Kudos for Outstanding Help

Kenny and nurse

Thursday night hubby and I 

visited Kenny in the hospital. 

DH used his walker and then 

inside the hospital the staff 

provided a wheel chair to 

Kenny's room and then back 

to our car. 

Incredibly when Kenny got out of the hospital Friday morning, Kenny came over to fix hubby's lunch. Today, Saturday, Kenny remembered that the First Baptist volunteer group, "Second Saturday", were coming this morning to install five grab bars for our two bathrooms. You may remember earlier HERE that Lowes and Home Depot would not send anyone out and we were trying Safe-er Grip, Balance Assist and, frankly, that wasn't working since hubby kept having problems walking and grips with suction cups would come off the tile. 

Where was I this morning? I was teaching a class for first-time drivers and I could not get out of teaching it. So dependable Kenny, in pain after his gall bladder surgery, came over this morning to help the volunteers know where to install the Moen Home Care Grab Bars. 

The previous seat HERE hubby rejected--he wasn't used to the Moen Home Care Locking Elevated Toilet Seat With Support Handles. Now there are two small grab bars in one bathroom above and three in the bath where hubby showers and shaves.

A grab bar at the right ushers DH into the bathroom. A slanted one helps him get up from the toilet and into the shower. A grab bar on the wall in the shower has his wash cloths. 

Could I get him to shower today? No. He is exhibiting strange behavior now. Perhaps Kenny will be well enough to help him shower and shave tomorrow before church. Kenny you may recall has him sit on the toilet seat while he is shaved and then skillfully moves him into the shower.

Meanwhile I am writing a post on hallucinations, delusions and delirium and watching hubby go downhill, sadly. I am also working on my dissertation on being dementia caregiver. 

Cures for Dementia?

Picture from Find Home Remedy link noted

Are you kidding? 
See HERE.

Find Home Remedy - The World's Largest Home Health Remedy Blog keeps spitting out cures.  Several a day. Dementia cures are written by Reubenna--do not know who this person is, but click on her name and she has written other cures as well for this site. With all the ads on this site Reubenna might be an ad writer. Who are you, Reubenna? 

Expert Reubenna writes: Although proper medication along with therapy is the way to cure this, there are certain natural ways with the help of which dementia can be tackled. 

Reubenna, what would that proper medication be? What would that therapy be?

Reubenna lists these eleven home remedies:

1. Give them warmth
2. Familiar environment
3. Healthy diet
4. Antioxidants
5. Vitamin E
6. Omega 3
7. Ginkgo
8. Salvia
9. Aromatherapy
10. Pet therapy
11. Message 

I can say that coconut oil and turmeric does help. My husband gets both, but he is still going downhill maybe because of his Vascular Dementia which could have been avoided. He also has Alzheimer's which I do not think has a cure once one has it. But coconut oil helps his brain fog and turmeric reduces brain swelling. The Byrd Institute in Tampa, where my husband was diagnosed with mixed dementia, is currently conducting research on coconut oil. 

Can we predict dementia early? Peanut butter can help. Google that. Also check out this infographic HERE for what might predict Alzheimer's. It says at the top of thin infographic that it is in partnership with the Alzheimer's Association. 

I pinned the Reubenna's dementia cure post on my scam board on Pinterest and am going to try to put this post as a comment for Reubenna to read. 

Blogging and Prayers

1. 
   

   (In)Courage blog put out prayer requests. I prayed for someone and typed the prayer, and then added my own prayer request. Below you see my prayer request and how leanney prayed for me. 

2. Also, please pray for my journey as a caregiver for my husband who has dementia and walking difficulties. The walking is improving, but he is going into a hallucination stage now and I need wisdom for how to handle this. Will be blogging about this. Also pray for my counseling dissertation on being a caregiver–a situation I am living out. Pray that I accept the road ahead, bear the burden than He has given me with His strength.
3. 28
   leanney says:

   NOV 3, 2013 AT 9:58 AM
   Dear Heavenly Father,
   I pray that you will bring daily courage to Carol. Losing a loved one to dementia is a heartbreaking experience. I pray that you fill her heart with love and peace and she so unselfishly loves and provides for her husband.
4. So, how can I pray for you? 

The Rain

There is a beautiful song on Alzheimer's at http://hidingfromtherain.com and it is also on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07a0cUZS5ak.

Hubby was stubborn this morning. Kenny came for pill, shaving and showering and hubby would have none of it. However, as Kenny reminded me, it is raining outside. By midday, Kenny came back and the pills, shave and shower were accomplished. Kenny added a grocery bag with a hole at the bottom attached with a rubber band so that the shower water could warm up while hubby was sitting in the shower. Then when the water was a warm temperature, the bag was removed.

From a Pinterest board

We do know that Alzheimer's patients are afraid of water.  I am reminded that with the change of time and seasons, sundowning behaviors happen.

Church Girl and Her Blessings

Last evening we double-dated with Jake and Sally and went to see a movie. Now finding a movie for Alzheimer's husbands is difficult. I read this anonymous plot summary below.

Miles Montego (Ja Rule) has it all - cars, boats, good looks, mansion, money, women, but more importantly, he has a past. Miles is a retired high level drug trafficker who is now completely legitimate. Even though Miles has turned over a new leaf, the DEA can't seem to let him out of their sights. Miles' only downfall is that he is extremely loyal to his circle of friends and former colleagues who are not retired from the lucrative business. Struggling to keep on the right side of the law, Miles meets the one girl of his dreams but she's not the usual type of girl that he's used to dating. Vanessa (Adrienne Bailon) is a church girl in every sense of the word. They are tested to their last ounce of faith and strength in God and each other. God continues to chip away at Miles through struggles from his past, having to live up to his reputation, feelings of unworthiness, the death of his mother, federal charges, his friends being indicted, the strain on his relationship with Vanessa, almost losing her in a near fatal car accident, and finally the spiritual breakdown and one on one with God that brings Miles to his knees.


Now the mechanics of getting a hubby with a walker and with Alzheimer's into the theatre are difficult, but because Sally and Jake were with us, it worked. Not seeing a handicapped spot nearby, I let all three of them and the walker off and went park the car.  Inside the theater hubby needed to sit in the lobby a while and Jake sat with him while Sally and I found places for the movie. Our husbands sat in handicapped seating and Sally and I sat in front of them. They were throughly entertained. How refreshing to have a movie where Jesus Christ, faith, and church attendance are featured and no swearing! Not all the actors and the dialogue were polished but enough happened so I cried. Miles even becomes a preacher at the end! Then the four of us went to dinner. When we left, Sally accompanied me to our car and when we got to the restaurant she told the security guard that we needed to stop in the street while we got a handicapped person into the car. 

Blessing one. Sally and I did have some privacy to talk about how it is going with our husbands.

Blessing two. Kenny smoothly moved in on hubby about 8 am Saturday morning. In our bedroom they took their pills as "pill popping buddies". Then skillfully without the nagging wife Kenny moved hubby into the master bath to shave him and have him take his shower as I have described on this blog.

Blessing three. Pharis and his two teenagers came over Saturday morning and here is a picture from the front yard. They added lava rock instead of mulch. Much just ends up on the porch in a heavy rain, but lava stays put. 

What a difference

Blessing four. Yes, I am a church girl and am grateful that I married a Christian gentleman like church girl Vanessa in the movie. My husband's faith shines through his Alzheimer's when he is not angry. When he is angry I ignore, although it is hard at times. Another blessing to my church going habits, is that Kenny has started going to our church with us. I so enjoy attending our two PM service, not at all like the stereotyped service in the movie. 

More Baths and Less Talk

Disclaimer: This is not a book review about a very funny book where UK author Nick Hornby rattles on and on about the books he buys each month, but then reviews the books he actually reads each month.  

However, the title of the book has everything to do with the topic of this post.

At the end of August our lives were thrown upside down when my husband couldn't walk. You add a disability to Alzheimer's and life indeed is complicated and my stress and ability to cope with life is hammered. When I showed neighbor/caregiver Kenny the title of this book, we both laughed. Kenny has been helping me with my husband's showers and today's shave and shower was the most successful to date. Hubby needs more baths and I need less talk. It's all about the wife nag factor. I know he needs more baths and cranberry juice to avoid another UTI, but I need to shut my mouth about this fact. 

This morning Kenny skillfully suggested that hubby sit on the toilet while he gave him a razor shave. The idea was that hubby is already in the room where he showers. 

Now I was outside enjoying Pharis and his daughter Dezarae landscaping in Area 8 of my project, The House That Cleans Itself. When I left you HERE last May, one of the plants in the front yard was dying. Those were removed and new croton plants have come to our front door, mainly purchased from a country neighbor about two miles away. Stephanie sells wonderful plants cheaply and gives more help than Home Depot. 

Huge Landscaping Improvements Being Undertaken

Pharis has many plans to save this the yard and improve the house, including the roof. How blessed are we!

Meanwhile I popped back inside and Kenny had gotten hubby in the shower without me! 

I said something when I saw this and my husband snapped back. I should have left them alone--not said anything like the book title suggests:

MORE BATHS AND LESS TALKING

In the midst of many hard days, today is so encouraging. Thank you, LORD, for people coming alongside this journey. 

Dealing With Caregiver Stress

.

Graphic from Vitacost

I am on a campaign to deal with stress in my life. I need margin for things that come up. I need to cope with duties like emptying urinals, preparing and removing false teeth, pretending that I am not asked the same question repeatedly and dealing with the anger of sundowners. Patience, Carol, it's called patience.

When Sally and I went to the Alzheimer's Association Support Group recently. Sally shared wonderful advice for our care receivers that say anything contrary to what is correct. Just say,

"Sweetheart, that could be true!"

Works like a charm.  I've tried it. Gives you something to say. 

At the support group we received the Associations's pamphlet, "Take Care of Yourself: 10 Ways to be a Healthier Caregiver". The pamphlet gives ten things to watch out for: denial, anger, social withdrawal, anxiety, depression, exhaustion, sleeplessness, irritability, lack of concentration and health problems.

 So I thought I would reflect on these ten ways. 

1. Understand what's happening as early as possible. It is common knowledge that the shower for the Alzheimer's patient is a struggle.  I have interviewed caregivers on this blog for my own preparation for this journey,. 
2. Know what community resources are available. The Alzheimer's Association has much help available. 
3. Become an educated caregiver. We will have stress, so deal with it and learn all you can about the disease. 
4. Get help. Look around my house and I feel so hypocritical because I have been blogging about the book The House That Cleans Itself. It hasn't been working for me lately. The rooms that were finished were somehow trashed again because I didn't work at it. I am still enslaved with the endless de-cluttering.  Encouragement of help from Kenny, Margaret and Pharis. Margaret, Kenny's mom who is a few years younger than myself, sees all I have on my plate. Kenny brought over a DVD for me to watch. Novel idea--sit down to watch something! Margaret who comes over to help with DH's pills or lunch when Kenny cannot, decided that helping with cleaning would help my stress level and I worked with her to do that one day. I look around and the house is better and I am encouraged to keep it up It was actually fun. She helped me get rid of clothes I didn't really need to clutter my my closets--huge relief--something I had not gotten to in the bedrooms. We are not done with the clothes, but there is a start. And there is help for the outside gardens and the roof with Pharis and his teenagers coming over next Saturday.
5. Take care of yourself. It was a treat to have lunch with Sally this week while our husbands were at Plant City Senior Center for the middle part of the day.  
6. Manage your level of stress. Right now medical bills I haven't had time to research are on my plate--some Preferred Care should have paid. Can you believe they think my husband fell in the house and that the homeowner's insurance should pay!!! We may change to another plan. Got to think medical bills through--pay a little on each. I know where they are--just for some reason haven't gotten to them. The denial of stress I guess. 
7. Accept changes as they occur. My husband's trouble walking has been hard for me, but fortunately the chiropractor is helping him. 
8. Make legal and financial plans. Did that early. 
9. Give yourself credit, not guilt. Actually I want to thank my LORD for sustaining me and forgiving me. 
10. Visit your doctor regularly. I saw my doctor on Tuesday. She gave me a prescription for the lowest dosage of Paxil, an anti-depressant, should I need to take it. I am getting it filled should I need it and some days I do feel I need it. I took it years ago when I was a widow and it helped me over hard times. 

The decision to not take ANY long-term substitute position is related to stress. I need to keep life simple.  I really think that life is a bear many days, and not just for ordinary living stress, but also perhaps it is because of my husband's Alzheimer's that it's hard to cope lately.

Yes,  I am so fortunate to have help. But there are no guarantees in this life and my future in heaven is secure and longed for.

Thankful Thursday

I have seen others post a "Thankful Thursday" post and I have sooooo much to write and I have sooooo much to be thankful for that I am bursting.

First of all I think of the Scripture from James 1:2-5 Count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 

I am thankful for:

1. The frog that I was able to capture and put outside this morning. It was on the kitchen floor early this morning, probably was weakened from its time inside. A towel thrown over it and it's captured and it was taken to the back yard.

2. Home Team Pest Control who sprayed a Yellow Jackets nest this morning--the best time of the day to get them. They also took care of a  wasp nest. We thought they were Guinea Wasps in an earlier post on this blog, but the pest control technician took a sample to check what insect it is--most likely Yellow Jackets, but they will confirm. These critters had stung Pharis earlier and Pharis had told me Monday night that these insects were still around.

Insect Nest Disabled This Morning

2. That Pharis mowed and trimmed Monday. Great job!

3. That I have the day off today, Thursday,  to be home with my husband.  I booked myself unavailable to substitute for two days this week--Tuesday and Thursday. Getting over a cold here and teaching a class for DUI offenders on Saturday. I need time for him and for me.

3. That Kenny could go in the car with DH and me Tuesday because the wheel chair is too heavy for me to put into our SUV.  I was so thankful I didn't have to substitute on Tuesday because the regular teacher was scheduled to return! Two appointments, lunch and getting that handicapped parking sticker. Kenny helped DH get into our high SUV and put the wheel chair he had been confined to in the back.

4. Thanks for Walgreens and appointments. My husband has been getting cranberry juice to help prevent the dreaded UTI, but once a senior citizen gets a UTI, they can get another one. Treat it early, they say. Monday night I bought the pictured kit from Walgreens to test it out on hubby since both Kenny and I saw a sudden difference in my husband a week ago today that I also blogged about Saturday.  For more information on UTIs see HERE. Monday night I used a strip with my husband's urine as well as Tuesday morning. Sure enough it looked like there was an infection starting from the strip results. I could take hubby (also called DH for dear hubby) to two appointments I booked suddenly for Tuesday.

5. First appointment at Markley Chiropractic in Plant City. These magnificent chiropractors helped us after our crash in December of 2010. Will the chiropractor help with hubby's walking? It was so difficult to get DH into the Expedition Tuesday morning, but Kenny carefully coached DH in how to do it and then helped him get into the chiropractor's office.  Dr. Robyn  had seen hubby about his knee before recent hospitalizations. I explained to Dr. Robyn all about the hospital trips and that the X-rays just showed torn cartilage and arthritis. Over the counter and then prescribed medicine for pain wasn't helping him walk, and in fact DH was becoming more wheel chair dependent. The hospital report hadn't been faxed over, but she took our word for it and performed wonders on his twisted knee and back. Right after that appointment his getting in the SUV was easier. DH will continue appointments with her.

Kenny and DH while
Dr. Robyn fixes the back

"Why didn't the hospital find all this out?" I asked her.

"It's like apples and oranges," Dr. Robyn  replied. (There is the medical community and then there are chiropractors is how I interpreted her apples and oranges statement.) 

No more rides for dog Ziggy in the wheel chair! Hubby is using the walker and may not need it soon.

6. Second appointment. We went the primary care office where my husband's doctor was off, but my own doctor saw us to get an antibiotic (Ciprofloxacin HCL 500 MG twice a day) for the UTI. Fortunately she listened to all the symptoms that Kenny and I gave her and saw the Walgreen strips. They would send their own sample of his urine to a lab for tests. By the way I had brought the urine sample to the doctor because I wasn't sure that DH could provide a sample on the spot and he didn't. Note for future: refrigerate any samples you bring in.

6. A handicapped decal for parking. Last week my husband's doctor had signed the paper for privileged parking. When we went to get it Tuesday it was free, despite the government shutdown!

Yesterday, Wednesday, I went back to the school where I have been teaching in a special education classroom. I was scheduled to teach for another teacher, but that special education teacher had not returned from her leave and was going on a year's leave and I was put back in the class that I had said good bye to on Monday and others covered the class I had been scheduled to teach. A gentleman had been offered the job in special education and I was happy for them and happy I was put in there for the day.

After the students were on the bus yesterday,  I was told to wait for an administrator. That gentleman had accepted another teaching position. Could I take a long term job in this class for the rest of the school year, of course taking off on days I needed to be gone? I do love these thirteen students and the paraprofessional I would work with.  I need to call today with my answer.  Pray for the decision which I need to make today. Apparently there are not enough special education teachers around and my years of teaching all grades except fourth grade will come in handy. I do not have training in special education, however. This will postpone my working on the dissertation, but can answer some financial considerations such as paying off credit cards so I can stay home full-time with hubby in a year should the need arise. And less gas because the school is closer than other schools where I substitute! Both DH and Kenny thought it would be great to have me do this.  Kenny prayed about this with us last night. DH and I prayed this morning. Stay tuned. Pray for wisdom that is promised in that James verse above.  

Going Downhill: What Husband's Dementia Now Means

I wrote on June 5, 2013 HERE.  Before that, July 3, 2012 I reflected HERE. These posts and recent observations show clearly that hubby is going downhill.

Bird house was last project. 

The last thing I recall my husband building, was a bird feeding station that he carefully fixed on a pole that used to house a DirectWay TV dish that pointed south. We changed to cable and we did not need that stand cemented into the ground. Hubby came up with the birdhouse solution. This project was in the earlier stages of dementia and I did note how he seemed confused figuring out some of it. Somehow he has wanted to maintain his equipment in the workshop, and carpenters since then have remarked at how organized this workshop is. I laugh, because I have cluttered up that workshop with items we used to take camping and other junk to go in a yard sale. I long to make this workshop an exercise room and use it for my storage and even Pharis has offered to transform that room.  It's as if I do not want to let my husband's workshop go.  I want that workshop to continue as a carpenter's workshop even as I want my husband to continue to be the same.

But now hubby is going downhill.

How does this make me feel? It is very hard. Thursday night I reclined on our long couch in the den by my husband who was sitting in his spot watching TV. I was occupied by depressing thoughts and trying to pray.

Lord, I do not want things to change. I want arthritis to be the only thing wrong with hubby now. I want that new pill to fix the arthritis and I want him to walk even if it is with the walker. I want my mellow husband back. I feel guilty now going to the store without hubby who has wanted to accompany me everywhere.  The whole dynamics of our marriage is changing in that I have had "the better" and now have "the worse" of those marriage vows.  But, LORD, it is not all about me. I accept that you are using this situation for my sanctification and thank you for so many who have come along side of us. 

I wondered reclining on the couch if I needed an anti-depressant. Then Kenny and his brother-in-law came over. I got up from the couch to greet them. They were over borrowing tools from hubby's workshop. They needed tools to fix a car, but unfortunately hubby didn't have those tools as my husband's hobby had been carpentry, not auto-mechanics.

"What's wrong?" Kenny asked. "I usually see you upbeat."

"He's not getting up to walk and I am afraid of all that is coming." Kenny and Kevin promised to pray.

What do do about dinner Thursday night.  I started it, but hubby wanted to go out, forgetting his limitations. He hobbles to the bedroom to change from his jeans shorts and T-shirt into slacks and a nice shirt. This outing however would not be easy. I packed the 8 PM pain pill in my purse.

Usually hubby would interact with the waitress, but not Thursday night. The walker we took to the restaurant was stored elsewhere and I went to get it when we went to leave. "I don't need that!" But yes he did and does. He has memory of walking, but is in denial about his current limitations.

"Use it or lose it," you hear about walking and artritis. I took the urinal away from him on Friday thinking that going to the bathroom would encourage walking. However, Friday night he wanted that urinal rather than walk to the bathroom and I came to observe that he had peed in his jeans during the day. Slowly he changed out of them as he got ready for bed. I have been helping him and notice all I have to do now that he did over a month ago.

1. I retire his false teeth to be soaked over night. In the morning I get his full uppers and partial lower false teeth for him along with new Seabond that keeps the uppers in place. 
2. Taking meds is a battle of the will. Kenny said that Friday morning after I had left the house to substitute teach, it was an effort to get hubby to take pills. He was stubborn for me last night as well. 
3. Shaving and showering is done with Kenny's help.
4. Dog Ziggy "needs" a ride in the wheel chair--translation hubby doesn't want to use the walker. 
5. He has a worried look on his face, reminiscent of my father and uncle as they aged.  These two relatives did not have dementia, but did have that worried look.  Kenny thinks that my husband's eyes look different.
6. Hubby doesn't answer phones now in the last several days. Friday morning when I got to school and called, Kenny answered the phone and gave the receiver to my husband. 

Yes coconut oil, and Alzheimer's meds have delayed the inevitable. Yes I have been a Pollyanna. It is here, folks, what I interviewed Dolores, LaTane and Laurie about. What I have read in Linda 

Born's book and Linda Fisher's book and other books. What I have heard in the Alzheimer's Association Support Meetings.  Ready or not, here IT comes--the very difficult days of being an Alzheimer's caregiver. 

Friday I finished reading a novel, Crazy Lady by Jane Leslie Conly, to the special education students I have been substituting for this past month. In that novel middle school student character Vernon has to let go to a special needs young neighbor, Ronald, whom he had been mentoring. Vernon experienced anger at Maxine, Ronald's alcoholic mother, and grief when Ronald was carted off to live with relatives in another state. Vernon had done so much for Ronald--sponsored him in The Special Olympics and told others about Ronald saying his first word. Vernon ran alongside the car that carted Ronald off with Ronald looking back in the window. Finally the car sped off and Vernon falls, rolls and hits concrete:

I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I hurt all over. A hand moved up my legs and back, feeling for broken bones. It moved around my neck and rested on my face. It smelled familiar. "Vernon," Daddy said. "I'm here." (p. 180)

My students and I had quite a discussion on all the emotions of Vernon went through in the book. I know that my Father in heaven is there for me now, but I hurt all over emotionally. I must blog whether anyone reads this or not.

This Saturday morning hubby asks me what street we live on. Every time I cough he asks me if I am okay. He is sad he says today. He says he misses Jake and Sally who have been out of town. I miss them also. His son calls from Virginia and I talk with him about the deterioration which is evident to the son after he talks with his dad. Hubby takes forever to do anything. I edit his pills--no vitamins and fish oil--but other essentials have not been taken. He waits in his wheel chair watching TV for over an hour, not sure when he will sit in his padded spot. After some time the spot calls to him and he makes it there when I am in the den blogging.

As I am writing this post Kenny comes over for the ritual shaving and shower. Hubby is resistant to the shower, but we manage. Thank you LORD, for Kenny and the prayers of you all who read this.

Added Sunday, Sept. 29: It's official. I am only allowed one day at the PITY PARTY according to Jean Milsap, 20 year caregiver whom I interviewed in July here. So be it! The lady has spoken! 

The Aided Visit to the Doctor

It is officially fall now and I am taking a day off of work (my long-term substitute job with Educable Mentally Handicapped students) so that we can go to my husband's doctor. His poor walking recently has been probably due to arthritis.  So far Extra Strength Tylenol every six hours has worked fairly well until the rains came in the last several days. Kenny has arthritis and confirmed that his arthritis all over his body got worse with the rains.

Yesterday hubby only used the wheel chair to get around. We tried to use the walker to go to dinner last night, but he said that his knee was too painful.

This morning as usual I was asked many questions and as if hubby didn't comprehend/remember, the questions were repeated. I am used to this, but it seems to be increasing.

"Why are I going to the doctor?"

"So we can see about medicine for the pain in your leg."

"Pain in my leg?" hubby asks as he sits at the side of our bed getting ready. It's as if he doesn't comprehend the handicap he has had recently. I let him finish getting ready and leave the bedroom. Dog Ziggy greets Kenny who is here for the guys' morning routine.

Cheerfully hubby walks out to the den with his walker to assume his spot and greets Kenny for his usual weekday morning pill routine with Kenny. He jokes with Kenny, but respects and admires him as I do. Kenny is such a gift to me so I do not have to nag hubby to take pills, shave and shower. So I can still work, Kenny is there for us.

"I have more pills than you do," pronounces Kenny and successfully Kenny gets my husband to take his medicine.

An over-the-counter change in medicine in addition to Extra Strength Tylenol was recommended by a CVS pharmacist: Whole Body Joint Support by Finest Nutrition. The joint support tablets contain Rosemary, Turmeric (already taking that), Ginger, Holy Basil, Green Tea (gets that with Lipton), Hu Zhang, Chinese Goldthread, Barberry, Oregano, Chinese skullcap, Pine Bark Extract and Boswellia Serrata. It is the biggest pill my husband takes twice a day and a subject on conversation for the men.

Kenny gave hubby his biweekly shave before the three of us went off to the doctor this morning. Kenny physically lifted the wheel chair into our SUV in case we would need it. It turned out we only needed the walker.

I had put an Exelon Patch on my husband before he got dressed. One of the questions for the doctor is can we up UP the dosage of Exelon from 4.6 MG to 9.5 MG.  I have been trying that higher dosage, a gift from someone in the Alzheimer's Association Support Group because his wife no longer benefits from 9.5 MG Exelon. Today the doctor agreed to the higher dosage and said the joint support might not hurt. He asked about the coconut oil.

"Yes," I said. "He has taken that coconut oil for four years."

I have been reading up on arthritis and used to pride myself that my husband and I did not have this horrible condition--but now ARTHRITIS is here; it came in as innocently as my cold or allergies have come today.

At the doctor's office the pain meds are changed. Hubby will get 9.5 MG as an official prescription and the pain medicine is being changed to Tramadol HCL 50 MG three times a day which he will take at 4 AM, noon and 8 PM. He also got his flu shot and the doctor signed for a handicapped permit for our car.

The three of us then went to lunch at Olde Towne Pizzeria and Pasta Co. We each had a small salad and an individual pizza. The men both ordered a Caesar salad and a BBQ chicken pizza. I had a strawberry salad and a spinach pizza.  Then the three of us headed off for errands in Lakeland, but not before getting gas at Shells under $3.00 with my Winn Dixie card.

In the car while I drive the two men are so funny together. I am often in my own world, worried about the next stage of Alzheimer's, the next lesson plans, and what I have to do at home, but this was a very pleasant  day and I let myself enjoy their humor.

Questions remain on how mobile my husband will be with this new Tramadol medicine. If it helps him walk more, that will help his arthritis be not so painful and exercise walking will help the dementia. Stay tuned.

Back to lesson plans for tomorrow so I can go to bed early. Giving hubby that Tramadol now also.