Mom is having episodes now that confuse us more than her. She is clear as a bell, up beat, but in a time warp for a short period of time. It used to only happen when she had just woke up and I thought she just hadn't shook off her dream state.

The first time it happened in "real" time was a couple of months ago. Bro was visiting and she talked about her uncle in the present tense and told bro that they were in the same business and should get together about deals. Later that night she got anxious about needing to attend a funeral of a cousin (that uncle's daughter, born same year as Mom but died in 2001). She stayed anxious for a few days until I was able to find the records and assure her that she and Daddy did go to the funeral, and tell bro that Mom was right. Uncle J was in the forestry business, too. Then she dropped the subject and anxiety. Fine.

OK, I made it into a joke in "We Laugh", but the other night, the CG on duty did call me to say that Mom was insisting that Aunt Wanda was waiting to meet us at the gas station. CG should get Mom into Mom's car and take her there. "What am I supposed to do?" CG asks. She has no clue who Aunt Wanda is. I tell her that Aunt Wanda raised Mom and died in the early '60's.

I instructed her to let Mom see her on the phone and then tell Mom, that I said that I found out Aunt Wanda didn't go to the gas station after all and wouldn't want us to go out after dark. Mom was fine with that. Has not brought it up again, is eating well, sleeping well, talking clearly and appropriately.

I really don't think this is dementia or depression, and as I read it, delirium should have a cause that needs treatment to resolve. Do others here experience temporary brain misfires that mean little except an aging brain? Possibly she is having TIAs again, but I do not want to drag her in for cat scans and MRIs at 94.

Still, while looking into this I found an interesting article about the 3 Ds to share with everyone. I also would like feed back about Mom's episodes.

http://virtualmentor.ama-assn....8/06/cprl1-0806.html

By DOCHKA

quote:

spooks that invade our brains, and turn our stomachs to jelly

If that isn't the truth, I don't know what is.

It is so intermitent. Without treatment, just a bit of TLC and serious consideration, she gets OK. Very much like TORP describes. We are starting with this, but it used to be easy to attribute to her dream state. Now she is clearly awake. Much like her father.

I realize that few of us are able to remember something of our GP's final years, but her dad frequently had chats with those on the other side.. I saw this happen.

Not to say it means anything, Gpa kept it up for several years, before letting go.

MW. I know you speak from the heart. Aunt Wanda was a pretty cool lady, I don't doubt she is waiting somewhere for Mom. Just no hurry.

How are you and your Mom?

Hugs to you BC.
And I hope that Aunt Wanda is willing to wait a little bit longer, until your Mom really IS ready to meet her! It sounds as even if she's having some amazing conversations, she doesn't really want to meet them face to face quite yet.

Dearest BC,

According to the link you cited:

" Urinary tract infection is a common cause of delirium in elderly patients, but other possible causes include thyroid dysfunction, coronary event, stroke, electrolyte imbalance..."

It's a guessing game, that without testing of some sort cannot be known for sure.
Can a simple blood test show thyroid or electrolyte problems?

quote:

Possibly she is having TIAs again, but I do not want to drag her in for cat scans and MRIs at 94.

I'm definitely with you on this issue.

Other than that, my friend, hang in there and trust your gut as to what to do.

Can't help you much more than to send you "courage" vibes,
to dissipate the spooks that invade our brains, and turn our stomachs to jelly when some new challenge comes along.

Thanks BG, we are in the process of changing PCPs for her. The lady I love so much because she fought for Mom so hard when Mom's liver went blinky at age 89 (it would have been easy to let it go, right..) She doesn't like to "interfere" with "normal aging" if quality is good. Anyway, she will become a 'hospitalist'. I haven't met the new doc yet. She might be more proactive (interventionist, keep'em living forever type).

I really don't know if a PET has ever been done, not on my watch. I know catscans have shown TIAs. Mom has never been diagnososed or declared incompitent. She still signs her checks (after I write them out and tell her what they are for). (LOL, no one can read it anymore, but the bank honors the scrawl.) The border should be guarded like I guard her checkbook.

We do have her living will, her DNR, and she can and will refuse most tests that are elective. She will refuse to go with EMTs if she is conscious. She is sweet and cooperative, but will not go.

As some here know, Mom has had an amazing experience with a "team" approach to her care giving, I am team captain. She is in her home of 53 years with 24/7 assist for the past 5 years. She can probably continue to afford this for a few more years because of phenomenal estate planning by my Dad who died 7 years ago at age 87 (in home hospice care because of a nonHodgkins lymphoma).

Anyway, the "team" is a mix of the professional and the personal experience. Being "captain" is a crazy job (I am on call 24/7), but for the most part, no one is too shy or too proud to call. I learned a lot about redirection here before I actually needed it for Mom. I thought I was learning for others. You never know what you will need in your tool box.

When I was very young, I saw my mother's father go through a phase of talking to people who were gone on ahead. Any living person he talked to was in fact in the room. The only absent people he spoke to were gone on. At 9 years old, it frightened me. Later it was a comfort.

We are able to step up quality because the weather is great. We get her out to the porch to eat lunch on good days. She eats well while she listens to the birds. Fresh air suits her. It does mean I drive to her house more ( I am 1/2 hour away) because there really should be 2 people to help her out. I don't have "off days" any more, but so many here don't know what a "off day" is, so I am not complaining.

Her only surviving grandchild is getting married in one month. Mom loves to tell each CG to get the clothes we decided for her to wear out of the closet for her to show them. After that, who knows... she will want to see the baby wrenns come out of the nest... or the display of the city's crape myrtles.

She thinks Aunt Wanda is ready to meet her at the gas station, but not today.

BC has mom ever had a PET scan? If so I would ask PCP to order another up and view the 2 side by side that way you can rule AD out.
MIL's recent scan shows significant size difference
FIL did this after his strokes MIL did this early on before the AD diagnosis so it could be anything.
I dont know hun maybe as long as your CG's and you can handle the redirection (pat on the back for thinkin under fire ) at 94 maybe its a little of leave well enough alone as long as it doesnt interfere with her quality of life?
But for me Im safety gal, you know that, so my knee jerk reaction would be to have her scanned just to make sure everything is alright, your butt is covered in being proactive with care etc etc etc
Thoughts?

TORP, that is help, really. I know you are NOT recommending that I ignore this medically, every case is different, but at this point Mom has made it quite clear that she does not want to go back to the hospital unless she is in great pain or unconscious and either way she wants to be at home when she dies.

When these episodes come on to her, it isn't hard to see that they usually makes her happy if I can figure it out and play along. Sometimes it seems to be her way of remembering a story that she wants me to know. Or to make sure I don't forget someone important to her. When I put 2+2 together, she is content.

Thanks TORP. Anyone else??

Our LO has had these confused episodes for years. Over time they've become a little more frequent and the duration a little longer. She's been scanned, scoped, poked ... you name it. I think it's part of the process of the deterioration of their brains.

She's usually placed in the past, but often as not the situation she's concerned about isn't something that actually happened or even could have happened. It must be a little like a dream state. You know how dreams have familiar elements in them but assembled together in a strange way?

Sorry, no help here. But sympathy. It's hard to see them like that. We do the same thing: play along in a way that reassures her.