For what it is worth Hope I don't jinx it

We Americans are not a patient lot. We look for and continually try to enact quick fixes. Alzheimer's unfortunately must be the most frustrating disease for us to deal with on a daily basis. Here I am trying I implement a "fix" in 3 months that has taken 4 years to develop. That would truly be an "Americanized" miracle cure. Not gonna happen.
I finally gave up trying to control the incontenance and decided to do 2 things.
First, when Joyce goes to bed she is on her own until she gets up. Yes, I do put a "depends" on her for the night. I am sleeping much better now and getting up less. Since embarking on this approach she hasn't wet the "depends" and has gotten up on her own to go to the bathroom. I will view this as treatment progress since her nighttime incontinace was one of the last things to manifest itself. If I recall it began in November.
Second I put a "depends" on her beneath her panties in the daytime and have quit trying to remind her to relieve herself. She goes to the bathroom when she wants to now but so far hasn't gone a whole day without wetting her "depends". For me, I don't have to wash as many clothes now and I can do other things without interruption. For Joyce, if she continues improving, this may be a training aid to help regain her own self control.
Regarding "depends", I have tried different brands. The ones from Sams Club are too flimsy to hold up to repeated removal and replacement. Depends are good but Albertson's sells one under the name Equaline in a panty style that is great. They also sell some with tabs like disposable diapers but I haven't tried them. Lucky for me, Albertson's has many stores here in Baton Rouge.
It has really been difficult to find a new routine since we returned from California. Hopefully, that is because Joyce keeps slowly improving. Have to keep remembering -one day at a time. It is hard when you are impatient, lol.
We go back Wednesday for another injection.

PAL

Holding on to hope

One thing that is very hard to do with alzheimer's patients is to see change when you are with them every day.
I brought Joyce with me to my tax man recently and he and I experienced about 45 minutes of Joyce just sitting there relaxed with her leg crossed. To regular folks this most probably sounds trivial but Henry, my tax man, commented on how much change (for the better) he saw in her since last year.
We are still on injections every 2 weeks and will most probably continue that for a while.
Regarding her incontinence there seems to be a pattern of increased difficulty about 3 to 5 days following the injection then a significantly less occurence after that.
She remains a "happy camper" and for that we all are grateful. She still seems to respond to requests and instructions reasonably well.
Her aphasia hasn't improved but she will parrot almost any thing and can still spell words if it is stated and she is prompted with the first letter.
I am still hoping that maybe in time her aphsia will lessen.
PAL

After heavier doses

As i said in the last blog we were going to try full doses every week. Even though I saw very small things it appears that we need to spread out now so we are going to full doses every 2 weeks beginning on the first dose after April 2nd. Joyce is holding her own and doesn't appear to be regressing but I will monitor her and see what the extended time does to her. There were no adverse affects from the weekly doses. If anything, right now, even though she roams a lot, she has been much calmer. I can only keep my hope up right now.

PAL