head injury

[tnero]

My mom is 80 years old with the onset of alzheimner`s disease.  She just fell and hit her head on the driveway.  She had stitches on the side of her head and had blood on her brain. The cat scan showed no sign of brain damage.  She has been stabalized and has left ICU. While she was in ICU she recognized family members and spoke short sentences.  Since leaving ICU she now does not speak and had a high fever which they say is contributed by a bladder infection.  The doctor says her lack of speech and confusion is from the infection. She is worse then ever its been a week since her injury. »What can be the problem-she is in a top nerological hospital in Buffalo, N.Y. noone has any answers-they just keep telling us to wait until infection clears up. Apparently, no damage to brain and blood on brain is slowly going away.  Please help-what can be going on- She was on Plavix before injury and no more blood is leaking on the brain.

[CHELLETO6DOGS]

I am sorry about your mom. I hope she is able to get over this infection soon. it could be the infection that is causing her to do this, or she might have had her Alzheimer's progress. I am only hoping it is the infection,
do they feel she might have had a TIA (a mini stroke) My husband's grandmother was in a community care home with the 2nd stage of Alzheimer's and one day I stopped in bringing in our new born and her favorite, a Choc. shake. I noticed she wasn't speaking and she was "pocketting" her food (putting food to the cheek and not swallowing. even showing her how to swallow it didn't help. thenI noticed her hand was tucked in a little and so was her foot.  I was told she moved to the 3rd stage of Alzheimer's . I didn't believe them as I took care of people who suffered from this disease. so I called my MIL and sure enough the doctor said she had a small stroke (TIA)
I know it is hard the wait and see, but I wish you guys the best of luck
Michelle

[Dazon50]

First of all, let me tell you how sorry I am to hear that your Mother fell like that to land her in the hospital.  How terrible.

It sounds like you have good care for your Mother and as hard as it is to wait, they want to see how things are when the infection clears up.  Keeping her safe and helping her to be as healthy as possible is very important.

You can always seek other opinions if that would help give you more peace.  I know it is hard wishing that we could do so much more than wait.  With behavioral changes, one can feel more distant, especially when there are changes in the routine.

I hope & pray your Mother will recover from the infection to be functioning at least as good as she was before the fall.