A mom visit today

Oh, my poor mom. She's been having her little episodes of not feeling well in the morning off and on for at least a couple years now. But with her memory, she doesn't think so. I can remember calling her up even a couple years ago and she was supposed to have gone to visit her BF, but she'd say oh I wasn't feeling good when I got up this morning so I called him and didn't go.  Last summer I can remember him telling me about it. She was doing that to him all the time. (which was making me wonder if it really had something to do with her feeling stressed around him, so when she knew she was going to go see him, she'd wake up and fret?)

A couple days ago I logged into her doctor reports and read every visit summary from last several years (not very many, really). While not every visit was related to or mentioned this, a few were. She's had her heart checked, etc. it appears dr. thought it's anxiety, which she's already on Xanax. She also went through those 2 visits last summer where the dr. reviewed her medication to see if they could be causing this (because I think by then BF wanted it checked out and he was also worried maybe the meds were contributing to her memory issues). The only thing the dr. changed was cut her zanax dose by half.

This morning she calls and says she doesn't feel well. Her forehead is all warm and sweaty and she took her temperature and if her thermometer is right her temperatures is 113! I told her that can't be right, something must be wrong with it (obviously!). Then I tried to reassure her she gets this all the time and is fine after a little while.  And of course her reply, as always now, is well this time is different. I told her I'll find her other thermometer when I get there at 10:30. It's interesting that the 2 days I was coming to visit her, this past week, she wakes up not feeling well.

I get there and she's all worried she has a fever. I feel her forehead and say no, it feels fine.  I find both thermometers. The one she used first came out this time at 98. The other thermometer said same. She says well I don't know how my forehead can feel all sweaty and I don't have a fever. I said you can perspire and feel clammy without having a fever. Told her to go lay down a bit while I work d on hooking up her internet equipment that delivered yesterday she gets right back up and says she can't breathe good laying down, maybe something is wrong with her heart. I sit her in her chair and get her a glass of water and tell her to drink that up.  I tried to reassure her again she has this often and it always doesn't last too long.

The first thing I did when I got there was glance at her pill box. I had already put Sunday in last week and it looked empty. I asked her if she's been having any coffee in the mornings. Maybe the caffeine is affecting her. She doesn't think she has even been having coffee that she recalls (I don't think she has been either). I kept busy setting up her Internet and also the new cable tv box they sent with it.  I had to get on the phone with cable company because I couldn't get tv to work with the new box.  Next thing I know she's up and about and doing fine, lol. I'm still on the phone and her lunch gets delivered and she's busy eating, lol.

Then I go to get her pill box filled up. Open Sunday and realize the pills are still in there! The white pills do not show through the opaque white pill box. (my pill box is lavender, so I see my white pill through it). Well shoot - that could be why she's not feeling well! I remind her that missing these doses of 2 of the pills can throw her body off and make her not feel well.

So, I'm guessing these episodes are either that she is waking up and starts worrying about stuff or its related to her meds. The thinking she has a fever is new, though, and I'm guessing it's related to she's worried she might be getting the virus. Either she's missing doses, late taking them, or could even be doubling up once in awhile and not realizing it. Like I said she has been having this exact same thing once or twice a week for at least a couple years and it only happens in mornings and by later morning or afternoon she's forgotten she even felt bad that day, if I bring it up later and ask how she's feeling

Once I know I have her med situation under control, then I'm going to guess its anxiety.  Dumb me forgot to bring sticky notes to tape around her pill bottles with a note that says only open to refill pill box. I now have the written our on yellow sticky in bold red letters and will tape around her pill bottles on my next visit. I'm wondering if maybe the "Alexa" device to remind her it's time to take them, like my uncle says he uses, would be worth a try. The problem is 20 seconds later, she'll just forget it reminded her!

This bit of "hypochondria" she's developed seems to have come on the same time as her memory issues started a couple years ago. I'm seeing that I'm going to have to figure out how to deal with this! I can pretty easily deal with always repeating myself - but I'm not very good at dealing with what to do/say with medical "complaints and issues".

At least I got her internet up and running and she can now use her computer. I had to plug her small cable tv box back up (no guide or on demand with that tiny box) and the lady I was on the phone with scheduled a tech to come figure it out on Tuesday afternoon. I also got her "emergency call button" device (like life alert thing) set up, but of course she doesn't want to wear it around her neck.