FORUMS

Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.

  • 47,612Members
  • 1,358,869Posts
  • 1,400,000Visitors
Friends, families and carers

Depression Dementia Dad

Depression Dementia Dad

Is Dementia Mental Illness? It's a disease of the mind so i'm hoping i still belong here. If not for that - today at the DR he was asked if he gets depression - dad answered "yes I do get depressed" It's hard to read with dad's early vascular dementia.

Around Christmas i moved in with my parents as mum was unable to manage hersef let alone continue as dad's carer. She was end stage cancer and died in hospital palliative care only 19 days after i arrived 😞 I was shocked how sick she became in the 2months since my last three week trip.. My goodness - what a fighter she was. My two younger brothers were dropping in a couple of times a day & helped with transport, bills & shopping - but could not stay in the house.longer than 30min - becoming restless... (probably the MI-Sz / drug related) and they were wearing thin. getting angry.. Mum was so difficult / hurtful during my last stay to help, i was reluctant to come again unless she asked me to. It was hard for her but necessary. The first attempt to drive the 1200km i ran off the road & badly crashed my car - a 'Write Off' Sore bones & shellshot - I had to rest a few days before flew down.

I hit the floor running - household duties, neals & loads of patient reassurance for mum. Even giving her a bell. Wasnt easy looking them both, clearly dad had been neglected for sone time.

I was still in the bad books for reporting him as a medically 'unfit' driver during my last stay. They fought it and gad x2 doctors confer ( why not done before is beyond me).

So here i am, feeling alone with 'toxic family' threatened by my presence, the loss of my mum, a dad in grief, with early vascular dementia, diabetes, heart disease, spinal injury - poor mobility, bad incontinence. Its full on some days. Not just the cleaning up but all the medical appointments. Especially since mum had understandablly got behind on things like optometrist, pidiatrist... even the GP...

Just looking for support as feeling somewhat shattered after only x5 weeks. Big day today.

lapses

850 replies

191 - 200 of 850
1...192021...85

In response to: Depression Dementia Dad

Re: Depression Dementia Dad

Hiya All. Gotta go beat dad's shower nurse to the bathroom (they come any time between 0700 - 0900) but i have to have everything (B'fast 4dad etc) so i can leave 0715 for an 8am CT scan (me) that might take 2hrs they say. So i wont be in forumland much this morning. Thanks for saying hi.
❤❤❤

In response to: Depression Dementia Dad

Re: Depression Dementia Dad

A couple of concerns with Mr D - med changes and loss of dog @Former-Member, back at work after a short break.

Trust appt goes well.

In response to: Depression Dementia Dad

Re: Depression Dementia Dad

Aww @Former-Member 😞 rough time, hug ❤❤❤ Loss seems to exacerbate MI, and the changes to pills, not easy. We get attached to our furballs. Hang in there.

In response to: Depression Dementia Dad

Re: Depression Dementia Dad

@Former-Member
Hope all went OK with CT etc.

In response to: Depression Dementia Dad

Re: Depression Dementia Dad

No news is good news @Former-Member 🙂 ta for asking. Full results take x10 days apparently. Just gonna have to lose weight which for me means to stop eating. Intermittant fasting. Nothing else works for me. These days i"m gatigued anyway, may as well let tge bsl drop down. I dont know, not good at walking eotger 😞 sucks

Dads good, got him to sit at the table tonight. How a pressure sore flarup seems to be resolved since using the special air bubble cushion dva supplied.

A new hone physio came today, Haley, she was confident, dad is vwry good & cooperative with them

About the mouse / rat, i havent found carcus but theres a lot of dead flies in dads room, theres no smell, its an enigma. Hows your rosent battle?

In response to: Depression Dementia Dad

Re: Depression Dementia Dad

No more evidence of rodent activity here @Former-Member, need to get a bit more sorting done - slow and steady.

Diet is a four letter word ... not allowed to use it here...

In response to: Depression Dementia Dad

Re: Depression Dementia Dad

@Former-Member
Checking in

In response to: Depression Dementia Dad

Re: Depression Dementia Dad

Hi @ Darcy, how are you & yours?


I'm ok enough thanks, fatigued (everything is an effort), but my thoughts are kind.


Dad went to have a laydown @ 3pm, still there, says hes coming out for an hour now, dinner wont taste much good if kept warm much longer. Should i give him tea in his Rm? Don't think so...

Made an apt 4him with dr tomorrow - routine bloods & scripts.

They couldnt squeeze me in though 😕 not av for 2wks 😞 really need this Rt shoulder looked at - spasms sometimes. This BP is still up 150/100 last time, despite being on the 3rd tablet - cardiologist advises it may take a 4th 😞 At least the coronary angiogram was clear. They found a 7mm nodule on the lung to monitor for a couple years.

Called in to see Bro2 BRO-3 on the way home (even though he's the one who had the cops pay us a visit over dads house keys / elder abuse grr), he cant help it maybe, had dad with me - took him Maccas, dad fell asleep there. Makes me cross, the 'health' care system blind dependence on pharmaceuticals, especially with the comorbidity of antipsychotics that don't help. My bro3 has been on a forced CTO of inj for 18/12 now but hes no better. Here we were Sitting in his dark, over cluttered loungeroom surrounded by foil. It was like something out of 'silence of the lambs' movie. Sad. He really believes they help, these giant sun reflectors you see on trucks, cant see out anywhere 😞 He has a good argument for this & behaves like its normal.



In response to: Depression Dementia Dad

Re: Depression Dementia Dad

I'm a bit worried, now i've got my 'carer's hat on, worried to talk of my own internal vulnerabilities (MI) because / in case its used ahainst me to shatter the good I am doing for dad. But also, scared if i don't there'll be no support & i WILL burn out / break down / not continue holding the show together... I was made to be a carer, it fits, but yes - echoes of my bad past - soul fragmentation & scars & social rejection & isolation & opposition... all make it harder not tp break down. Tbey expect me to. And today i'm so tired.

Not ready to 'give up' but sure wish i had someone to open my vulnerable side to, the blackdog / winter bluez creaping on i must tell nobody. Just saying. Or am i so recovered i'm only imagining blackdog out of habit?

In response to: Re: Depression Dementia Dad

Re: Depression Dementia Dad

Here and listening @Former-Member ...... 💕

191 - 200 of 850
1...192021...85