Okay, this blog may not be for the faint of heart. Oh, no blood will gush nor will raving lunatics surround you as you read. But your heart may break or your compassion my gush forth uncontrollably - or you may just quit reading! So mote it be!
This is day two of the 12.5mg of the anti-psychotic drug we are using for mom to keep her in a place where she isn't inflicting harm to herself. We had tried it the first day the doctor prescribed it and hated the effects. She sleep all day in a complete stupor. So we switched the dose the the bedtime to see if the effects would be greater benefit without the drugged sleep, which was okay but didn't really help with the problem of picking at herself. Nor did it help with her overall agitation. So we decided to try the morning dose this week and give it more time to work for her.
Yesterday, day one, it went well enough. She dosed briefly before the family went to church. Once she has stimulation, she manages to stay mostly alert without dropping immediately into a sleep. She did seem to pick at herself far less - which is good since she has a temporary crown that is giving her fits and she has been trying to remove "whatever that is" at every opportunity. And we can't let her because the teeth might move, making it impossible for the permanent crown to fit. So the constant badgering by us toward her has made life a bit tense anyway. Back to the medication. Yesterday it helped noticeably (yes, still problems but less intense).
Today, day two, mom dropped off to sleep while we were all conversing at the breakfast table. She held her head in her hands and acted as if her head hurt. Of course, some of this is attributable to the chaos of four people engaging in animated conversation. But some was clearly drug induced. Then, when we moved to the living room, she truly wen to sleep in her chair. Sigh. I expected it. Meanwhile dad went to the loo and then he and Star had a conversation in the bedroom about "all of this stuff we are deciding and such". Mom woke up and went to the bedroom, I hoped, to help dad dress.
I have been working on finances and noticed she had been gone awhile. Half an hour by my best guess, maybe longer. I wen to check. She was just coming out of the loo, without her glasses and her hearing aids. She immediately went to the bed and laid down. Dad, by the way, had returned to living room (still in his PJs) and feel asleep in his chair.
So I asked mom to get up and get dressed which she was willing to do. Now we get to more drug stuff. She didn't know where the closet was (we were standing in front of it, wide open). I suggested an outfit and she agreed. So she put her shirt on. Backwards. I asked her to switch it and she giggled and did so. Inside out. But frontwise. So I asked her to try again. As she did so I realized she hadn't put on her bra, so we stopped. She tried to step into her bra and got tangled. She untangled and examined her bra. She folded it to determine front from back. Except it was sideways folded, as in profile. So I helped her put it on over her head. She was appreciative. Meanwhile I noticed the first shirt was stained so I tossed it in the clothes hamper and got another from the closet. No problem!
So, I left her to finish her dressing. 15 minutes passed. I went to check and she was on the loo again. I encouraged her to join us in the living room when she was done (she had invited me to join her in the loo). When she came out, I had to send her back in to get her glasses and her hearing aids. She did so and came out. Dressed fine. She declined to do the ironing that she often does (her pants) and wanted to sit. Dad is asleep in his chair. It is 10:30 and the medication reminder for him went off. He took his pills about 11:00. After toppling over his water bottle and his coffee cup.
He just took a phone call from the dentist and didn't say goodbye when it was finished, just hung up. Although this particular office manager mightn't have offered closure either. She is odd that way.
And at 11:20 in the morning that is the way it is. The 12.5 mg dose seems to greatly inhibit what is left of her initiative. Thankfully, she remains complacent and willing if asked to do a thing.
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