<p>Chuckledoodle–hope everything turns out ok with your mom. If the only problem is a UTI, the antibiotics should work wonders. My father was on the same med that sounds like eye surgery…I STILL don’t know how to spell it.</p>
<p>Best to you and your mother, chuckledoodle. UTIs used to take a big toll on my mother. They were often asymptomatic, apart from rapid onset confusion (her baseline cognition was fine). Many Drs reported how common it was for systemic infections to impact elder cognition. I am keeping a good thought for you.</p>
<p>I hope your mom steadily recovers. UTI’s are awful for the elderly. Both my mom and my aunt do not exhibit the usual symptoms of frequency, urgency and burning. As soon as they become very agitated, angry and confused, I get urine specimen to the lab. My mother is finally on a prophylactic antibiotic and has not had a UTI in 2 years. I have begged my aunt’s MD for the same medication, (my aunt suffered 6 UTI’s since September), it finally took her to fall while trying to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night, (ignoring the commode next to the bed), for the MD to start her on the antibiotic. Chuckledoodle, was your mom’s blood sugar normal? The diuretic is lasix, (trade), furosemide, (generic).</p>
<p>Great idea to use prophylaxis with that history, ECmotherx2. That could be helpful to others. Sometimes family members are the ones connecting all the dots. It is hard to believe the impact of this until you see it.</p>
<p>Moms blood sugar was slightly elevated. Tuesday night she seemed slightly more out of it than normal, so its probable she had the infection at that time, but we weren’t aware that confusion is one of the symptoms…that and we’re still trying to get a handle on her new ‘normal’. Just one more thing to keep track of.</p>
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<p>This is the way it is with my father also. We’re clued in now so that when he starts to talk wonky and loses strength in his legs, we automatically suspect an infection. Once he loses strength in his legs, we can’t move him…and have to call the ambulance to take him to the ER.</p>
<p>My mom had such a bad UTI last year that they put her in ICU. Her only symptom beforehand was vomiting. I had no idea that could be a symptom. And now I have to add “confusion” to the list – and somehow differentiate it from her normal confusion! The things we’re learning!</p>
<p>Hang in there, Chuckledoodle. How wonderful that you have a boss who handled things just right for you today.</p>
<p>Confusion or hallucinating. </p>
<p>And if it IS a UTI, she will bounce back quickly, have no memory of this episode, and you will be more worn out than she is!</p>
<p>Yes - suggest the prophylactic antibiotic. It is a huge help, although some docs are a little reluctant to prescribe.</p>
<p>This discussion of UTI’s is very interesting to me. Before she died, my mom had UTIs for years. In the end, after dad died I think mom decided not to bother with treating her UTI…she just let it run its course. We all attributed her death to falling and broken hip and subsequent failure to thrive. Now I’m thinking it was her way of letting nature take its course and the UTI just took over. She had confusion, back pain, frailness, and finally fell one night. But I bet the UTI and subsequent kidney difficulties were the main factor. Very interesting. I kind of knew she had an underlying UTI issue but she was adamant about not bothering with treating it … she did have crangrape juice as part of her daily diet but I am now certain that she knew what was going on and was ready to let nature take its course. Having lived in chronic pain (back, legs) for over a decade and having ushered my dad out I think she just decided enough was enough.</p>
<p>UTI’s are not uncommon in the elderly and their symptoms, as others have said, are not typical. She never runs a temp when she has a UTI. My mother gets a UTI at least annually, if not more frequently. Anytime she shows unusual symptoms, I request a urinalysis. </p>
<p>Hopefully that’s the reason for your mother’s issues, Chuckdoodle.</p>
<p>The good thing is that UTIs are identified quickly if urine is checked. I wonder how many people think their relative had dementia, when the problems had an entirely different etiology. Not only impacts elders quality of life, care options and health, but also assumptions about family medical history. Agree with shellfell that this is an important differential diagnosis. Best to everyone.</p>
<p>Hoping for a better day chuckle; agree that your boss is a gem
Aside from the shared concern and empathy, we certainly learn a lot on this thread. Thanks to all.</p>
<p>Chuckle - hugs to you. I too have had those thoughts since the day almost three years ago when Dad had the stroke. He has defied the doctors expectations, and Mom has been a big part of that, but the toll it has taken on her has been immense. Thank you all for your kind suggestions and support. AL is not an option for them as she will never leave him, and he is physically ineligible for AL - he would have to be in a skilled nursing environment due to his extreme limitations. </p>
<p>I feel like life is an interminable roller coaster as I never know what will greet me on the other end of the phone when I call nightly and I panic when I see her number on my caller ID any other time during the day. Unfortunately, I think it’s just the way it is and all I can do is provide support in the best way I can at the moment. Yesterday, apparently, was a good day.</p>
<p>runnersmom, I have that same holding-my-breath moment every day. Mine’s in the morning when I check my cell phone for overnight voicemails.</p>
<p>One last thought about UTI’s. Sometimes they are a little harder to identify in older people. I know occasionally dad’s initial screen came back negative, but when cultured it would indicate that he had an infection. Also - a couple of times the first antibiotic didn’t work.</p>
<p>As for those calls - at the risk of being sanctioned, whenever I see the number from skilled nursing/assisted living facility where my dad was -and my mom still is - I say, “Oh, BLANK!!!.”</p>
<p>So true about the phone calls, WNP2. I love that when staff from my father’s nursing home call they identify themselves and immediately say “everything is fine” or “no emergency”, just like my favorite office manager at kid’s elementary school. (Unless there is a problem…)</p>
<p>My mother’s nursing home staff also immediately says “this isn’t an emergency” when they call. What a relief that is.</p>
<p>^^^Something so full-circle about it.</p>
<p>My dad was in the Alzheimers unit for 5 days. The last three they called every day: “we’re having a problem with your dad, will you talk to him” and of course, I couldn’t get through and had to go over. Or “we can’t settle your dad, please come over” and I did.</p>
<p>The only “not an emergency” call was from the police when the garbage man found him trying to stop traffic outside his home. But I drove to their home anyway.</p>
<p>Dentmom4- surprised that people specializing in Alzheimer’s care would take that approach. Makes me curious about what happened after day 5. Hope things are more settled.</p>