with me having to wipe her mouth after she eats to clean her mouth and chin area. Is this normal for an elderly person to eat this way? Also, if she eats for example a cracker, a lot of the cracker ends up in her lap.
Sounds like your mom needs a new doctor! Would she consider that, do you think? I looked up brain stem stroke and see that it doesn't have the hallmarks of regular strokes like my dad had, so I can see why she didn't pick up on it. Good luck with helping her out. Maybe you and your sister can help her get some good doctoring that can have her in better shape with some physical therapy. Does she have a regular primary care doctor? Maybe enlist his/her help to get your mom some better care? Good luck!!
Hi Whitney, Well, it says on your profile mom had a stroke. Does she have any facial paralysis? My mom had a brain stem stroke but I do not think she has any facial paralysis that I can see at least but she is a very messy eater!! (but kinda always had been but more so now). She does have vision problems with her stroke- I think she has vascular dementia- am trying to get that officially diagnosed (I go with her to her neurologist at the end of the month -yahoo! -I have been trying to for awhile now!!-finally got the OK from Dad) - and that , I think, is causing her her vision problems.-this makes eating hard for her- she looks kinda off to the side when she eats. like she cannot see things head on. Does your Mom do that? My Mom also seems to chokes on her food a lot- mostly drinks, for some reason. This causes some explosions of food and drink. She says my Dad says "Slow down" but that it just tickles her throat. She also spills her drinks a lot- again I think it is her vision issues. I have a little westie that loves to sit right at her feet, under the table and waits to lick her lap clean (does it for my daughter, too). Works out really well! ;0) I should hire her for nursing homes. She is a great little companion and cleaner.
I am guessing with your Mom it is stroke related. Good to ask her doctor , though.
MishkaM - did they do a swallow study on your mom about her swallowing problems? She may have a paralyzed vocal cord. My dad did on one side after his stroke. We had to be careful about the liquids he drank, or he could aspirate them into his lungs and get pneumonia. He could only drink thickened fluids or nectars. He hated it, but it worked. He eventually got a plastic piece put in where his vocal cord was paralyzed and it helped a lot. Good luck to both of you!
blannie- I don't think so. Is this something I could bring up to her neurologist? I am finally going to get to go at the end of the month. Did your Dad have trouble talking? She can barely talk above a whisper. And my Dad cannot hear for c- very well. Makes things difficult. He is full time caregiver and I have such a hard time getting info from them about Mom's diagnosis. But, like I said I am going to her neurology appointment soon and have lots of questions. THANK-YOU for bringing this up!!! Are there any other things you can think of that I should ask? Did your dad have a brain stem stroke by any chance? I feel like my Mom's neurologist is not very thorough. Sigh*
MishkaM - yes, my dad could barely talk above a whisper until he had the plastic thing put in his vocal cord. Then it was much better.
I would think her regular doc would know about a swallow study. You could certainly start with a neurologist, but they're usually concerned with how the brain functions and not so much a person's throat (I think). Google strokeassociation and look up dysphagia.
MishakM - here's info on the thing my dad had done to his throat.
My dad had an ischemic stroke at 82 - I'm not sure if it was a brain stem one or not. I'll have to research the definition of a brain stem stroke. He had paralysis on one side and initially had trouble with his speech and swallowing. He had physical rehab for several weeks and worked very hard to get back to his old self. But once he got out of rehab, he never did his exercises, but was probably back to about 80% normal. He could walk on his own with a walker and take care of himself. He got lung cancer at 90 and that's what eventually got him at 92.
Thanks Bonnie. I bookmarked the links so if they get deleted I still have them! We did not even know mom had a stroke until her dentist -seriously- asked her if she had a brain stem stroke after she complained of feeling drunk all the time and then my Mom and Dad asked the neurologist and he was all like-"oh , yeah, you had one. It showed up on your scan "WTHECK!!! I still do not understand this story, See Mom's mom had AD and passed away from it. My Mom was always worried she would get it. She told me she started to forget things. Where she parked, where she was on a road, why she came into a room. She was very worried about having AD. ( this was probably 7 years ago) I told her if she was worried she should get it checked out , that I thought there were meds available now that helped slow it down. She listened but was afraid. Then , months later, I was in town for my bff's friend's Dad's funeral and she lashed out at me horribly about not spending time with her while in town ( friend still lives in the town I grew up in I live about 4hours away) - this, while I was sitting with my friends at their Dad's bedside as he passed and helping make funeral arrangements. I was so mad ( and stressed and sad from the last few days events) and told her I thought she might have AD because her thinking was soooo wrong. Not nice, I know but , it had been a long week. And it did the trick. She went and got scanned and her neurologist said she DID have AD. That she had the place on her brain. And put her on Namanda. But she passes all here memory tests with flying colors each time for years and she isn't forgetting things -is actually better at remembering things than my Dad -but starts to complain of feeling like she is drunk and dizzy and starts to regress physically. Her balance is shot . Her vision is going. So now the neuro is all like it is from the brain stem stroke (the one they had to ask YOU about?!?!) and that she is not regressing anymore abnormally for her age -she is 75 ----HE IS 77!! But she is regressing abnormally, I think. And not getting enough PT--just a little.
So I get to go to the next appointment -and my sister is coming in too!!! YAY!!!! I am afraid I am going to just scam at this neuro guy. But then I will not be invite back.
OK sorry-just really feel like my Mom's care is not being met. *sigh
Sounds like your mom needs a new doctor! Would she consider that, do you think? I looked up brain stem stroke and see that it doesn't have the hallmarks of regular strokes like my dad had, so I can see why she didn't pick up on it. Good luck with helping her out. Maybe you and your sister can help her get some good doctoring that can have her in better shape with some physical therapy. Does she have a regular primary care doctor? Maybe enlist his/her help to get your mom some better care? Good luck!!
Well, it says on your profile mom had a stroke. Does she have any facial paralysis? My mom had a brain stem stroke but I do not think she has any facial paralysis that I can see at least but she is a very messy eater!! (but kinda always had been but more so now). She does have vision problems with her stroke- I think she has vascular dementia- am trying to get that officially diagnosed (I go with her to her neurologist at the end of the month -yahoo! -I have been trying to for awhile now!!-finally got the OK from Dad) - and that , I think, is causing her her vision problems.-this makes eating hard for her- she looks kinda off to the side when she eats. like she cannot see things head on. Does your Mom do that?
My Mom also seems to chokes on her food a lot- mostly drinks, for some reason. This causes some explosions of food and drink. She says my Dad says "Slow down" but that it just tickles her throat. She also spills her drinks a lot- again I think it is her vision issues.
I have a little westie that loves to sit right at her feet, under the table and waits to lick her lap clean (does it for my daughter, too). Works out really well! ;0) I should hire her for nursing homes. She is a great little companion and cleaner.
I am guessing with your Mom it is stroke related. Good to ask her doctor , though.
I don't think so. Is this something I could bring up to her neurologist? I am finally going to get to go at the end of the month. Did your Dad have trouble talking? She can barely talk above a whisper. And my Dad cannot hear for c- very well. Makes things difficult. He is full time caregiver and I have such a hard time getting info from them about Mom's diagnosis. But, like I said I am going to her neurology appointment soon and have lots of questions. THANK-YOU for bringing this up!!! Are there any other things you can think of that I should ask? Did your dad have a brain stem stroke by any chance? I feel like my Mom's neurologist is not very thorough. Sigh*
I would think her regular doc would know about a swallow study. You could certainly start with a neurologist, but they're usually concerned with how the brain functions and not so much a person's throat (I think). Google strokeassociation and look up dysphagia.
My dad had an ischemic stroke at 82 - I'm not sure if it was a brain stem one or not. I'll have to research the definition of a brain stem stroke. He had paralysis on one side and initially had trouble with his speech and swallowing. He had physical rehab for several weeks and worked very hard to get back to his old self. But once he got out of rehab, he never did his exercises, but was probably back to about 80% normal. He could walk on his own with a walker and take care of himself. He got lung cancer at 90 and that's what eventually got him at 92.
See Mom's mom had AD and passed away from it. My Mom was always worried she would get it. She told me she started to forget things. Where she parked, where she was on a road, why she came into a room. She was very worried about having AD. ( this was probably 7 years ago) I told her if she was worried she should get it checked out , that I thought there were meds available now that helped slow it down. She listened but was afraid. Then , months later, I was in town for my bff's friend's Dad's funeral and she lashed out at me horribly about not spending time with her while in town ( friend still lives in the town I grew up in I live about 4hours away) - this, while I was sitting with my friends at their Dad's bedside as he passed and helping make funeral arrangements. I was so mad ( and stressed and sad from the last few days events) and told her I thought she might have AD because her thinking was soooo wrong. Not nice, I know but , it had been a long week. And it did the trick. She went and got scanned and her neurologist said she DID have AD. That she had the place on her brain. And put her on Namanda.
But she passes all here memory tests with flying colors each time for years and she isn't forgetting things -is actually better at remembering things than my Dad -but starts to complain of feeling like she is drunk and dizzy and starts to regress physically. Her balance is shot . Her vision is going. So now the neuro is all like it is from the brain stem stroke (the one they had to ask YOU about?!?!) and that she is not regressing anymore abnormally for her age -she is 75 ----HE IS 77!! But she is regressing abnormally, I think. And not getting enough PT--just a little.
So I get to go to the next appointment -and my sister is coming in too!!! YAY!!!! I am afraid I am going to just scam at this neuro guy. But then I will not be invite back.
OK sorry-just really feel like my Mom's care is not being met. *sigh