Teach Soap

Hey Lee.......many many hugs to you girl. You've got a full plate!!

Is your dad diabetic? Diabetics often experience a form of neuralgia, the nerve ending could tingle and itch, sometimes to the point of acute pain. The spots where he's itching....is there actually redness or welts or hives there? Are they red and raised, or blistered? Is it a DEEP intense itch or just a surface irritation? This could be ANYTHING and it would be best to have a doctor check him out. It could very well be an allergy to a medication, or it could be the nerve endings. Or if you guys are down here in the South like I am, I'm betting there are a few mystery mosquitoes buzzing around!! I hate those things......lol I'm not much help am I?

Learn to follow your gut instinct too. You've been taking care of them for a while now, and when YOU feel a certain way, you should follow up on that.

Alzheimers is hard to deal with too. I was a charge nurse in an Alzheimer's unit for 6 years........I loved it so much. It has truly been THE most rewarding job, next to being a mother of course, that I've ever had. And maybe your mother is NOT developing Alzheimers. It could just be a sort of dementia that's caused by one of her medications or a secondary condition. Dont be afraid to get pushy with either one of them to make them get soe medical attention!! And dont forget to take care of YOU while you're handling all of this!!

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Steph
www.cajuncauldron.com

My Dad is doing the same thing and he hasn't had surgery in 2 years, it just started fairly suddenly. He's been to an Allergist and siad its an allergy but his histamine level is so high its impossible to tell from what.

One of my Co-workers' father had Alzheimers, and there's a class for family members of diagnosed patients, one of the things she said they talked about in class was "Forgetting your kids' names is not Alzheimer's; forgetting you had kids is. Opening the refrigerator door and just standing there because you forgot what you were looking for is not, but forgetting what a refrigerator is for, is." It sounded funny how and when she explained it.

Just remember if it is there are support groups and networks out there just for people like you and you'd be amazed at how much help, and what a relief it can be to know you're not alone.

These are issues that more and more of us have to face as our parents get older. My heart goes out to you!