The Support and Encouragement Thread

[Trollheart]

Batlord: the new king of respond-by-Gif (Giflord?)

[Chula Vista]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Batlord: the new king of respond-by-Gif (Giflord?)

I assume he's bewildered by parts of your post, as am I. Care to expound a bit?

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Chula Vista

I assume he's bewildered by parts of your post, as am I. Care to expound a bit?

No, I'm pretty sure I got it. I'm just wondering what kind of... eccentric, you'd have to be, to think of doing a jig wearing a Leprechaun hat as a memory aid.

[Trollheart]

Originally Posted by Chula Vista

I assume he's bewildered by parts of your post, as am I. Care to expound a bit?

What parts are you unclear on?

Originally Posted by DwnWthVwls

Does your sister ever want to end her life?

Absolutely not.I thought maybe she meant that but was not sure. I'm kind of surprised the question was asked. Karen is a very well-adjusted person considering what she's suffering through (and that she has me to put up with also!)

Originally Posted by The Batlord

No, I'm pretty sure I got it. I'm just wondering what kind of... eccentric, you'd have to be, to think of doing a jig wearing a Leprechaun hat as a memory aid.

You're lookin' at him. Anything, as long as it stops her calling me at 4am!
Basically, she needs something to stick in her mind, so sometimes I have her stuffed animals do a musical number from .... you know what, just forget it ok?

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

You're lookin' at him. Anything, as long as it stops her calling me at 4am!
Basically, she needs something to stick in her mind, so sometimes I have her stuffed animals do a musical number from .... you know what, just forget it ok?

Perhaps next time you can have an aborted fetus in a jar do showtunes? I'm sure that would be memorable.

[ladyislingering]

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Perhaps next time you can have an aborted fetus in a jar do showtunes? I'm sure that would be memorable.

[Plankton]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

You're lookin' at him. Anything, as long as it stops her calling me at 4am!
Basically, she needs something to stick in her mind, so sometimes I have her stuffed animals do a musical number from .... you know what, just forget it ok?

I get exactly what you're saying. We had to do similar things with my Mom. She had the cognitive skills of a 3 month old, but with no memory, or speech skills for 13 years after her coma. We had to bathe, feed, and dress her everyday. She could walk around, and was fairly healthy, but she was basically mentally handicapped, so getting her to recognize things was a bit tasking.

[Trollheart]

Originally Posted by Plankton

I get exactly what you're saying. We had to do similar things with my Mom. She had the cognitive skills of a 3 month old, but with no memory, or speech skills for 13 years after her coma. We had to bathe, feed, and dress her everyday. She could walk around, and was fairly healthy, but she was basically mentally handicapped, so getting her to recognize things was a bit tasking.

Thanks man. It's good to know someone understands.
Mind you, there's nothing wrong with Karen's brain. It's just that MS takes your short-term memory, and she will often forget she has said or done things only minutes before. It can be very stressful and frustrating, which is why you need to have a good deal of patience.

Edit: Well, to be fair, MS also shrinks the brain, so there is that... But what I mean is she can still hold a conversation with you, concentrate when I'm reading (enough to ask questions if she doesn't understand something) and interact really well with people.

[Plankton]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Thanks man. It's good to know someone understands.
Mind you, there's nothing wrong with Karen's brain. It's just that MS takes your short-term memory, and she will often forget she has said or done things only minutes before. It can be very stressful and frustrating, which is why you need to have a good deal of patience.

Edit: Well, to be fair, MS also shrinks the brain, so there is that... But what I mean is she can still hold a conversation with you, concentrate when I'm reading (enough to ask questions if she doesn't understand something) and interact really well with people.

Her quality of life seems to be good, and at the very least, she has you. I know it's pretty much a thankless job, but you are more of a hero than you'll probably ever realize, or even care to.