SUNDOWN SYNDROME

[stressedout196]

FOUR YEARS I WAS 57,  MY HUSBAND THEN WAS 78 AND HAD AN AORTA VALVE TRANSPLANT. THE DOCTOR WAS VERY CONFIDENT THAT ALL WOULD BE GOOD BUT RIGHT AFTER THE OPERATION, HE COULDNT COME OUT OF THE ANESTISIA AND BY THE TIME HE DID HE WAS  ANOTHER PERSON, DIDNT KNOW ME OR ANYONE IN HIS FAMILY, BECAME VERY ARRIGANT, AGGRESSIVE, FOUL LANGUAGE, IN OTHER WORDS HE WAS A DR. JEKEL AND MR HYDE, BEFORE THE OPERATION  HE WAS ALWAYS VERY CALM AND PASSIVE,  TO SEE HIM LIKE THIS, WE WERE ALL TAKEN BACKAND DISTRAUGHT.
SOMETHING DEFINETELY HAPPENED IN THE OPERATING ROOM BUT OF COURSE NO ONE WAS SAYING.
ANYWAY HE WAS LIKE THIS FOR A MONTH AND HALF AND EVEN AFTER COMING HOME HE WAS NEVER RIGHT.
FOR THE FIRST 2 YEARS AFTER, HE SLOWLY DECLINED, HE HAD SUNDOWN SYNDROME FROM THE HOSPITAL AND ALSO WHEN HE CAME HOME BUT HE CONTINUED TO GET WORSE, IT NEVER WENT AWAY,  TODAY, 4 YEARS LATER, THE SUNDOWN IS SO BAD THAT I HAD TO FINALLY GET  A LIVE IN AIDE, HE WASNT SLEEPING, HE WAS WALKING THE FLOORS, LOOKING TO GO HOME, WANTING TO KEEP HIS PANTS AND SHOES ON, GETTING UP AND DOWN FROM THE BED ALL NIGHT LONG. HIS DEMENTIA WASNT VER BAD BACK THEN, IT WAS ONLY THE NIGHTS THAT HE WAS BAD, I DREADED THE NIGHT TIME. TODAY, HIS  DEMENTIA HAS GOTTEN WORSE, HE HARDLY KNOWS ANYONE, HE'S NOT EATING VERY WELL, HAS A DIFFICULT TIME SWOLLOWING, CAN HARDLY WALK.  HIS MEDS CONSIST OF HALDOL AND SERAQUIL, THE HALDOL HELPS  AT TIMES,  THE SERAQUIL AT LEAST HELPS HIM TO SLEEP A LITTLE BETTER.
I JUST STARTED HIM THE LAST TWO MONTHS ON SERAQUIL, PRIOR TO THAT HE AND I WERE BASKET CASES. AT LEAST NOW IM GETTING SOME SLEEP SO THAT I CAN BE STRONG FOR HIM DURING THE DAY.
I BLAME HIS SICKNESS TO HIS AORTA VALVE TRANSPLANT, SOMETHING HAPPENED DURING THE OPERATION HE ALSO TOOK A FEW STROKES RIGHT AFTER.
ANYONE HAVING AN OPERATION LIKE THIS AT THAT AGE,PLEASE, PLEASE,  ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS PROS AND CONS, THEY ONLY TOLD ME THE PROS NEVER WHAT COULD HAPPEN.
THE OPERATION WAS AT NYU,IN MANHATTAN AND THATS SUPPOSE TO BE ONE OF THE BEST HOSPITALS.
JUST MAKE SURE U ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
TODAY, I LOOK AT MY HUSBAND AND I FEEL LIKE  I LOST HIM 4 YEARS AGO, IT IS SO SAD TO WATCH HIM GO THROUGH A SLOW DEATH, THIS SICKNESS TOOK ALL HIS DIGNITITY AWAY, I FEEL USELESS AND HELPLESS. I WONT PUT HIM IN A NURSING HOME, SO I HIRED A LIVE IN AIDE TO AT LEAST KEEP HIM COMFORTABLE, CLEAN, TRY AND FEED HIM AS MUCH AS HE CAN EAT, TO SHOW HIM THAT LOVE IS STILL AROUND HIM BECAUSE IM SURE THEY KNOW OR FEEL WHEN THERE ARE LOVE ONES AROUND. WE CANT GIVE UP ON THEM BUT I FEEL THE DOCTORS DO AND SO DOES THE MEDICAL SYSTEM WHICH IS SO SAD.
IF THERE IS ANYONE OUT THERE WHO HAS HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE PLEASE WRITE.
THANKS

[toejam_muncher]

i know nothing about what you've experienced. all i can say is that it must be difficult, and i wish you the best...as the person above me said.

[Cherie762]

Ive  not heard of any similar story, sundowning is a classic side effect of alztimers, Im not 100% but I worked with the elderly, before i changed my specialty, and I have never heard of sundowning being associated with anyting but alstimers, You seem to be looking for an anwser in the antestesia. I really cant help with that, some people die from anestesia mistakes or complications or allergies.
The only other bit of knowledge I know for certain is that heart patients often suffer depression, its extremley common.

I wish you the best, did you check your home health aids references? I hope you  did. My father has alstimers, and my step Moms joined a support group it helps her a lot, theres an alztimers forum on here you could get a weath of help and information, This forum may help you with some anxiety, but I dont think anxiety is your husbands main problem, has he had a psyc evaluation, what is his A and O   number, also the strokes obviously dont help any of these symptoms,

I know your angry you have a right to be, I d be careful about blaming the hospital, I always say theres some really crappy drs at the "Best" hospitals and some really great ones at hospitals with crumby repitations/////May God Bless you and yours,  Cherie