Mum has been short of breath for a couple of weeks now. A week ago, she had a battery of tests, but she passed all with flying colors. Last Friday I accompanied her and Dad to the Dr. to discuss the results of the tests and see what the next steps are.
I hadn’t seen Mum in a month, and I was disturbed by her apparent decline. She could barely make it to the Dr.’s office and then had to sit down right away. All readings are normal so the Dr. is mystified. She has enough oxygen in her blood. EKG and other scans, and tests done earlier show nothing. He observed her for a while very carefully, commenting that her breathing is Cheyne-Stokes like. He ordered an echocardiogram and talked about the possibility of some sort of brain scan for a small growth or tumor as well. Otherwise, he doesn’t know.
The Dr. also noticed a change in Mum’s attitude, calling it “Failure to Thrive.” I had heard this in relation to very ill infants but not geriatric patients, at least not those who are still up and about and able to take basic care of themselves. Touchingly, Dad emphasized to Mum in the office that she deserves to live. Mum just looked back at him with a wan smile.
Dad is doing more and more now around the house, as Mum has no ambition and doesn’t have strength to do much anyway. This is taking a toll on him too.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Alzheimer's and Anorexia
Mum seemed to have been on a plateau for some months until about a month ago. Looking back though, I can see that she has been declining very gradually. Her decline took a more precipitous turn when she stopped eating. At the same time, she was vomiting and saying she had no appetite. She became disturbingly weak.
Her physician weighed her in at just under 80 lbs. and diagnosed anorexia. According to Dad, the doctor outlined her options in no uncertain terms: Eat, be hospitalized and force fed, or die. To push her in the proper direction, he prescribed an appetite stimulant (megestrol).
I’m very happy to report that she responded to medication, although it did take a few days. She’s now eating more at each meal than she has in months. Even my father is amazed.
What surprises me is that it took so long for the doctor to reach the diagnosis of anorexia. Mum has been underweight for several years. She actually has hypothyroidism (not hyper) and is on medication to control that. Perhaps that is a complication. However, she has had food and body image issues throughout her life, even as an elderly person. Despite having little energy, losing weight, and not being able to find clothes that aren’t baggy, she would still be concerned about her diet. For example, when the rest of us (most of whom could afford to lose a few pounds) indulged in ice cream, she would eat fruit.
I know two other elderly women who followed similar patterns. Neither one had Alzheimer’s or any kind of dementia, so I did not associate the two. I simply thought, and still do think, that anorexia in elderly women is overlooked. When I searched the Web for Alzheimer’s and anorexia, I did find that the two can be associated. Whether Mum had anorexia before she came down with Alzheimer’s or vice versa is anyone’s guess. I’m just glad that she’s eating more again, and I look forward to seeing her with a few more pounds of flesh on her bones.
Her physician weighed her in at just under 80 lbs. and diagnosed anorexia. According to Dad, the doctor outlined her options in no uncertain terms: Eat, be hospitalized and force fed, or die. To push her in the proper direction, he prescribed an appetite stimulant (megestrol).
I’m very happy to report that she responded to medication, although it did take a few days. She’s now eating more at each meal than she has in months. Even my father is amazed.
What surprises me is that it took so long for the doctor to reach the diagnosis of anorexia. Mum has been underweight for several years. She actually has hypothyroidism (not hyper) and is on medication to control that. Perhaps that is a complication. However, she has had food and body image issues throughout her life, even as an elderly person. Despite having little energy, losing weight, and not being able to find clothes that aren’t baggy, she would still be concerned about her diet. For example, when the rest of us (most of whom could afford to lose a few pounds) indulged in ice cream, she would eat fruit.
I know two other elderly women who followed similar patterns. Neither one had Alzheimer’s or any kind of dementia, so I did not associate the two. I simply thought, and still do think, that anorexia in elderly women is overlooked. When I searched the Web for Alzheimer’s and anorexia, I did find that the two can be associated. Whether Mum had anorexia before she came down with Alzheimer’s or vice versa is anyone’s guess. I’m just glad that she’s eating more again, and I look forward to seeing her with a few more pounds of flesh on her bones.
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