Good morning,
In case you don't know, I work on an ambulance. It can be pretty rough, but I love what I do because I do inner facility. That means I go to nursing homes, or urgent cares and hospitals. I am not your lights and siren ambulance. I am your friend, hold your hand ambulance. Well at 3 am this morning, I got a call to go to a nursing home to pick up a patient to bring him to a hospital that was almost 20 miles away. This patient is running a fever, and is on antibiotics, so the nursing facility is really worried about him. As we enter the room, he is not very happy to see us. Well who would blame him, it is 3 am and he should be sleeping. When the nurse came in he was very hostile towards her and told her to leave, and she did. My partner and I sheet lifted him off his bed and onto our gurney. As we were going to leave the building, I decided that maybe I should put in my IV before going to the truck. My patient was not happy with us taking vitals, but especially not happy to be poked in the arm with a needle, as he was swearing at me, and swinging punches at me. And well needless to say, I did not get the IV in. But I can vividly remember one Christmas Eve when I had to leave to pick up a couple of my kids from the airport and dad did not want to go.
It happened on December 24, 2002 - I told dad that we were going to the airport to pick up his grandchildren. He decided that he was not going with me, and when I told him he didn't have a choice he began yelling and screaming and swearing, and went to the floor, refusing to budge. As my son grabbed his waist and I grabbed his legs, dad got ahold of my hair and began pulling, while yelling for the police.
My partner was afraid for me, and asked me to sit in the captains chair behind the patient so that he would not hurt me. But I could see my father in law all over again, so I just did my vitals and held his hand through the drive. Poor thing, every time the blood pressure cuff would go off, and squeeze his arm, he would give me a nasty look, and than start squeezing my hand harder and harder. As it would ease up, than his grip would ease up also.
Alzheimer's is such an awful disease. The hardest part is to remember that it takes over your loved one, with out permission. All you can do is be there for them. Remember that life is a gift from God, so obey his will and enjoy his gift, and live each five minutes like it is your last.
Sincerely,
Marie

Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
www.mariefostino.com