One of the core criteria for Lewy Body Dementia is hallucinations. You can read about symptoms here at lbda.org.
Hubby has them but somehow he knows that the majority of them aren't real.
Of course there are the occasional incidents of people in the house and some in our bed.
Builders and workers doing things in the house and in the yard. Sometimes children or animals, etc.
I feel like we are blessed that Hubby's hallucinations are not ever worrisome to him, or at least that he confesses to. And when he can't decide if it's real or not he isn't afraid to ask me about it and takes my word although sometimes suspiciously.
The other day he was looking out the window of our front door and asked me "Where did that pig come from?"
I never get upset when he asks about hallucinations, I always try to figure out what he may be looking at and mistaking for whatever, or explain that I don't see the things he does, so I walked to the window and looked out.
Sure enough, there was a black pot bellied pig in our yard!
We have no thoughts as to where it came from.
It was quite comical to me and I oh so much wanted to pet it but I may live I the country but I'm not a country gal so I was intimidated by the pig, although I did go outside and get close to it until I was uneasy about it, then I ran in the house. LOL!
No hallucinations this time Hubby!
Hubby has settled back into home and into our normal.
I think about my respite time and how much I enjoyed it.
It brings me comfort through the day especially since my return to aide issues.
Our V.A. careplan expired BUT good news! They didn't wait for a month to renew and we transitioned to the new careplan without a lapse in care. That is would have transitioned but our regular "wash woman" is out for a while and we are at the mercy of fill ins when we can get them.
My workout schedule has been off for a while now and I'm missing it and going "soft", especially the last 2 weeks of over indulgence. I don't know why I do that to myself :(
So with life back to our normal and really not a lot to write about I thought I would share a couple fun moments with you.
Oct 3 - Earlier this evening, Hubby, BIL (brother in law) and I went
for a short drive. I saw an animal in the road "sleeping" and Hubby
asks me what it is. I answer.
I think it's a squirrel that didn't get across the road. (Mistake one, too many words)
Hubby says "Huh?"
I say, "It's a squirrel." ( we were closer for a proper identification)
Hubby says "Huh?"
So loudly I say "SQUIRREL!".
I think I scared BIL and I feel like the cartoon dog on Up! LOL!!!!
Later that night:
Well, you know what they say about paybacks.
I
caught Booger (our dog) stealing Hubby's candy so I told Hubby who's in the
kitchen raiding the leftovers & refrigerator. I walk into the
kitchen a few mins later to check on Hubby and he had found Boogers
cookies. :/
Then the next day:
Confession time: So after my posts about Hubby
and BIL last night and after my giggling stopped I was getting us
all settled in for the night. While looking for my phone I remembered it
was in my purse, but where was my purse? Not in any of the normal
places , then it dawned on me. I left it outside on the porch chair when
I was bringing Hubby inside, along with my house keys still in the
door. :/ SQUIRREL!
That's how things are at our house.
How are you guys doing?
This is dementia, it's not just a memory problem. My husband was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in Oct 2007. This is our story. The ups and downs, the sorrows and joys. A non clinical view of living the Lewy life. Our story ended Feb 11, 2014. Lewy Body dementia hasn't been cured yet so until it is, this blog will be timeless in it's approach to caregiving, love and faith. It's a daily approach to those things.
Disclaimer
This is dementia. It's not just a memory problem.
What you read in this blog is purely my own personal experience in dealing with Lewy Body Dementia every day.
This is not meant to offer any medical or legal advise.
I have no professional training in care giving or experiences in formal writing.
I'm just a woman that loves her husband deeply and wants to provide him with the best quality of life he can and chooses to have.
My prayer though this is "Lord, What am I learning from this; how can I use it help someone else and to glorify You?"
If just one person finds comfort in this public blog. I will feel like it was a success.
What you read in this blog is purely my own personal experience in dealing with Lewy Body Dementia every day.
This is not meant to offer any medical or legal advise.
I have no professional training in care giving or experiences in formal writing.
I'm just a woman that loves her husband deeply and wants to provide him with the best quality of life he can and chooses to have.
My prayer though this is "Lord, What am I learning from this; how can I use it help someone else and to glorify You?"
If just one person finds comfort in this public blog. I will feel like it was a success.
Love the pig in the yard :-) My Okaasan hears/sees a man standing outside the door at night, ringing the doorbell. She tells me with such conviction that I even wrote a note and stuck it on the door telling whoever to GO AWAY! ....he didn't....but he took a break....
ReplyDeleteHi Oyome-san :)
DeleteThanks for checking in and sharing your story :)
I hope your Okassan isn't distressed by the "man at the door". Oh the things we do for our loved peace of mind, and ours. You're doing a great job :)
Kathy, The pig in the yard made me laugh, but we dealt a lot with hallucinations with Mom. They can be so hard on our loved ones. Sounds like you handle them really well with hubby.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I just noticed your "Best of the Web" ranking. That's very cool. I'm sure many people find comfort in your honest blogs about life caring for a loved one with dementia. Keep up the good work!
Tammie