Dealing with an Elderly Parent who also appears to have either Demenia or Alzheimer's when YOU are in Chronic Pain and have Chronic Illnesses.....

I took my Mom, (we have not been in almost a year due to both her and I being ill, so this was supposed to be an incredible trip!

Mom has been showing so MANY signs of either Dementia or Alzheimer's now for 2 years or so to me. Yet, the last 6 months have gotten terrible. I could write a book on just what I have been through due to her "diminishing" ability to "think, not be confused, not to almost burn the house down, to not be able to pay her bills, or even read her mail" and the list goes on and on... and remember I AM ALONE NOW, I AM CHRONICALLY ILL WITH SEVERAL AUTOIMMUNE ILLNESSES MYSELF, AND LIVE WITH HORRIBLE CHRONIC PAIN... so to have to also deal with some of these things with her some days is more than I can handle almost...

So, this is a bit about our overnight trip to the Casino at Winstar in OK....

(From Friday evening after getting home)
TOO WORN OUT, TO EXPLAIN all the HELL at the Casino the past two days, but yesterday ALL OF THE MACHINES WERE DOWN MOST OF THE DAY! TODAY MOM LOST ANOTHER credit card! I JUST HAD TO CALL ONE IN LAST WEEK SHE LOST here in town. So, today, she "discovers" she lost another one! Then she misplaced her cane about 10 TIMES at least... other than that, and HORRID nightmare traffic going especially but coming back also ROAD CONSTRUCTION EVERYWHERE!!! But, other that those things all in all, it was a GOOD TWO DAYS!!!! LOL!!! Oh and my kitchen was still standing when I got home. LOL... The pups were in the kitchen with their quilts, food, blankets, toys, water, etc... and actually I still had a house standing.... LOL!!!! More over the weekend, I am totally wiped OUT! But, I came home with only 20.00 LESS THAN what I went with... so I guess that is a good thing .....

(Today Saturday morning I continue)  .......
Those issues, and that we had not really gotten to play much at all on Thursday, (can you imagine how much money the Casino lost?) Their "main server" went down for some weird reason that does everything for all of the slot machines! In fact I sat down and played, and was going to switch machines, and it would not print me a ticket with my money on it... so then I began to notice ALL of the machines were "blinking" and people we saying the same thing I did!!!! So they really had one heck of a mess. And of course the day we decide to go of all times!!!!! I am so totally worn out today thought... Mom "lost" can her cane 5 times. Once I had to go and ask about it. And "lost and found" brought it to me, someone had turned it in... the other times "I" finally found it, once she could try and recall which machines she had been at. It was a nightmare... then when she found out her credit card was GONE... I just went nuts almost. Thank Goodness it was a "credit" card and not a debit card for her checking account. They may have been much worse. I had to get home first, find an old statement of hers, so I could even find where to call to cancel it... and then bring her information home and call them. Then she could not decide to eat at the Casino (we did not eat breakfast at first like usual) and just played thinking we would play an hour or two, then eat and leave. This was like 6:30AM or so... so by about 10AM, even I started getting hungry. The night before she would not even eat down in the Casino like we usually do. She wanted to get something and take it to the room... which was fine with me, but just weird. We went up "early" about 7:00PM to the room, and had gotten some really good fish and fries, much, much more than either of us could eat... we should have ordered just one and split it. So, I turned on the TV and was watching a movie... the next thing I know she is in the bed, with the extra blanket, already asleep by about 8:30PM or so. I could not believe it, and she never woke up at all, and usually she is up and down several times a night.. I finally decided to lay down also, so I changed and got in bed, and I woke up by 5AM on Friday and HOPED the slot machines were okay... But. I was already drinking a cup of coffee, I had made their in the room (which sucks) but I needed something... and was almost dressed by the time she was up moving, ready and packing. Like I said it was just strange everything she did. Heck, when we were going to the Casino, she sat and spent like an hour almost going back and forth through her purse. I thought maybe she lost something... but she was just "confused" I think about everything... then she kept saying we should be there already, and I said YES, if we had not been in stop and go traffic for about 35 or 40 miles or more off and on, we would have been there in about 2 hours... it took almost 3 and a half or more hours to just get there this time! Anyway, I parked and again she began going through her purse, and taking stuff in and out... and I finally asked her Mom have you forgotten something? She just said I cannot get it all organized, and then she had her "Players club card" in her hand, or lap and started saying she "lost it"... I looked down and said Mom it is right there in your lap..... anyway, I knew then it was not going to be a incredibly exciting trip... and one time about 2PM on Thursday, I told her to "SIT" and do NOT move from a certain spot... I was headed to get some tea, and go to the restroom, which was a long ways down, and then I told her I was going to try and check in to the room... so DO NOT MOVE! I get back and she is GONE! So, I thought gosh knows where the hell she is now... so I started looking, and finally spotted her rambling around, and I said WHY DID you MOVE??? She said well you were taking a long time... and I said I TOLD YOU, it is a MILE almost to walk from where we were to the HOTEL to check in! So, yes by the time I got there, got something to drink and went to the restroom it took a while, but why the hell you did not STAY where i said to... and she just looked at me... LOL! Anyway, it was okay and I had a wonderful time JUST BEING AWAY FOR A DAY OR SO AND A NIGHT, from the house, dogs, and just "Life".. BUT, I FEEL Mom will not be going back there again... if we do go to one, we may have to go to one of the smaller ones, who has already grown huge also... but she even said it, I just don't think I can go through this again, OR put YOU through all of it... and I told her Mom, it is fine, I did not mind and We BOTH needed to be away for a day and night... I told her I have my OFF days also... BUT now she really sees what I have been seeing for several years, and really bad the past 6 months... she goes to our PCP on the 22nd, and I am going to have a huge discussion with him... this is not just "old age", this is definitely more than that... I just PRAY it is not Alzheimer's.... Dementia is severe and bad enough, but the other, I watched my Grandfather go through that, and I surely do NOT want anyone to have to deal with Alzheimer's it is a horrid illness for sure..

Pain News Network Articles and Information

NO "Epidemic" of Overdoses.... see the article below... great example and reasoning...


http://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2015/6/12/there-is-no-epidemic-of-painkiller-overdoses#.Vp5PM_Y_Lh8.facebook=

here is another article from The Pain News Network talking about "urine tests"... and I agree they add 100's of dollars to a patients bill, and many of the times patients take them, due to metabolism, or NOT DOING the correct TEST (which I know for a fact had happened to a friend of mine) those "pee" tests can be NOT right! I usually wonder why the hell they bother giving me one... my pain pump gives me medications all the time, I take pain pills along with the medication in the pump, plus muscle relaxers, diazepam.... and so forth. I certainly do not NEED anything else, and would not dare even drink since now the pump is in (new new one and running) and I am almost back up to my dose before it had a motor stall. So, I know they check to make sure you are "taking" the medications... and of course if you have other substances that should NOT be in your system... the "reasons" somewhat make sense... BUT as I said, there are some of these medications that WILL NOT SHOW properly if they don't do a "special" test at the lab they are sent to. I can relate to the story in another article about the young woman who "fears" her appts at her pain doctor's. It used to be that way for me... and still is at times... we have such a horrible time getting the medication that goes into my pump.. and it is NOT expensive... that is the weird thing... it is actually much less expensive that most oral medications. But, you always go in with the fear that you won't get your medications, or something has changed (like now my pain doctor has a new rule you must have your medications in a "lock box" or safe" ) Which is a very good idea, if you have anyone else in your home... or have company over etc. But, I am not sure where a man standing in the waiting room got this idea, but he was asking about the lock box, and he was under the impression he needed to have his wife take a photo of her and the lock box and bring to the doctors office for her chart... I did NOT read it like that... but did understand the doctors are trying to get the CDC off their backs, so they TELL patients that, so patients are more aware of "protecting" their medications. NOT leaving them out for anyone else to get hold of... and keeping them in a safe place, especially as I said, if you have others in your home or people that visit, it is a good idea to lock your meds up. One time years back, I had a medication that was a nasal spray for migraines. I had picked up a brand new bottle from the pharmacy, but it was one of those HOT TX SUMMER days... and I guess I did it at lunch time and left it in my car by accident when I went back to work... Well the entire bottle, "siphoned" it's way out of the container, and into the other bottle it was in... plus it was such a tiny amount of liquid it has almost already vaporized by that evening when I got home... I had mortal HELL getting a replacement. I mean it was evident, when I took the bottle in and showed my doctor, then the pharmacist what had happened... but believe me, after that, I was much more careful about where I left my medications. I am so diligent about where my scripts go, that I take them to the pharmacy immediately, and if I don't need them that day, have them on hold for when I do... that way, I don't misplace it and have hell... no matter whether a pain medication or whatever type of medication it is... I try to turn those scripts in immediately. Plus my pain medications are from a specialty pharmacy... so I don't do anything but request my meds when they are due from my doctor, and they take care of the rest. There are times though that they "delay" getting the script to the pharmacy, and I am on pins and needles, if I happen to be running low of meds... so I totally relate to sometimes being "fearful" of seeing your pain specialist...


http://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories?category=Opinion

Above is a link to another article "Why I am Afraid of going to my Pain Doctor Appts"


http://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2015/9/20/cdc-opioid-guidelines-would-institutionalize-malpractice#at_pco=smlrebh-1.0&at_si=569e5754f5ee1daa&at_ab=per-2&at_pos=0&at_tot=5

A Happy New year as we Welcome in 2016 - and New Pain pump is now in

WISHING YOU AND YOURS A VERY HAPPY, SAFE, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR! MAY 2016 BRING PEACE, HOPE, FAITH, AND LOVE TO OUR NATION AND TO OUR WORLD!!! MY HOPE IS FOR ALL OF US WHO HAVE SUFFERED THROUGH SO MUCH FROM PAIN AND ILLNESSES, TO LOSS OF LOVED ONES, HOMES, MOTHER'S NATURE'S WRATH AT TIMES, AND MORE... MAY WE FIND A RENEWED PLACE IN OUR LIVES FOR THE COMING YEAR. LET'S PUT 2015 BEHIND AND LOOK FORWARD TO SOMETHING THAT SHALL BE SO MUCH BETTER, FULL AND OVERFLOWING WITH GOODNESS, AND LOVE...

RHIA

p.s. New Pain pump is new... surgery went well... I am hurting like hell today, but I am okay... have a call in to my doctor before he also is out for the holidays to check to see about my medications orally until I see him after the 1st of the year next week, when he will up the meds back closer to what I was used to....

CDC OPENS COMMENTS From the PUBLIC ABOUT OPIOID MEDICATIONS AND CHRONIC PAIN!!!!! PLEASE READ AND GET YOUR COMMENTS IN! WE HAVE A VOICE!!!!

http://nationalpainreport.com/cdc-re-opens-door-for-public-comment-on-opioid-prescribing-guideline-amid-scrutiny-and-criticism-8828673.html

CDC Re-Opens Door for Public Comment on Opioid Prescribing Guideline Amid Scrutiny and Criticism

Posted on December 11, 2015 in Consumer, Pain Medication, Government with 11 Comments

Under mounting criticism from patients, physicians and industry, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it has opened a second period for public comment on its Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, the agency made public in a notice in the Federal Register.
CDC’s draft guidelines will be available on Monday, December 14, 2015, at http://www.Regulations.gov for review and comment. The public comment period opens December 14, 2015 and closes January 13, 2016.

see the link about with the rest of the information!!!!!


Here is another link about this that came out this morning!


Will CDC Start Listening to Chronic Pain Patients? — Pain News Network

"Thankfulness" during a World in Chaos, those who do not Value Human Life, and things Life throws our way, chornic illness/pain, yet finding what truly matters most....

As the holiday to be "thankful" grows near, may you find many reasons to be thankful for, from family, friends, to all the beauty life bestows upon us. I realize for many of us, this holiday comes with a very mixed time of emotions. When our world around is so full of hate, terror, harsh, and those that will harm innocent people, trying to look past those actions are very difficult. With the events so fresh in our hearts and minds of those who want to take our freedom away, to scare us so badly, we fear going out and enjoying life... May all of us find that special place within the depths of our souls, to "go forward" and be in reverence of what we do have.... 



 


As the miles physically are far between us, within our hearts the warmth and joy of family and friends keep us close to one another. As I said on my other page, this is a holiday of thankfulness although with the events that have taken place lately, along with those out there who would rather do us harm than even live themselves, it is difficult to find those reasons why we are truly thankful. I also know that myself and my family included, have experienced some life changing events for 2015. Many of which, we not only unexpected, but turned our lives somewhat into chaos. I certainly know it has for myself and my own family. Thus with those things again, trying to truly find things we are grateful for, can be difficult. We are human, and we at times reach a crossroads that is not what we planned. So, as we come together, whether physically, or mentally and emotionally, may we find those things that bless us, give us reasons to be so thankful for today, tomorrow, and the future ahead of us. May you and your find the peace, love, hope, and faith that shall sustain us... May you be safe, and healthy, and enjoy your family and friends... With Love, and Happy Thanksgiving, Rhia