats".
I suspect she has begun to avoid using the phone. On several occasions lately, people have rung and left messages while we have been out and I need to pester her to return the calls. One difficulty is that in holding a phone against her head she seems to bump buttons, disconnecting or silencing the calls. When she uses the handsets on the VOIP she is able to set them to speaker-phone, whereas our standard land line handsets lack that capability something to remember when next replacing them.
0600 Sinemet 100/25, Sinemet CR 200/50, Deralin 40, Comtan 200, Sifrol 1
1000 Sinemet 100/25, Sinemet CR 200/50, Deralin 40
1400 Sinemet 100/25, Sinemet CR 200/50, Deralin 40
1800 Sinemet 100/25, Sinemet CR 200/50, Deralin 40, Comtan 200, Sifrol 1
2200 Sinemet 100/25, Sinemet CR 200/50, Deralin 40, Sifrol 1
And being lazy, I went back to Chapter 287 to copy & paste the list, noticing that I had omitted "CR" so I edited that while there.
I vaguely remember the week beginning well, possibly because I have been sleeping more soundly, since she wrote in her little notebook (sometimes after I rouse on her she makes a few notes) on "10/4 Woke at 2am with aching legs & back needed to go to loo [she means the commode] took 2 Panamax at 3am & eventually went to sleep around 4am. [She has taken to reading Mills & Boon again] Woke at 5.30 - Loo & back & legs aching & P+N [pins and needles]. Took tabs (5) at 6.00 am & couldn't get back to sleep because of back ache. Sweats started at 10.00am". Since then she has kept few notes.
Most of her days were spent making baby quilts and fancy coat hangers for the fete held yesterday by the centre she attends on Tuesdays, so there has been little embroidery stitching. She will now return to the quilt, pieces spread across the lounge room floor, since the recipient has now arrived, although she seems not to be in a panic to resume the assembly of the quilt squares. I can't recall a morning this past week where she has needed the shower/commode chair or any help with showering or dressing; almost sufficient reason not be needed as a carer!
She scared me on Thursday evening. Partway through a TV show I was watching she decided to go to bed. She must have been very tired because most times that is where she experiences most leg pain. When the programme finished I went into my sewing room to complete some stitching. Perhaps half an hour later I heard her call on the CB in my pocket. I found her sitting on the plastic shower chair in her bathroom, quiet, calm, unflustered. "How long have you been sitting here?" "About 3/4 of an hour" she replied. I felt numb. Apparently she had called me on the CB several times but because of the noise from either the TV or my embroidery machine I hadn't heard her. I asked her in future to leave the bathroom door open and scream. She continues to close the bathroom door most times when attempting a bowel motion. An automatic action we all do I suppose.
One morning, probably Friday, she needed to get up (pains in legs, uncomfortable) after taking her 6am meds yet was unable to walk so I wheeled her in the wheel chair out to the TV room then I returned to bed for several hours.
Yesterday, Saturday, she said she had had a bad night yet was able to shower herself then dress without help; I remained in bed. Yet when she needed to leave the bedroom about 0900 she asked to be wheeled out to the TV room. By 1100 she said she was tired; she looked so. I helped her lay down, but almost immediately she had to rise and go to the loo for a bowel motion. On returning to the bedroom she didn't want to lay down because "that's when my legs pain." I convinced her to take a Panedine ("Polly doesn't like me taking pain killers" she said). By 1130 she was sound asleep sitting in her bedroom chair. I guided her into bed. Obviously I was not going to make it to the computer club so I rang my apologies; and we were still able to set up a Skype demo while I remained in my dungeon at home. She came to at 1355 just in time for her 1400 meds. By 1420 she was hungry; she wanted spaghetti on toast, so I microwaved the contents of one of the small tins kept in the cupboard for this whim.
Over a year ago I introduced her to Lumosity; my idea being that "game" brain training exercises may be good for her, as I'm sure that her finger and mental activities are most beneficial for her. Yet from the beginning she was unable to meet the challenge of Lumosity, was discouraged and only completed the exercises very intermittently (they send daily reminder notices), although whenever I asked she said "I last did Lumosity a few days ago." For whatever reason, the Lumosity subscription did not automatically renew, so when I asked her yesterday whether she wished me to pay for renewal she said no. In like manner, I don't often see her using the passive pedaling machine we recently bought. Although I am positive of the benefits of both Lumosity and the pedaling for her, there is little to be gained by haranguing her and raising stress levels.
So this morning I came to about 0530 to see her reading a Mills & Boon. Her legs were shaking under the bedclothes. After the 0600 meds she seemed restless and excited, she said it reminded her of the trip back from the clinic in the southern City many years ago. Unable to return to sleep, I had a shower about 0700. When I returned to the bedroom, she was sitting on the bed, anxious for my return (I never have quick showers). "I need the loo!' she exclaimed. On my way to the shower I had pushed the commode out of the way ( at night we have her pill & water bottle laden trolley plus the wheeled commode parked between our two beds and a remotely controlled pedastal fan at the end of hers; a bedroom of hazards) beyond her reach and she was unable, partly due to the urgency, to reach it without accident. So I positioned the commode for her to slip sideways onto it. Then the wheel chair was needed to take her out to the TV room. I made her a piece of toast. About 0900 she took herself off for a shower and then dressed without needing help. Now at 1000 she is about to take meds and is organising things to stitch together the quilt for the new arrival.
In preparation for our visit to Hot Air City on Wednesday next, I downloaded and burnt to DVD a number of YouTube videos detailing apomorphine , or apokyn as some call it. I was in two minds about showing the material to her. Last evening I asked whether she wished to watch the several hours of videos; she did, and on completion only commented on a three part Pommy demo intended for nurses showing how to assemble the syringe and pump mechanism. I had to agree that the procedure looked unduly messy and complicated. Otherwise she was unmoved by watching the material. We both noticed, in a useful Yank marketing video, one patient who had a DBS also needing apomorphine.
She occasionally mentions the "shivering", "shudders" and the horrible feelings she has in her head, shoulders and back. I suspect she experiences such horrors a lot but no longer mentions them. From time to time she still needs a fan turned on in the TV room, her sewing room, the bedroom when she has the "sweats".
I suspect she has begun to avoid using the phone. On several occasions lately, people have rung and left messages while we have been out and I need to pester her to return the calls. One difficulty is that in holding a phone against her head she seems to bump buttons, disconnecting or silencing the calls. When she uses the handsets on the VOIP she is able to set them to speaker-phone, whereas our standard land line handsets lack that capability something to remember when next replacing them.
posted by Kilpike | 10:34 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home