Recently, I was camped out beside Momma’s bed at the hospital. Momma had dangerously high blood pressure and chest pain. However, the doctors did not think it was her heart. For those of you new to the blog, Momma also has mid-stage Alzheimer’s.
Life was stressful.
Momma started feeling poorly on Saturday, and her condition continued to decline. By noon on Wednesday, her blood pressure top number was in the high 180’s, and it hit 224 later in the day.
Not good news.
The doctor treated her with new medications in hopes of bringing it down, and she underwent a lot of blood work, tests, scans, and other not so fun stuff.
Momma was massively confused. Her dementia was in “overdrive.” She fiddled with the heart monitor in the pocket of her gown. She constantly wanted to remove the EKG leads on her chest. She asked – repeatedly – Where are we? Why are we here? When can I go home? Where am I going to sleep tonight? Where are you going to sleep tonight? Do you have enough blankets?
Anytime she began to speak, I would place bets it would be one of those questions. I smiled and answered her questions. And I prayed. I prayed the staff would determine her problem and fix things. I prayed her dementia would go back to where it was before she got sick. I prayed she would smile through life and stay with us for many more years as our healthy Momma.
I wonder. How do folks who do not understand dementia handle life? I feel sad for them, and I know God is calling me to help. If you are that person, email me. I am happy to help. My email is [email protected].
Hope that gives you Something to Ponder.
- Dementia and Really Old Beauty - October 19, 2021
- Carol Howell Talks Dementia: Take Me Home! - October 5, 2020
- Carol Howell Talks Dementia: Get Me Out of Here! - November 3, 2018
