Battling MI whilst caring for someone with MI

@Bella1978

@utopia

Haha, get my name right luv lol … although if I was born in 1989 I would be 29 – aaaw that would be nice! *sigh*

Hooly dooly you had some strange dreams! Do you usually have out there dreams? I don’t remember a lot of my dreams.

Yes, I am a kind pet owner but too much of a softie lol, and shower them with toys and hugs and cuddles – to the point of suffocation sometimes I think! Haha

I feel for your mum. So hard for older people, especially when they are on so many different medications. It must be so exhausting for them too, both physically and mentally.

Wow, that’s pretty full on with your reactions to certain smells and chemicals. And the effects last for so long too. im so sorry luv. and there is nothing apart from antihistamines that you can try?

Ooh, did you have a hot bath? Did it help? We don’t have a bath tub here but I love my hot showers 😊 although, a hot shower was off the cards yesterday when we had the blackout lol.

Sorry this message isn’t very long. Just spoke to mum, she’s not doing good and she wasn’t good last night either which is playing on my mind. I had to take something to help me sleep last night as my mind wouldn’t settle down. I think the delirium is coming back, and the hallucinations. Two steps forward, one step back. She wants to come home and doesn’t understand that I cant just come and take her home. she also refused one of her medications this morning, and didn’t sleep last night. She started saying some strange things to me while I was there last night. I knew she was starting to go downhill. Oh, and apparently im not allowed to read mum’s hospital file lol … I was looking at it last night to see what meds she is taking, etc and the nurse pulled it out of my hands saying im not allowed to look at it – it’s only for nurses and doctors. oh well, I tried! hehe

I did manage to get in contact with a private geriatric psychiatrist though. I left a message on the answering machine and the actual psych called me back! I was really surprised, and impressed. I was able to have a chat to him about mum’s situation. He doesn’t have visitation rights at the public hospital mum is at now but he is happy to see her on discharge. He made some good points too.

Oh my head is going round and round atm luv.

What are you up to today?

We sometimes have conversations about things we have done together in the past or she tells me how she is and what she has been doing, how the nurses are, etc. I tell her about my day and what I have been up to. We’ll have a cuppa together. other days, like yesterday, the conversation was odd.

sorry luv, just not feeling myself at the moment, have a slight chest pain. just want to go to bed and pretend none of this is happenning. i hope you are okay? are you okay? xxxxxxxxx

You poor thing. Chest pain from the anxiety? @Bella1978 I've had it before. It hurts and is scary unless you know for sure it is anxiety.

I have done the same thing, looking at the hospital chart. I've done it for myself and then argued when they tried to take it away from me. I've read my mums and some of my sisters. I just be sneaky with their charts. Lol.

So glad to hear you found a private geriatric psychiatrist. And one that you obviously got along with. Yes my psychiatrist calls me back. But it is rare. I wonder what private hospitals he works out of. Maybe your mum can be transfered there and then be under his care.

Your mums previous psychotic episodes, have the meds worked? How long did they take to work? And why aren't these one's working now? Does she need higher doses now? Or does she need a combination of anti psychotics with a mood stabalizer of something? I'm guessing and rambling. I have no idea.

What is the doctor saying to you about this? And if he is having trouble stabalizing her, then why doesn't he confir with another psychiatrist. What new drugs are available now for psychosis. What new research are they doing? And have the nurses re-tested her urine yet to check the UTI has gone? All they have to do is be cruel to be kind and tell her she either pees in the special tray under the toilet seat or she has to use a bed pan. I know it's not nice to be cruel. But sometimes you have to be a bit cunning in getting the samples that you need to test.

Yes I had a hot bath yesterday. First bath this year. I love my baths. Couldn't live in a house with no bath. Have knocked back rental properties before, when I was renting, solely because there was no bathtub. I am fussy. It was very relaxing. Didn't end up reading in the bath like I usually do. I just relaxed and let me arms float on top of the water. I really wish there was a pool size bath, so I could float my whole body in hot water. lol.

Please make sure that you are taking care of yourself. Maybe try and listen to some relaxation music - you can listen to it free via you tube. Then just slow down your breathing while you listen to it. It might help with relaxing and even sleeping. There are also some sleep relaxation aps you can listen to for free via the internet. I've used these before. It can be hard at first to stay conscious of listening just to the ap and not letting your mind wander. But the more you listen, the better you get at it.

I'm worried you are going to burn out soon. When do you see your therapist next? Maybe ask him (that's right, he's the cute one), ask him to tteach you some exercises to help relax and calm your mind. Maybe he could suggest something else that may help.

Have you spoken to the carers on the forum carers page? Do any of them have some tricks they use to help sleep or relax or not take things on board that are out of your control (I would find it hard not to take things on board if it was my mum - but you gotta try a little - see if anything works).

If you are seeing your mum today, give her my best. Let her know we all want her to get better soon, so please take her mediccation on time, every time.

Don't forget to buy yourself some chocolate on the way home for your trreat. Or maybe stop at the supermarket and see if there are any strawberries or blueberries etc. That would be delicious.

I'll talk to you later.,

take care of you @Bella1978

thank you @Bella1978, I am feeling a bit better than yesterday , am on AB`s for a bladder infection

Hello @utopia, I would love to have a long bathtub too , i love having soaks xx

@Bella1978

remember to take care of you too