Chapter 543 - How Not To Celebrate Xmas

Yesterday, Xmas morning, she did not wake by 0730, I patted her face, her eyes did not open, I gently separated her eye lids, no reaction to a torch flashed across her eyes, eyes just stared at the ceiling. After some time she blinked, a cold washer on face, BP 189/97 Pulse 78, mouth open, breathing strongly so in tears I pressed the emergency button, then the Wild Dog carer arrived  to shower and dress her as usual (but of course that was not possible), and agreed that we had an emergency. The ambos arrived about 0805 by which time her eyes tracked my face moving in front of her, but did not respond to questions and did not squeeze my hand when asked to do so. About 0830 the ambos took her to Emergency. When I got there about 0845 she was able to speak a little, thereafter gradually came "good". She remembered nothing before the ambos wheeled her into Emergency. At 1100 after the usual tests the doctor said she could go home. When I asked "What if this happens again" I was told "wait a little longer".

To my simple mind she looked as if she had experienced a stoke.

I brought her home in her nightie, showered & dressed her then we waited for our village manager to bring us the lunch we were intended to have up at the hall today. She made an effort but was unable to swallow much of it. The rest of the day was "normal". Since yesterday was Wednesday, I had cancelled my usual respite and the evening service so I put her to bed about 2000, she having no desire to stay up as I offered her, did not want to watch TV from bed or read an eBook. I was concerned when she woke about 2030, was very dyskinetic until I rolled her onto her right hand side, then she slept.

An event mid afternoon caused me concern. For several years I have kept a mouse bait at the side of the fridge. There was little bait left inside the non-reusable plastic  container, most had been eaten. At times I shook it to determine what was left. She came upon it while "cleaning" and ripped open the container to see how much was left, leaving small pieces of blue-green Ratsack on the kitchen floor. I threw a fit, washing her hands then cleaning up the particles on the floor. Later when helping onto the loo more fine green particles fell out of her wheelchair. I must buy another bait but this time I'll drop it behind the fridge.

Today, Thursday, Boxing Day, began as usual, nothing remarkable. What follows are summary points of major events since my previous posting.

Sunday 15th December: Down to the hospital Rehab to weigh her on her wheel chair on their jockey scales. Net weight was 65.2 kg so after allowing for the wight of the wheel chair, clothing and pump she is now 48.6 kg so she has lost 2 kg which is bad. I have continued to limit her breakfast to diced fruit and fruit juice but now give her a piece of her favourite "sticky bun" and margarine as well. Lunch and evening meal are much more liberal in protein and fat without causing wild dyskinesias. I no longer attach the FitBit to her right leg.

Tuesday 16th December: Last session of Dance for Wellbeing, held at the local Worker's Club. She ate a fair bit of a bowl of Potato Wedges plus sour cream and sweet chili sauce. Unfortunately, she tended to play with the wedges, making a bit of a mess.

Wednesday 18th: Her last checkup with her ophthalmologist. Her eye pressures were 15/23 and her left eye is -2.5 units off which he says can be corrected with glasses. He said her preferred glasses rather than another operation. He inferred their measurements prior to the cataract procedure were "off". I realise she will need glasses for reading anyway and to my mind she has had enough trauma. On the way home we detoured up to the club where she indulged in a small quiche followed by a small fruit pie, with cream and ice cream of course.

Thursday 19th December: She woke that morning saying there was a lump on her left jaw and the rear most molar felt "funny".  An dental appointment for 1100 and the tooth was removed. We returned home by 1300 with a course of antibiotics and probiotics. I doubt this had any impact on Xmas day since the hospital found no evidence of infection.

Chapter 542 - Bad Times Good Times Come and Go

I have been puzzling how to interest her in watching more streamed TV "entertainment" as a distraction away from cleaning scratches and join marks on our timber floor, scraping carpet with knives (plastic as well as metal), spoons, pieces of cardboard etc making fluff balls which are considered "dirt", rubbing furniture and doorways with tissues or rubbing damp tissues beneath her shoes upon the timber floor. Just a short time ago she began clicking the streaming remote control, found something of interest, lost it, then I helped her find a continuation episode of a Xmas soap set in a mythical European kingdom where royalty speak with a Yank accent. The mop, bucket, small broom and dust pan, or the multi headed duster, no longer hold her interest for her cleaning activities.

At yesterday's Xmas meeting of the Dementia Carers' Group, and for this meeting the cared for were invited but I hesitated to involve her, I realised the few dementia sufferers who attended were different from her, in that they looked "normal", some were quiet and reserved while others were outgoing. She on the other hand, exhibits PD facial expressions, has slurred speech and dystonic movements in her upper body all of which look "normal" to me at home.

Her Aunt H died last week, 16 days short of her 95th birthday. I was prepared to drive to the funeral in Big Smoke next Monday but she declined to go, not even if transport was arranged by Wild Dog Carers.

I continue to limit her protein intake during the day time. The dyskinesias gradually became more pronounced at night time, then in the morning after waking. Until last Sunday when after showering she asked the Wild Dog carer to take her back to bed, where she remained awake, kicking violently until lunch time when I dressed her, gave her lunch before taking her down the street for some shopping. She bought a number of balls of wool which I doubt will ever be knitted; at least one is already a knotted mess. A magazine from the newsagents and a milkshake at the coffee shop opposite. A statutory declaration relating to her aunt's burial was signed and witnessed by a pharmacist, before returning home. Since that day I have given her a bolus dose (2.0 ml) each morning at the first sign of dyskinesia after the duodopa pump has been set for daytime running; consequently, each day this week has been largely free of dyskinesia.

All being quiet just now, I went looking for her. Found the ice cream I had given her melting on the table/trolley near the TV before finding her seated on the loo. "It was urgent" she said, but of course much slower that calling me on her mobile. She was sitting there, having pulled her incontinence pants and pad apart, fluffy bits of lining scattered all around her on the floor. No answer why she had done that, reminded me of a small child inspecting his nappy. Replaced pants, pad and the "bluey" (skid marks on it) on the wheel chair. Big turd in the toilet bowl. Vacuumed the finer bits of fibre from the floor. Another ice cream back at the TV.

In an attempt to help her eat more of her evening meal I bought a $599 blender to make mush of meat and vegetables for her to swallow more easily. My first attempt with a slice of grilled salmon worked brilliantly; she finished her meal before I did. Not so since; everything has been "too dry", too tasteless.

My collection of symptoms is increasing. A visit to the GP after I realised my left ear is almost completely deaf; being only just able to detect the voice from the hearing aid that speaks the settings which are so faint I don't hear words. The GP says my left ear is not clogged with wax, although I can't quite believe him, but after a scheduled hearing test in a few days, the GP will send me to an ENT person. This morning after getting her ready for a Wild Dog carer to shower her I realised my upper right lip and the tip of my tongue were tingling, lasting maybe 10 seconds, so it may have been some medication or other chemical transferred from finger tips to mouth.