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Date Posted: 19:36:12 01/08/13 Tue
Author: chris k
Subject: serious topic - please unlurk if you have input


I just had a very odd thing happen with my mother - who is in her late seventies

she still works in her retirement -
today she and my daughter set up for a trade show tomorrow

tonight - at 9:30 - in the pitch black pouring rain she showed up at our house and rang the bell - she thought it was tomorrow morning at 9:30

she said she fell asleep, woke up, saw the time on her watch and scrambled to get out the door.

I can understand that - we all have had some point or other when we wake up and are dioriented, confused.

but to drive 20 minutes in the pitch black and not realize it is NOT daytime?

How worried should I be about this?

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Replies:

[> Concerned, but not overly I don't think. Regardless of what was around her, she was so focussed on the fact that she was late, she ignored everything else. Check with her to make sure she is OK and just keep looking out for her. -- Katiegirl, 00:33:31 01/09/13 Wed [1]


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[> [> I so hope you're right - she lives alone still - -- chris k, 07:13:36 01/09/13 Wed [1]


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[> Very concerned...you need to pay close attention to what she does because this is not normal IMVHO!! There could be other things happening that you are unaware of. I'd keep a list of anything unusual and good luck. My mom is 92 and doesn't drive, thank God!! -- jenks, 06:31:49 01/09/13 Wed [1]


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[> [> my mom and daughter just left a few minutes ago for the show today- my daughter is going to keep a more alert eye on her to see if there are other things we've been missing. I don't see her very often - her brother sees her more regularly- I may call and talk to him. -- chris k, 07:15:18 01/09/13 Wed [1]


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[> I'd be very concerned. She may have had a mini-stroke or it could be the first sign of dementia that you've seen. I think I'd talk to her doctor about this. -- Lee, 07:23:49 01/09/13 Wed [1]


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[> [> there's the catch she doesn't like doctors- ignores what they tell her - but perhaps I can convince her to go see my doctor- A mini stroke is not a posibility I had thought of - thank you -- chris k, 11:56:06 01/09/13 Wed [1]


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[> Has she had any change in medication? My 83 year old mother was prescribed a pain killer and muscle relaxer for chronic back pain and they caused extreme confusion. Found out later from a geriatric nurse that numbers of meds which you or I can take are not good for seniors. -- lisa, 09:26:19 01/09/13 Wed [1]


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[> [> she is supposed to take thyroid medication but she doesnt like how it maks her feel so she doesn't take it - other than that - she's pretty healthy- though now I'm wondering if this has anything to do with the aoirtic anuerism she's had most of her life - sigh -- chris k, 11:57:38 01/09/13 Wed [1]


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[> She definetly needs to see a Dr. This sounds like she had some kind of mini stroke. My MIL has them every once in a while and can be confused from anywhere to a few minutes to an hour. She's 92, but she has been having them since she was in her late 70's. She is in great physical shape, but her mind is going. I would have her checked by a Dr. IMHO!! -- Cathy F., 17:22:57 01/09/13 Wed [1]


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[> [> your the third person to mention mini stroke - Right now I'm down with the flu- but am going to talk to my uncle and see if he can help -- chris k, 14:44:17 01/10/13 Thu [1]


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[> I would keep a close eye on her. It was only after my grandmother got a ticket for driving on the wrong side of the road (she claimed she was in a turn lane--but there was no turn lane and it was a road she had been driving on for decades), that we started hearing stories from other people about how they wouldn't ride with her any more because she would fall asleep at the wheel! Yikes! Inside -- JJ Ronda, 18:58:42 01/09/13 Wed [1]

Then we started noticing several near misses in the kitchen. For example, she took a casserole out of the oven and instead of setting it on the stove, she turned to the side and set it on the wet counter, breaking the dish and ruining supper. Another time she put a kitchen towel down on a hot burner on the stove and it caught fire.

Thank you Lord she never burned the house down or got into a serious car accident!

I guess my point is that the one event you witnessed could be nothing, OR it could just be the tip of the iceberg. There could be other things going on that no one is there to see. I'd definitely start paying attention. Maybe make some extra visits to her house. Don't tell her why, just say you just wanted to see her. Don't be afraid to ask her friends and neighbors what they may have seen. We were so irritated that people knew my grandmother was falling asleep at the wheel and didn't bother to tell us!

If she truly is starting to experience dementia, there are pills they can give her to help slow that downhill process.


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[> [> the sad thing is mom doesn't have a lot of friends - she moved to texas to be near her grandbabies and never got around to making very many friends outside of us - but fortunately her younger broter retired here from california - I'm going to talk to him -- chris k, 14:45:54 01/10/13 Thu [1]


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[> [> [> Sounds like a VERY GOOD idea, at least alert him to what you know. -- jenks, 06:09:46 01/11/13 Fri [1]


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[> Sounds like she could have had a TIA - mini stroke that messed up her sense of time and these types of strokes correct themselves but are a warning for something much worse. I hope shes okay but she does need to be seen and scanned. -- Codedriver, 11:49:58 01/12/13 Sat [1]


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[> In elderly people it could be something as simple as a urinary tract infection causing behavioral changes. I would definitely have her checked out by her PCP. Also have her take her thyroid meds at night before bed. Most people do that if it causes side effects. It should only do that until her TSH levels out. Make sure her dr does a TSH level too. -- TF, 14:21:03 01/16/13 Wed [1]


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