My moms story

[MissladyX]

So my mom was diagnosed with encephalitis in october 2019 she stayed in hospital for 9 weeks and was in intensive care she was very lucky she pulled through. Nearly a year on she still has no memory or belief of what happened and being in hospital and has lost many years of memory including the birth of her granddaughter and the loss of her parents. Everyday is a constant battle of repeated conversations. She has no motivation left, she doesnt want to get dressed or leave the house, she knows her brains not ok but thats it. Any advice would be great i suffer mental health issues myself since watching my mom be so ill. We just want her back but shes lost inside her own head.

[Tuesando]

This sounds very tough on you. People always saw your need to look after yourself as you are no help to [your mother] if you are not well. But how does one do that? I don’t have a very good answer and struggles with it myself but are you able to take to your mum about it? If not, talk to friends. Verbalising it always helps even if it does not lead to easy solutions. Personally we found great help in scheduling everything. A printed out plan for the week with times and activities - all the way down to breakfast, shower, walk, exercise, nap, etc. It gave both of us a guideline. At the end of the day we would rate the mood and energy level of the day and reflect on what might have caused the day to be good or bad.

[MissladyX in reply to Tuesando]

Thank you. Yes she has a white board in kitchen that her husband writes down her daily plan ect.

[Paula-38]

I struggle a lot with motivation but I take an Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor a type of antidepressant which does help. If it wasn't for that I don't think I would have any motivation either. Thats what your mom needs by the sounds of it i.e Sertraline, prozac etc, so maybe your mon could get a referral to a neuropsychiatrist witg regards to her depression/anxiety in order to get a mental health diagnosis and to prescribe her any medication if required.

[MissladyX in reply to Paula-38]

Thank you. Yes i agree she has some sort of depression tbh. I will mention it to her husband.

[Paula-38 in reply to MissladyX]

You are very welcome.

I have experienced clinical depression but it's not as bad it was years ago.

[MissladyX in reply to Paula-38]

Aw im glad to hear your recovering. Keep fighting.

[Paula-38 in reply to MissladyX]

Thank you MissladyX

[Isla721612]

Hi there. My mom's situation sounds so similar. It was Nov of last year. She spent 8 weeks in the hospital back and forth from ICU to Acute care and then was discharge to an acute rehab place for 7 weeks. We got her home in last Feb. Your story is so familiar. "The constant battle of repeated conversations" - such a great way to say it. And my mom goes through the same things. We are struggling with finding something that she can do that brings her joy. She cannot focus on TV and cannot follow along if she tries to read. She does still enjoy tending to her plants but at 76, she is also limited physically. She has also had multiple seizures since being home that are very scary and set her back again. Hang in there!

[MissladyX in reply to Isla721612]

Aw im sorry to hear your mums so poorly with it too. Yes we have same problem with focus she finds everything boring all her past interests are gone.

seizures that awful what a shame :-(.

You hang in their too. X