BlogHer - caregiving - Comments

lol Sure it doesn't

Denise — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:29:54 -0500

Let's increase your fiber and see what happens? And weren't you worried about my excessively high fiber intake the day I ate all of that dried fruit? hahaha

It may not CAUSE diarrhea but it should move things along - and I do not need things moved along.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

Making a note...

Denise — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:28:39 -0500

No tea at SCanon's in-law's house. Check.

That's the thing that gets me about Tw's mom & the fiber - she is definitely in pain but with all of that fiber, who could that HAPPEN?

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

Wait

TW — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:25:00 -0500

Fiber doesn't cause diarrhea. It just gives your gut more to work with..geez. Here is info on how Fiber can help Diarrhea

Beyond that it is a good choice for normalizing blood sugar levels and improving heart health. 25 grams of fiber a day is recommended for nearly every woman for good health. (and no Denise, even if you drank the entire pitcher of iced tea you wouldn't get enough fiber in your diet.)

Check out the Fiber-o-meter to see how close you come.

~TW

Retro-Food

A Great Laugh for the Day

SCanon — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:41:49 -0500

Thank you, Denise! Let me first say that I have IBS and it's totally not the constipation kind either, so I feel for TW, although mine I'm sure isn't as bad. Constipation scares me badly, too. My SIL suffers from regular bouts of it and the pain and discomfort she goes through is horrible to even watch!

The best part about all of this is what my husband's family does to tea. Let me just say this. Uptight mom and tranquilizers. I never drink tea over there.

Admit it Joy...

Denise — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:28:53 -0500

Next time you stop by for a visit, you aren't going near the iced tea are you?

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

You kill me Denise!

Joy Des Jardins — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:30:18 -0500

I think I'm with you on this one. Although I'm not inclined to pick one over the other....isn't the whole reason for taking fiber on a daily basis, that it kind of balances you out in that area? I don't know what too much fiber is either. It sounds like TW's mom is getting PLENTY of it.

My mom use to complain about constipation in her elder years too; and apparently it was quite uncomfortable. She felt very much like TW's mom does regarding constipation...and it became a fairly big issue with her. I rarely have that problem, so it was hard for me to truly commiserate with all that she felt. I just tried to make sure she was always supplied with what she needed.

One way or another Denise....you're always drinking something! ~Joy

Dementia Patient Spending Sprees: what to do????

gladlenise — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:22:35 -0500

My Mom was diagnosed with dementia by a neurologist about a year ago; its not advanced and she lives alone. I spend several hours each day with her by leaving work early, and that way, I've been able to monitor and assist her with daily needs. I had taken over her monthly bills for her ... she's on fixed income and we do not have much in the way of financial resources. Yesterday, Mom just went down and withdrew about half of the funds for upcoming April bills and went on a spending spree yesterday: I don't know what to do. I've been having that problem with her and trying hard to talk to her about it. I cannot afford to keep covering her on the monthly shortfalls. I don't know what to do. The shut-off notices will be coming, but I'm not going to be able to afford them. Mom does not understand that with only $600, she cannot go on spending sprees and still have enough to cover her monthly expenses. She can still cook for herself and bathe and dress herself, and she does not get lost. But she does get terribly confused and combative at times. I can't help her with her monthly expenses, when she goes down and withdraws mostly everything as soon as the monthly auto-deposit is recorded. Does anyone have any suggestions on the financial problem I have with her? I already have the POA's, etc., but they're not much good under these circumstances. Has anyone else been through this? Thanks.

My 80 year old m-i-l lives

slanoue — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:46:59 -0600

My 80 year old m-i-l lives with us. I work at home, so I am with her more than her son, who works outside the home and is gone most of the day. She and I get along fine, but it sure can be aggravating to live with her because of the dementia since she gets confused so easily. They both are in a bit of denial about the dementia, even though her doctor said she had it. I try not to get frustrated because she can't help being so aggravating. It makes things worse that she is very deaf and pretty blind as well. Despite all this, she is pretty independent and ambulatory. One day she will go into a home, but right now she can pretty much take care of herself, as long as we are around to help her now and then.

Thanks for the resources!

kazari — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:37:29 -0600

My best friend was just diagnosed with diabetes, and as far as she's concerned, the barbecue (grill in US?) is her best friend. grilled, marinated chicken breasts, or grilled, marinated fish, or grilled, marinated any-lean-protein. Plus salad. A big dinner that doesn't make you feel deprived.

Oh yeah, and the pureed white beans are a complete winner. Add a little garlic and it's lovely.

And the final standby? Curries with brown rice. Just add LOTS of veggies to the curry, and substitute stock for the coconut milk. It doesn't taste the same, but it's yummy anyway.

Most Low-Carbers...

MrsWsKitchen — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:33:31 -0600

I would venture to say that most low-carbers (like myself) live that way because of a health issue. I would never choose that dietary lifestyle for myself, not even for weight-loss purposes.

However, now that I HAVE to live this way (due to diabetes and PCOS), I do alright. I think the main goal is to look at your plate and arrange it thusly: half vegetables, 1/4 safe carb (think sweet potato, brown rice, or omit carb altogether and serve another veg that looks like a carb, like quinoa--fools the old folks like a charm) and 1/4 a lean protein.

My grandmother is diabetic and when she eats at my house she raves over the food--and it's always within her (and my) dietary restrictions. Example: A big green salad with sliced pear and a little crumbled bacon (1 or 2 slices on an entire salad is okay) with a vinaigrette. A piece of lean protein served with pureed white beans (regulates blood sugar for the whole meal) instead of mashed potatoes (they look the same).

Somtimes it's about fooling the brain.

Amanda
Mrs.W's Kitchen

I'm with you but

Denise — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:02:52 -0600

We're working with a woman who is set in her ways and small changes work better (in my experience) than really drastic ones. So, low carb versions of some foods are a compromise we're willing to make, in some areas.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

You are better doing without

Bridget Magnus — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:56:48 -0600

You are better doing without than letting your family consume "low carb" products. And I say that as somebody who lost a lot of weight going low carb (and yes, thank you, I've kept it off for a decade now). Why do you "need" little chemistry sets in your diet? I am, btw, simililarly against most little chemistry sets labelled "low fat" or "lite."

I have nothing against reasonable substitutions: high-protein flatbread instead of white bread; shiritaki instead of noodles. And maybe your mileage varies, but you might find that reasonable quantities of grain products are ok. Where most people run into trouble with grains is serving sizes (1 slice of bread, 2 oz of pasta, 1/4 cup rice, etc). However, I think most low carb (and low fat) products are a rip-off. You and your family are much better off eating things that are naturally low in carbs, and watching serving sizes for wheat and rice products.

It Just Happens

biggirlblue — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:27:30 -0600

In 2003 I started having what I thought were mini panic attacks. I went to the doctor but really nothing was done other than to ask me to keep track of how often they happened. They didn't interfere with my activities of daily living so I wasn't really concerned.

A year later my husband was getting ready to head out the door for work when he heard a huge bang upstairs. He came up stairs to find me on the floor (I'd fallen out of bed) and was in full grand mal seizure. He had never seen one before but immediately knew what it was. He called an ambulance and waited with me while it finished. I only have a vague recollection of being sat up in a chair and an attendant asking me questions before I was carted off to the hospital where a doctored asked me a few questions wrote a presciption for tegretol, suggested I see my family doctor the next day and sent us home.

My husband no sooner got me in bed and I was having another grand mal seizure. Back to the hospital, different doctor. She immedicately gave me tegretol, and sent me for x-rays (I was complaining of back pain). They found out I had broken my back during the first seizure.

After a few days of recuperation I was sent home with a regular dose of tegretol (and pain killers) and a referral to see a neurologist. I have no family history of them. I had ecg, ekg and an mri done. All were normal. The neurologist said that women in their 30s sometimes develop seizures for no reason.

Based on my descriptions she concluded that I had had temporal lobe seizures and that the episodes I had the year prior were probably mini seizures. Luckily I haven't had any seizures since but I'm still on a low dose of daily seizure medication just in case. The worst part, other than breaking my back was that I lost my driver's licence for year.

Even though I haven't had a seizure in four years I think about it practically every day. Sometimes I'll have a funny feeling and wonder if I'm going to have a seizure. I can only imagine what it is like for JR but it must be horrendous.

Just another perspective to add to the many you've come across.

Moe
Big Girl Blue, M.E. Wood lens, Large and Lovely, Five Favorite Things

Thanks Tre

Denise — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:16:58 -0600

I think I might have a blog post in me about how helpful I found it to be able to tweet during this experience. It was the middle of the night in a strange hospital but there was a whole world of friends still awake, still listening - that was good for me.

Thanks for being there! :-)

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

Thanks Jory

Denise — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:15:22 -0600

Sorry I scared you - I probably am working too much but it's not effecting my health. :-)

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings