Whenever it's time to get my husband up or get him to do anything, I have to turn off the TV. If there is any sound or anything moving, he focuses his attention on that. Even when I ask him to pay attention to what we're doing, it's almost impossible for him. It reminds me that quite a while back, if we were out at a restaurant and someone at another table was talking, he would focus his attention on them and their conversation (something he never did in his regular life). I would have to gently tell him not to look at them. I am thinking that this must be another part of this disease...to be distracted and be unable to break away from that distraction.
Thoughts out there?
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journeyofjoy
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Absolutely relate to your post. It can just be rubbish on the tv and my husband will stop and stare! We now eat at the table as much as possible too as eating from a tray in front of the tv takes forever!
Take care.
Helen x
Ye,s this is a permanent feature of Nick's PSP. And like you, I turn on / off distractions. It's the only way.
Sounds very familiar. My husband lost the ability to concentrate if other things were going on around him and like others have said, I would try to get rid of other distractions. Another thing C did was act on the last thing he heard so if I said ‘Don’t get up’ he would hear the get up and do that. I had to think what I said before saying it to make sure the instruction was understandable to him. On one occasion I asked him to slow down while he was walking to the toilet and he pulled away from me and sat down, almost falling into the chair. He said he heard the word down and thought I wanted him to sit. Those living with PSP certainly keep us on our toes don’t they?
My wife would stare at the ceiling or wall. I just used to make a joke of it. "Whose up there? And then rattle off names of friends and others who had gone before.
She had lost her ability to speak but often it would bring forth a smile. One of my coping strategies was to turn angst into humour. I'm coming to the end of our journey. Funeral today. Reading your post reminded me of the laughs I had which could so easily have been tears. God bless you on your journey. Ken.
Do hope that you had lots of support today, Ken, and that the support is there for you in the weeks and months ahead. Humour was one of my best strategies in dealing with the challenges of PSP and nice to know that served you well too, and went some way in keeping Dorreen amused. Going forward will not be easy but it is doable, keep smiling.
Thank you Hils for your thoughts. Yesterday was precious. Family at the Crematorium then to a full church and celebration of her life. Organist slotted into one of his pieces 'Bring me sunshine'. 😁 From the donations we have received so far. There is £500 to PSPA and £500 to the local hospice.
Good to hear Ken that the day went just as you would have hoped and that you are able to help two causes with such generous donations. Bring me Sunshine, well what can I say, I picture Eric and Ernie flitting around in the congregation with huge grins on their faces! I do hope that the bumps in the road ahead can soon co-exist with smiles and laughter.
Same thing happens here. Hubby will fixate and not move unless I pause the TV and remind him of what he was about to do. It’s like the TV has become his world. Or the computer, he’ll sit at the computer and watch the same YouTube video over and over and act like each show is brand new. I don’t understand it but hey, if it makes him happy why not?
Totally! And while watching the same show he’ll fall asleep. If I change the channel he wakes up. I just let him do his thing and put a headset on, play soft music to tune out “his” noise and read a book or just close my eyes and rest knowing that he’s right beside me.
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