Posted by donnam125 on December 18, 2009, at 6:49:21
In reply to Re: SSRIs in Elderly, posted by SLS on December 17, 2009, at 18:06:10
Yes, Scott, her sleeping patterns have changed. She is unable to sustain any long sleep in one place as she moves from her bed to the living room couch in any given night for about 2 hours at a time. In fact, she was developing severe swelling in her lower legs and ankles for which the Lasix wasn't helping much. I then realized she wasn't sleeping in her bed much and since I told her she must, that problem seems to be abating.
I don't think her symptoms are any different in the morning, but then again, I'm not with her in the mornings and I doubt that she is able to really tell me due to her confused state at times.
Yes she is definitely less interested in activities that use to please her. Even simple things like listening to music and watching tv shows she use to enjoy. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing she ever watches is the Game Show Network, and she's gotten into the habit of scratching her head constantly. I literally pay $70/mos. to the cable company for her to watch ONE channel. And she almost never wants to leave her apartment anymore.
And yes, her physical movements seemed to have slowed down as well. She is finding it more difficult to stand from a sitting position.
I'm feeling so helpless and somewhat guilty because she so wants to live with me, but I have a small apartment with two cats. She does not like animals around her and she likes to keep the temperature at around 80 where I like 72. We are, and always have been, incompatible on several levels, but most definitely environmentally, and any quality assisted living facility is not only a financial impossibility, but out of the question in her mind. I have already been through triple bypass several years ago, and have been under so much stress after losing my job earlier this year after 24 years, and trying to take care of her. I fear if I gave up whatever little of my private life is left, it will take a huge toll on me. But she has a way of making me feel guilty, Italian mothers are like that in general.
What's really a pity is that she has a neighbor gentleman in his early 90s who cares for her a lot and likes to visit and watch tv with her. This was going great for a few years, but this last year she's been accusing him of coming into her apartment in the middle of the night (the guy can barely walk mind you) and taking things, or, and this one's really kind of funny in a way, she accuses him of having another woman living with him. Even though she has been celibate since my father died in 1969. So now she hates him and accuses me of taking up for him when I try to tell her he's not doing these things, but I see now that that's a losing battle for me. Her ability to reason out things has pretty much gone.
I'm sorry to go on and on, but I guess I just had to get this out somewhere. I so appreciate everyone's input.
Thank you again.
> Did her sleeping patterns change noticeably? Does it appear that her symptoms are worse in the morning? Is she less interested in activities that she was once motivated to be involved with? Are her physical movements slowed down?
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> - Scott
poster:donnam125
thread:929718
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091217/msgs/929810.html