Dementia – Alzheimer’s: Holiday Choking Misery
Transcribed by Honey B Wackx
September 1, 2008 Labor Day
This was not a good weekend for Mr. Q. Starting from Friday, even before, his spitting problem has escalated into a choking problem. He has been spitting more mucus every time he spits, which is often.
Saturday it got so bad that before he went to bed we made him spend almost a half hour spitting out the mucus from his throat? That was actually two times back to back because when he finished the first time we put him to bed. However immediately, as we laid him down he started back grumbling in his throat and that required another bout of trying to get him to spit all the mucus and spit out.
After he was in bed about an hour later I heard a rumbling. I thought it was a car outside so I walked over to the front door to listen carefully. No it was no car, but Mr. Q was growling in his throat. I rushed into his room only to see him sitting up on the bed with slobber hanging out his mouth. He was choking and we rushed him back to the bathroom and repeated the entire previous procedure all over again for another half-hour or so.
Naturally this scary bout with choking would happen on a long weekend. There is no rest for the weary. There is no doctor available since his doctor does not work weekends or holidays. Sunday the same thing happened and twice or three times at bedtime and a about an hour later he had to get up and be coached to spit out all the mucus.
Normally this would not be such a serious problem, but Mr. Q does not respond to most things we ask, suggest, or say to him. He has apparently forgotten how to cough or sneeze, both would help tremendously in cases like his.
I am writing this Monday nite and virtually the same problems occurred at bedtime and about an hour or slightly less tonite. Only difference was he only had the problem once at bedtime and once after he woke up an hour later.
Mr. Q had dementia, it’s a very serious case, but his choking problem may or may not be the cause of it. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, but now there is some doubt whether he really has that because he is deteriorating so fast.
However we did have a hospice nurse here the other day who said it is common for persons with Alzheimer’s to have problems swallowing, which is a major problem with Mr. Q at the present time.
Eating, drinking, choking and spitting are the major problems he is facing right now. They are all giving him trouble. Cannot tell if he is causing any of these problems purposely, such as not swallowing his food or not drinking.
Tuesday – it’s already almost 2:00 am, we were going to the doctor with him today, but it has to be postponed until Wednesday instead. Hope the doctor can determine what’s causing the problem(s) and prescribe a cure or at something to ease the situation for Mr. Q.
Copyright © 2008-2016 AlzheimersDaze.com