I love this question! When I interview a new patient with dementia, I ask them how old they are (among other things!) - just to see if they know. Most often, they don't remember at all, and then I'll ask, "Well, how old do you feel?" It makes me very happy that most of the time (I'd say at least 80% of the time), they say they're 16, or 22, or 25. It's rarely much older than that. I just think that's such a sort of relieving piece of info, because we (on the "outside") are thinking how awful it is to have dementia, be frail, or arthritic, etc., yet despite those limitations, these folks FEEL so much younger. It's a nice disconnect in the midst of some really awful disconnects (e.g., not knowing family members). I'm always shocked that I'm NOT 25.

Ugh. I'm so sorry to hear that. Please keep us posted about how things are going for your family and your son.

Well, so far, with ds's broken foot, 6 --- 3 views initially (before cast), 3 views after cast removed (after about 2 wks, now in Camwalker), and I expect there will be 3 more in another couple of weeks. Depending on how it's healing, that may be it or not. It really depends on WHERE the break is, too, and the age of the patient. The foot is tricky, because it's not always easy to see the fracture (because of bones superimposed on other bones), and in kids, you have growth plates that often can look like fractures. Same would go for hands, elbows, shoulders, etc. Also, there are standard views (e.g., if I order a chest xray, it typically will = a view from back to front AND a side view - so 2 xrays are more or less automatic. A foot series is typically 3 views, a knee series is at least 2, if not 3, and so forth.) So, although my ds has had 6 xrays in the past 3 wks, I would say that's the appropriate amount. (Maybe the poll was just for curiosity's sake, but I'm guessing that you are wondering if your ds has had an excessive number of films for his broken foot?)

See, Astrid, we may not agree on too much in the way of politics, but we sure agree here! Our home was built in 1794/5 by my great-great-great-great granduncle (who married my gggg-grandfather's sister, who bought this land for five shillings from her father :)!) Although my grandparents didn't own the house (they rented after the Depression), my dad did grow up here (though I didn't, and dh and I don't (sadly) own it either), which is fun, too. Still has original mantles, floors, etc. It's just a great house, although small and quirky. I can't imagine (as you said) living with level floors, etc. I can't even imagine drywall and carpeted floors!

Sue, I always feel that I'm somehow "tracking" you up here in Maryland! We use so much of the same curricula you do, and I've so benefitted from your advice over the years! ... and my ds broke his foot a few weeks ago --- not as badly as your son apparently did, but I understand the disruption a bit. (Our disruption was last June, when a huge tree fell on our house during a storm - knocking a chimney down, ripping a hole in the roof, etc. THAT was when *I* said, "That's it; school's over!" (even though we were about 4 wks from finishing). Anyway, even though my son doesn't have the possibility of surgery, he's fairly nervous about the whole cast on/cast off process and I'm trying not to let him know I'm sort of rolling my eyes! But I *have* tried to not be impatient with his fears and have tried to accomodate (a little) in school. I think read-alouds and books-on-tape are the way to go in this sort of situation. I would focus on books that relate to either the historical time period you're studying OR the science that you're studying. That way, you won't feel that his brain is just turning to mush! I like this idea, too - there are certainly plenty of videos (math, science, history, grammar, etc.) that you can rent that can further your ds's education (or at least stop any slippage!). Also, we've just had a rule about no videos until after a certain time, so my ds (who also would probably rather play a game than almost anything else (other than playing sports - tough with a broken foot) just doesn't ask any more. I have found that if the video game is not available, he is more likely to actually find something else to do (what a concept!). So, even though it might be hard, I suspect that your son would find something to do (read, draw, etc.) if the game system simply isn't available until after XYZ o'clock. I'm sorry you and your son are dealing with this. Please keep us posted!

Yes, update is in the original thread.... running out door, but trust you can find it! :) She made it, and has a long row to hoe, as it were!

Ooo - here's another fave from my childhood, when my friend and I would get the bus driver to let us off by the Middle Eastern restaurant, and we'd get cherry limeades and walk 5-6 blocks to our piano lessons. Wow. Talk about remembrance of things past! Juice the limes, add grenadine and water (and maybe sugar, if the cherry syrup isn't sweet enough) and serve over crushed ice.

Well, yes, but there's NO convincing a ... 12 yr old boy* (off to change my sig line) - do we really think he would believe a book when he could have been born on Bilbo and Frodo's BD if only mom had worked a little harder?! :tongue_smilie: (*unless YOU are a 12 yr old boy, in which case I guess YOU were convinced!)

Oh, you HAD to remind me :)! My ds was born at 12:36a on ... Sept 23. Ugh. Even dh was ... um ... encouraging me to "push harder" so as to have ds on "Bilbo and Frodo's birthday!" Grrrrrr. :glare: (This, after more than 50 hrs of labor and 2 hrs of pushing. :glare:)

We've *really* enjoyed the Museum of the Alphabet in Waxhaw about 30 miles outside of Charlotte. It's a museum of all sorts of language-related information. Sort of a mom-and-pop LOOKING place, but with really meaty exhibits. It interested our son (who was <10 at the times we've been), me, and my PhD linguist husband --- so it successfully covered a range of comprehension! It's across the street from JAARS, which is the radio and air support arm of Wycliffe (Bible translation). You can tour the facility and even take a plane ride (various requirements, etc.) and see how this part of missions work works. (This may not be of interest if you're not a Christian, but the Alphabet museum was interesting, imo, for any worldview). Here's a link: http://www.jaars.com/alphabet_museum.shtml

DO IT NOW, because it is a LOT harder to "slow down" when they're older and all their friends are aware of what "grade" they're in.... Repeat: there is no rush, there is no rush, there is no rush. You can help him succeed if you place him accurately NOW, by looking at what he can do, rather than what the state says he COULD do. Not that I have any strong opinion about this :) --- I just wish my older self had spoken to my younger self about 6 yrs ago!

Sadly, no. I just PM'd you, Remudamom, but will reiterate here that your doc is probably almost as miserable as you are about all the "re-doing" that is necessary.

Bell pepper. I detest bell peppers. Except here: didn't ANYone else think, 'Beansprouts'? Totally OT, but speaking of thought processes, what's with the avatar? You're looking so ... so ... pixelated these days! (Sorry if I missed a post about it --- I miss the contemplative and serene abbeyej! :D)

Wow! What prompted the change (if you would like to share)? The recipe is VERY forgiving (imo), so ... crushed garlic, garlic powder (gasp), smooshed garlic, garlic paste ... whatever you have on hand. I usually used minced or crushed. White onions, yellow onions, purple onions. I think when I originally read this recipe, the author said she used chicken wings / drumettes (I use chicken breast...) and kept some in her fridge marianating at all times - so it can marianate for quite a while, too.... I've used pita bread or naan when good lavash bread isn't available, and skip the tomatoes (but never the onions). It does take a fair amount of lime juice, although I suppose you could just keep flipping the chicken around in a ziploc bag, and use less lime juice. (You can tell I don't really color inside the lines very well....)

Well, it's not a vegetarian recipe (and iirc, your family is vegetarian?), but we love "Persian Lime Chicken." Basically, you marinate (overnight, or a day or so) chicken in lime juice, turmeric, onions, grape tomatoes, garlic. Then grill the chicken, onions, and tomatoes. Serve with lavash bread and melted butter mixed with more lime juice (to drizzle over the grilled chicken). Sort of middle Easternish, so I serve with basmati rice with raisins/almonds, tzatziki, fruit salad.

Lars and the Real Girl (we both laughed out loud, but it was also IMO a good movie to discuss, if you felt so inclined) Firefly (TV show) with Serenity (as the movie that wrapped up some loose ends when the show was cancelled) (I have lists of movies, but not handy, and can never remember when people post questions like this --- but these two popped into my mind.)

Yes! I meant to include this sort of suggestion, Doran. Write things on a big calendar or in a notebook as another memory aid for your dad. I have one patient whose room is COVERED in sticky notes with all SORTS of things that you wouldn't expect - but it is comforting to her to see "Drink Ensure," "Take vitamins," "Brush teeth," "David coming to visit," "Look at wedding pictures," etc. Great suggestion, Strider!

Hi, Doran! I'm so sorry that you're going through this - it sounds as though he's in the relatively early stages, and it is just so difficult - for everyone (patient, family, doctors, caregivers). My first thought, like several others, was meds. If he's truly paranoid, I agree with the idea of Seroquel or another antipsychotic med. However, he may respond well to a mood stabilizers (e.g., Depakote) if he's very labile emotionally. (Also, antipsychotic meds typically work well, but might have a few more side effects, and require a bit more monitoring, and now have black box warnings to go with them - so it's a little easier to use other meds). Also, some meds, even ones that are prescribed specifically FOR agitation, may actually BE agitating in patients with dementia, so if you want to PM me a list of his meds, I'll be happy to offer my observations (sans recommendations, of course) about them. However, you say he's already on a lot of meds, so here are some other ideas. YMMV, of course, but maybe something will help. Your dad seems to have lacunae (or lakes) of memory loss - periods where he's more lucid, and periods where he's less lucid. One word picture I like is of walking along a path by a lake with scattered puddles on the path. You really don't know WHERE those puddles and the edge of the lake are for him, so you have almost no way to predict when he's going to say or do something that doesn't make sense to you --- because YOUR path doesn't have those puddles. So, like any of us do when we have faulty memory (whether little puddles, or a huge lake), he needs memory aids. For example, you may use a calendar to keep track of all your family's activities. Your dad may need a memory aid to help him remember that your mom loves him, is with him, etc. So, you could try having a photo album of pics of the two of them - and use that both when he's ok with her activities, and when he's paranoid about her activities. IOW, the album will be a tangible reminder of their relationship - even when he can't 'access' that relationship in his head, and when she's not there to provide a hug or a touch. (Depending on how old he thinks they are, the pictures could be current, or pictures of them at a much younger age.) Also, think about whether an item like a talking picture frame would be helpful - one with your mom's voice reassuring him. Don't ever dismiss his concerns (e.g., "Oh, Dad, that's ridiculous. You know Mom would never do that."), because it may be what he's expressing is not really the belief that she's having an affair, but FEAR because *something* (that he can't put his finger on) is different (the actual reality is that what is different is that she's out of town for a few days; HIS reality is that she's not there, therefore, she must have left him for someone else.) Because he can't necessarily remember the facts about emotional events, it is sometimes best not to dwell on the event per se (this would be a LOT easier to express in person, instead of in this small box - I've actually forgotten what your question was! How's that for ironic :) ?). For example, if someone died, he might not remember the fact of their death, and may only remember the "being upset" part. So, it may not be kind to try to constantly remind him that your mom is at "Relative's wedding for the next four days," because he, again, might just end up feeling a sense of being separated, instead of being able to remember who Relative is and rejoicing about the wedding. (OK, this is making no sense, right? Apparently I talk with my hands and via facial expressions and tone of voice a lot more than I thought :D .) Also, I think it's sometimes helpful to remember the stages that your children went through as they were growing up --- because those are almost exactly the stages that your dad will go through (in reverse) as his dementia progresses. So, he may need reassurance (as a young child), not logic (as a teenager), iykwim. Of course, you won't infantalize him, but trying to see his underlying need can help you figure out what YOUR response should be.

I'm so sorry for you, and will pray for your son, your family, and the doctors. My little brother (37) is about like an 18-month old, and I know how stressful ANY medical issues can be because of the communication difficulties and how insensitive medical folks can be, so will pray particularly about that. Please keep us posted on how things are going for you all.

Very similar story here, in a patient I saw as a third-year med student. Barb F., it's a really common virus, is spread via secretions, and your guess as to how it happened is, no doubt, accurate. I hope your daughter feels better soon!

Many - too many - to list, but one we all enjoyed was Shirley Jackson's Life Among the Savages. Very funny, and different parts amused the (then) 10 yo, 46 yo, and the 48 yo. This recommendation originally brought to you courtesy of MFS of Mental Multivitamin fame, and late of these Boards.

I'll be interested in hearing what folks think, because the reviews on Amazon were not very good. I was hoping that they would be positive, since ds has a BD coming up, but there was one in particular that was detailed, and very negative (although, iirc, it was from someone older than the target audience). Ds might get it anyway, since I'm at a loss for BD presents! (Two books are in his future (ordered), but I'm not terribly thrilled with them.)

Not sure this is classified as a comedy, but it's certainly a quirky British show: Hamish MacBeth. Netflix. Gotta love it!

Um.... do you have an accent? (SpyCar wants to know.) Have a nice vacation. We'll play nice, won't we, everyone? Maybe a self-imposed moratorium on politics?

"other" I don't think I have an accent (although I can, when I want to!). However, when I lived in NJ (I'm from North Florida, which can sound quite southern), they thought I was from Virginia (which seemed Deep South to them, I think). When I lived in Virginia, they thought I was from "the North" because I sounded harsh to them. When I lived in England, they were sure I was from Australia. This was very useful, since there were lots of anti-American protests when I was there in the late '80s; I might have been hesitant to go to the market if I hadn't had SO many people tell me I sounded as though I were from Down Under! And when I visited New Zealand, I had an entire afternoon where the woman from NZ and I simply could not understand one another. At all. She may have indicated that I sounded like I was from Country XYZ, but I can't say that for sure, because I cdn't understand her, either! Interesting question.