Disclaimer

I am not a doctor. I am providing information based on experiences that my mom has with natural remedies. The purpose of this blog is to help folks to educate themselves. Use this information with your own discernment.

09 July 2010

Natural Remedies, Acupuncture, Dementia and Care Giver Stress

It's been one week today since my mom had Acupuncture for the first time to help her dementia symptoms.  It was our last hope to help her before we began traditional medicine drugs.  Knowing the effects that pharmaceuticals have on her from past experience, we opted to go down the natural remedies road.

We see an accredited Naturopath Doctor, one that we found from the National Association of Naturopathic Doctors website.   Dr. Shiva Barton is our doctor, we've been seeing him for about a year.  The natural supplements and remedies that he prescribes has dialed my mom back to the point where she sleeps through the night.  Remedies that he prescribed help me to tame my mom's delirium and hallucinations that can be triggered by food that my mom eats or hallucinations that scare her.

Acupuncture has given my mom her voice, she is communicating, she is able to focus her attention on a movie or TV sitcom.  She even enjoys watching the Red Sox play ball; something that brought her enjoyment in the past.

I can talk to my mother again.  We all can.  My mom is happy because she can be involved in conversations, she can keep up and add to the conversations.

My mom, she's a drug free Senior, off all pharmaceuticals, drugs that seemed to cause more problems than they had solved.  Today, she is walking down the gentle and natural road of healing.  A glimmer of hope has been sparked.  We have more time, more quality time with our little mom.

Today I am excited and happy.  My dreams are coming true.   My mom is able to communicate, my stress level is dropping, my family has returned and I no longer need to live in the crazy world of Lewy alone.

Just when I was ready to give up and call 911 to take my mom away, help came.  It arrived all at once when I was ready to give in to the stress of Care Giving.  I became one of those people who cried to the Heavens, asking the question "WHY?!"

The help that arrived came just in time.  I was spiraling downward, forgetting everything that I had learned to help keep my spirit happy and in peace.  I cried, a lot.  My tears made things worse.  More shit was coming at me, more burdens and more pressure.  My head was about to blow off the top of my head and I was even beginning to think that being dead is better than dealing with this shitty hand that I was holding.  I cried.

I wanted peace.  I needed peace.  I needed people to help me instead of me helping more people.  I just couldn't do it anymore.  My nerves were shot and my body began to shake from the inside; a disturbing tremor that was unsettling.   I cried.  I called our Naturopath Doctor and scheduled an Acupuncture treatment for myself to treat my stress.

Stress can and does kill.  I felt it.  I was beginning to have some scary symptoms that were brought on by the stresses of Care Giving.  My well was dry and people were coming to me for more... I couldn't do it.  I snapped.  I hollered.  I cried.  I screamed.  I needed to take care of me because no one else will do it for me.

I said NO!  I screamed at all those who were shirking their own responsibilities and trying to dump them on me.  I couldn't do it.  My mom and all the pressures of my own life have consumed my life.  I have no life.  I want my life back, even just a little bit of it.  I deserve to live a happy life.

Knowing that I create my own happiness, I said NO.  I pissed people off with my approach, but I don't care.  Who needs people around that are more like energy vampires than human angels offering a helping hand.  Some times people need to be kicked in the head with words and vulgarity because it's the only thing that will jolt them out of complacency.

Today I am happy.  I am creating my dreams in my mind, holding happy thoughts, thoughts that are manifesting before my eyes.  No one will come in and take this away from me because I will not allow it.  I chose to be happy with myself and all of my actions.  I deserve to be happy.  Everyone deserves to be happy.  Everyone needs to take responsibility for their own lives in order to birth the life of their dreams.  I am following the beat of my own drum with a plan to create more peace and happiness.

7 comments:

  1. You're a wise woman!
    And strong!
    I'm so happy for you...

    BLOGitse

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  2. Thank you... it takes work, but my personal happiness is worth all efforts!

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  3. Balance and perspective are wonderful things!!

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  4. I am so glad that things have turned around for you now. I used accupunture in Texas for stress. It gave me one year of no migraines. Then I went for another round of treatment before moving to Washington. It does work! Wishing you more peace and happiness. Karen

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  5. Thanks Mellodee and Karen!

    Acupuncture has helped a lot. I am anxiously waiting for Monday when my mom has another treatment. She's back to hallucinating and telling me to "Look!" and then asking me, "What is that over there?"

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  6. Hi Susan I am not very good at using the BLOG I would love if you can tell me what type of Acupuncture your mother in having. My husband who is 57 years old has dementia. I am so scared to see what its doing to him. He is on medication I received this news about 8 months ago and all I can do is cry because I am afraid of what is to come. You are a very strong person and any help you can give me will help. Thanks I will continue to read your blog I don't even now how I found it,I guess it was God above seeing me getting weaker by this devasting news. Rina

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  7. Hello Rina, thanks for your note. I will be happy to tell you what it is that I've done for my mom and what has worked.

    We see Dr. Barton, a Naturopath Doctor who is also a licensed Acupuncturist. I found Dr. Barton through this website - The American Association of Naturopathic Doctors - http://www.naturopathic.org/

    If you live in Massachusetts, Dr. Barton is fabulous and has helped my mom a lot; more than any doctor that she has seen.

    You can email me at backdoorlogic @ verizon.net (take the spaces out from before and after the @ sign.)

    Diet is also very important. Cut out simple carbs and processed foods. Use all natural food - fresh vegetables and herbs. Turmeric and black pepper should be used together.

    Is your husband diabetic with high blood sugar? Does he have high blood pressure and or high cholesterol?

    I found that keeping all of these in balance will help reduce the agitation and the hallucinations.

    Does he hallucinate about wild animals, new rooms in the house, people?

    If he's got parkinson symptoms where he has a shake, it could be Lewy Bodies Dementia. It's the most misdiagnosed neurological disorder because it has symptoms of Alzheimer's. Folks with LBD can not take certain medications, especially antidepressants. Check out the yahoo user group for Lewy Bodies Dementia.

    My mom is not on any pharma drugs. She is doing great with Acupuncture. Tomorrow she has another treatment. I'm excited to talk to her again.

    Thank you for finding me Rina. I do hope what I've discovered can help you to help your husband.

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