Re: kathryn

hopinso...Thanks so much for asking about my mother-in-law. Things are not getting
any better...in fact, they're rapidly going downhill. It has almost turned into
a full time job. But we had a lady at our church who is actually a CNA and retired
so now she sits with the elderly who need supervision with meds, etc...so she's
helping us Monday-Wednesday and Friday, during the morning hours. Gives us a chance
to do our chores, etc...and then we go in at noon.

People who have dealt with Alzheimers and know her...just insist this is Alzheimers
coming on...and coming on rather rapidly. The doctor says it isn't. But he does't
know WHAT the problem is and she has been checked out from head to foot with scans, MRI'S, etc. So we're just taking one day at a time and managing the best we can.
Her personality has changed from a very, very sweet,independent old lady in vibrant
health to a stubborn, cranky AND whiney person that needs almost round the clock supervision.

She MUST take ONE BITE of food EVERY 10 minutes...says her tummy is just sooooo empty...you give her one bite and she says..."Oh I'm so full...that's all I can eat
right now"...and ten minutes later OR LESS...she'll say..."I need a bite of something, I'm just starving to death." THAT continues all day long. She can
remember when it's time to take her medicine...but 15 minutes BEFORE time...she
starts in..."Now don't forget to give me my medicine" and about every minute till it's finally time she says that...and a couple of minutes before medicine time
she'll say "HURRY...it's almost 11 o'clock (or whatever)...I have to take it RIGHT
at 11 o'clock. She has panic attacks...sometimes several a day...and it's a nightmare trying to get her calmed down.

Today...the sitter is there till noon...so I'm cleaning house. I was so excited
to be back to sitter day, I started at the crack of dawn and am just about done.
So I have some 'play time' till noon. :-)

She gets so mad on 'sitter' days...she'll say, "I don't have time to talk to that
WOMAN...I have to EAT and take MEDICINE all day." She's gone to church with this
lady for years...and the lady even always sat with us. But now, she calls her
"that woman".

It's hard to explain. She is weak as a kitten, stumbles, shakes...and says the
strangest things.

Gotta get busy...noon will be here before I know it. But thanks so much for asking.
I really appreciate your thoughtfulness. kathryn