My Journey with Dementia – Blog #9

Medical Issues

One of the issues with Dementia is with the compounding of having several medical issues. I have to have an alarm Let’s start with medication.  Since I have to take medicine 3 times a day, I have to have alarms on my smart watch to remind me to take my medication.  Unfortunately, I mostly blow it off.  If I am doing something I just turn off the alarm and continue with what I am doing.  Thank goodness that I have a very understanding and caring wife.  Edie always ensures that I get my meds on time.  She will sometimes ask if I received the alarm.  Most of the time I don’t remember the alarm.  Luckily, she is on top of it.  Even we are going to be out and about when the meds are due, she has them with her.  It is a daily struggle to try to remember to do certain things like remembering appointments and taking medications.  I get very frustrated in not being able to remember these things.

I have a very bad back.  I will be scheduled soon in having major back surgery.  I have been dealing with it for seven years.  I have had steroid shots, cortisone shots, and Radio Frequency Oblations. I have gone through a full series of physical therapy as well a full series of chiropractic work.  We have tried Tai Chi.  Edie enjoyed it.  I had difficulty with it. I could not do all the twisting and turning.  The doctor has said that I should get a 90-9% reduction in pain from the surgery.  The only issue is the anesthesia.  People with dementia can have an adverse reaction to it.  There is the risk of losing more of the brain function.  It is a small risk, so it worth the risk to have less pain.  Any time there is general anesthesia there is a rick of problems whether or not you have dementia or not.

I have been taking aspirin and, Motrin, and ibuprofen for many years.  This has caused me to be diagnosed with a week liver and Stage 3 kidney disease.  My PCP has stopped all these meds to prevent any further damage.  So, if I have a headache, muscle pain or joint pain, I can only take Tylenol.  I won’t take any opioids because of fear of getting addicted. I have several of my friends through the years that have lost their life to the drugs.  I don’t want to add to the statistics.

I also have had trouble with my heart.  I have had a few scares through my life.   I have been in the ER several times with chest pain. The Nitro pills are no joke.  They give you a headache, but it saves your life.  A few months ago, I went to the ER with severe chest pain.  My BP was close to 197 over 113.  They thought that I was having a heart attack.  They gave me the nitro pill.  It did not work.  They could not get my BP down. I was admitted to get an emergency Cather of the heart.  I was in a ward bed for less than an hour.  I was then sent to the ICU to have a Nitro drip placed.  I was on the drip for 12 hours.  It was not pleasant.  The headache was unbearable.  The worst part was that Edie could not come in to see me.  With the lock down of COVID no one was allowed to come in to be with me.  It was really scary.  I did not know if I would see Edie again or my children and family.  My BP finally came down and the catheter did not show much blockage.  I was released to go home the next day with instruction to monitor my BP from home.  So far it is a little high but not to the point of going back to the ER.

We sold our home of 25 years to downsize. Edie can’t take care of the house and yard and care for me.  She is a champion.  She is the best caregiver. We rent a beautiful house which is smaller and less work.  It is easier for her to take care of it since it is smaller and newer.  We have great landlords.  If there is anything that goes wrong, they are get it fixed very quick.  If I or Edie had to do it, we would have to pay out of our pocket to get it fixed.  No more honey do jobs.  I couldn’t do most of them anyway.  We have had to change the way we do things.  But it is ok.  We just try to live our lives a fully as we can.

I did not write this to get pity or symphony.  I just wanted to let you know how that living with dementia and medical issues has a huge impact on our daily lives.  Worry about Edie’s health is also a major concern.  I ask her to take care of herself.  She is very good at eating right, exercising and not overdoing anything.  We rely on each other for support.  Of course, I rely on her more than her for me.  One of our daughters just lives a few minutes away from us.  She is always available to lend a helping hand to help go with me to appointments.  I usually take Edie or my daughter with me since my memory is not very good.

Finally, if you have someone that has some form of dementia, please understand their medical issues are very important to monitor.  They may not be able to tell you that something is wrong.  You need to take care of yourself too.  You can not help your loved one if you are down and out.

If you need more help, you can call the Alzheimer’s Association Hot Line at 1-800-272-3900.  The Hot Line is answered 24 hours a day with very well-trained individuals. You may also go to www.alz.org to get very valuable information.