Paula GordonJul 30, 2023
For a month or so Mom hasn't volunteered info about visual hallucinations, or maybe they've not been clear to her, but today, she saw a bunch of words: Baldwin earlier; and now, while watching but not really seeing the baseball game on TV: singleton, swindleton (!), yellow, red, mangos (without an E, I asked), greens, pansies, and she still sees Baldwin.
We've been working on vision recently. Did we reconnect something?
#stroke #dementia #ElderCare #OldBrains #CharlesBonnetSyndrome @caregivers
Paula GordonJun 6, 2023

Morning activity: Investigating what Mom really sees, how much info she processes. Can she still read?
Flashcard > Response
Y > Irvin
N > (I forget what she said)
H > Dine, Sarabelt (she spelled out both these words for me)
G > Sandal, Saturate
V > Irvin
O > Goodman's (brandname, Passover foods)
W > Irvin, Withall, Sandwich
US > Sarah, Irvin
(Mom's mother’s name was Sarah, her brother was Irvin, also called Aryeh)

#Stroke #Dementia #Vision #ElderCare #Caregiving #OldBrains #Loss #HardTruths

Show threadPaula GordonJan 11, 2023
3/4 BTW, I found a possible medical description of her behavior: Visual release hallucinations aka Charles Bonnet Syndrome
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_release_hallucinations
The article doesn’t mention letters, but says the images are tiny. Today the letters were the size of the holes in a piece of matzo. Approx 1-2 mm in size. Another similarity: my mother has macular degeneration and is functionally blind in her left eye. (Right eye works.)
#CharlesBonnetSyndrome #AMD #OldOld #OldBrains #SeeingThings
Visual release hallucinations - Wikipedia

Show threadPaula GordonJan 11, 2023
2/4 She was pondering a piece of matzo and I asked if it was saying, “Eat me!”
She laughed, then squeaked out in a funny voice, “Eat me!”
I told her that I wasn’t worried about her seeing words in things, but if she started to hear objects talking to her, then I would worry. She laughed and said if that happened she probably wouldn’t tell me about it. And I said I hoped she would tell me about it, that I want to know, even if it makes me worry. #OldOld #OldBrains #SeeingThings #caregiving
Paula GordonJan 11, 2023
I almost forgot – Mom's word-visions 1/4
Today’s words:
DEWBERRY (in the seam of a pillowcase),
COO (in a piece of matzo),
MOOSE (in a chocolate cookie).
Today she was seeing the word first, or extrapolating it from a few letters that were visible to her. She was doing this all day, but these were the only words she could piece together when encouraged.
I do love dewberry!
#OldOld #OldBrains #SeeingThings
Paula GordonDec 29, 2022

My mom's "hidden" words of 12/28 and 12/29:
PROFIT
SASSAFRAS
The latter was supposedly to be located on her hands, or as she put it, referring to her fingers, "on these things." Not written there, but appearing there in some way.

She will also look for letters in the arrangement of crumbs, freckles/moles (I made the mistake of suggesting "connect the dots"), and the edging of sweater vests.

Later, she doesn't recall the word incidents.

#caregiving #OldOld #OldBrains #delusions #SeeingThings

Show threadPaula GordonDec 24, 2022
She takes the notebook and pen, thinks a moment, begins writing:
-- No news is good news
Looks at me, smiles, looks back at the page, and adds:
!
Puts the notebook aside.
Later in the day, she comments that I’ve written the date and “No news is good news!” and I remind her that she actually wrote that sentence, not me.
(End of story, an observation follows.)
8/9
#caregiving #MemoryLoss #OldBrains #OldOld
Show threadPaula GordonDec 24, 2022
I come back to find her in her recliner inspecting a paper tissue (e.g., a kleenex, see pic). She is looking at the puckered edge.
P: What are you doing?
M: Trying to make out what’s written here.
P: I see only puckers.
M: No, there are letters, can you read what it says?
P: No. Do you have to blow your nose?
M: No.
P: Then maybe put that aside and write something in your notebook? 7/9
#caregiving #MemoryLoss #OldBrains #OldOld #SeeingThings
Show threadPaula GordonDec 24, 2022
I find a half-size spiral notebook (no lack of paper in this house!), and she asks me to write down the date and day. I do. I suggest that rather than writing in it now, just out of bed, she wait til she’s dressed and in the living room. OK.
I go off to do other things around the house while she gets out of bed, etc.
(Purposely skipping the hands-on aspect of caregiving for these memory and hallucination posts.) 6/9
#caregiving #MemoryLoss #OldBrains #OldOld
Show threadPaula GordonDec 24, 2022
I ask if I should do something unusual every day so she'd have something notable to remember (and immediately regret it!). She laughs and says, "You suggested it, not me!" All this while lying in bed, with me sitting on a chair by the bed.* I suggest she could write in a journal every day, at least then she would see her own writing and know she was there and lived through it. 5/9
#caregiving #MemoryLoss #OldBrains #OldOld