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[*Karen*]

Hello!  (if anyone still remembers me)

It's been a long time since I last spoke to you guys, how have you all been doing? Superb I hope.  

Jamie~ This new site looks great!  Looking forward to the good ol' times again. 

Karen

[chinclub]

Hi Karen!!! Its so great to have you back! 

[Jo Ann]

Hi Karen,

Welcome back!!! We need more active involvement!
 


 
Jo Ann

[Joyce]

  Hi there Karen,  Of course we remember you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am so glad you are back, wondered where you went.  You have helped me out so many times.  I was formerly WML2002. 

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Hi Karen,
Welcome back.
We've been having such an awesome summer here on the rock, it's hard to come inside until the sun goes down, and then the chins want me. There are not enough hours in a day, and sure not enough sunny days here. 

[chinchillagrl06]

Welcome to the New Board! 

[*Karen*]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. It's so nice to see some of the old members here again. 

Hey Joyce ~ How's Simon? Give him a kiss for me. How many have you got now?- need my fingers and toes? 
Well, we moved last March (ugh! I hate moving), then my mom had a stroke and I had to take care of her (rehab, meals, housechores, etc..).
Guess life kinda catches up on us huh? 

[chinclub]

I am so sorry to hear about your Mom.  How is she doing?

[*Karen*]

Thanks for your concern Jamie. 

Well, she's okay (physically) but I noticed she's like starting to show some symptoms of early Alzheimer, it could be the effects from the meds- hopefully.

[Jo Ann]

Hi Karen,

Sorry to hear about your mom's illness.  A stroke can give you some of the same symptoms as Alzheimer's.  Bill had one a while back and he has some problems with long and short term memory, occasionally some disorientation and problems with his math. Hopefully it is from the stroke or the meds and not Alzheimer's.   Some stroke damage can repair itself over time.

How did your chins do in the move?

 
Jo Ann

[Joyce]

Hi Karen,

So sorry to hear about your mom.  I know first hand the effects of medications and what they can do to you mentally as well as physically.  I hope she has wonderful doctors.  Make sure you talk to them about her combination of meds and let them know of her side effects.  Talk to your pharmacist as well.  Do some research on your own!  Trust me, I had bad doctors and they had medicated me to the point of several awful side effects.  Then one doctor took me off of 2 medications too fast and I went through a horrible withdrawal.  Things are better now but I still take one crazy medication that makes me very dingy and forgetful.    Oh well, at least now I have an excuse.  If it weren't for my husband doing research on my combo of meds and my wonderful pharmacist, I have no clue where I'd be now!

Hey, Simon is doing well.  He is my total love.  You are so sweet to remember.  I'll tell ya....we have been through it with him!  His cataract has gotten worse and he may have to have his eye removed soon.  We have seen 2 vets so far and have an appointment to see a veterinary opthomologist  on Aug 2.   His good eye now has a cataract progressing quickly too.  So, we'll see. The poor thing pokes his eyes with hay when he eats at his bowl because he cannot see it.  I have started breaking it up in pieces now and also giving him more hay cubes.  He had scratches in both eyes recently and to be given antibiotic  eye drops.   
  He is such a trooper though!

[*Karen*]

Thanks JoAnn and Joyce for your kind words. 

I sure hope you're right JoAnn. She's starting to give me the creeps; mumbling to herself, can't remember what she just said, change topics halfway, etc.. 

I'm so sorry to hear about Simon, Joyce.  How old is he? Could his cataracts be linked to some other problems like diabetes?  Just a thought.

 

[Jo Ann]

Hi Karen,

mumbling to herself, can't remember what she just said, change topics halfway, etc.. 
 

Definitely not to make light of it, but Bill, my husband is 62, and I'm 56 ... we're both guilty of that ... even before his stroke, Bill would change topics and not even let you know it (after 15 years, I'm finally getting where I catch it a little quicker).  Neither of us have even the beginnings of Alzheimer's.

Bill had a major stroke in 1999 and I've had several very mild ones since 1996.  Most people can not even tell either of us has ever had one, unless they know us closely.   

Medication and/or incorrect amounts, can really cause those symptoms and disorientation to escalate ... when they were trying to get my dilantin regulated properly, there would be times I would not even know where I was and on rare occasions, I didn't know who Bill was ... that is very frightening!

  Time has made things better for both of us ... determination and family support & understanding works wonders!  Hang in there!

 
Jo Ann [/i]

[*Karen*]

Medication and/or incorrect amounts, can really cause those symptoms and disorientation to escalate ... when they were trying to get my dilantin regulated properly, there would be times I would not even know where I was and on rare occasions, I didn't know who Bill was  ... that is very frightening!

Gees, that's scary. I'm glad to hear things are getting better for both of you. 

Honestly, I'm prepared for the worst, my mom's 72. There was once she escaped out and we finally found her after 4 hours of search, loitering around a public toilet.   

[Jo Ann]

Hi Karen,
 
    Like I said, if you didn't know us well, most of the time most people don't know there were ever any strokes.   

     A friend of mine had a major stoke, didn't know if she would live or die for 3 days ... When she did come out of it, she could no longer read or write and would get the names of objects mixed-up (saying she wanted a finger when she wanted a cigarette or ask for a can instead of a glass).  I took care of her for over a year ... it can be frustrating at times, but don't give up.   4 years later, patients, training and much understanding and support, she was back at work and no one could tell it ... she was head surgical nurse at a major hospital.  The brain can be a wondrous thing ... everything re-wired and re-connected.  We normally only use 10% of our brain.

once she escaped out and we finally found her after 4 hours of search, loitering around a public toilet.   

  Your terminology ("escaped") concerns me ... has she been diagnosed with Alzheimer's? 

but I noticed she's like starting to show some symptoms of early Alzheimer, it could be the effects from the meds- hopefully.

It almost sounds as if you've given up.  Please, don't.  72 is not that old.  My mom lived to 83, Grandma Light to 89, Uncle Bass 98, Grandpa Light to 100 and they all had minds that were sharp as a tack.  Just because you get old, doesn't mean are no longer useful, or that your family should give up on you.  She could have many more productive years ahead of her.   

 
Jo Ann
[/i]