Grandma's Gone Wild

The last couple of weeks have been incredibly trying for Muddear. Her behavior became increasingly odd. It is not unusual for Muddear to be confused, sometimes hallucinate, or even become verbally aggressive. However, we knew something was seriously wrong when Muddear became physically aggressive. Needless to say, after several days passed and she intentionally hit Mariah several times, little Mike at least once, and the aide... well, I contacted her doctor's office.

A nurse practitioner was sent to the house to draw blood samples. The results... dehydration. Apparently, dehydration can cause erratic behavior, especially in those with Dementia and/or Alzheimer's Disease. We decided to aggressively push fluids for a couple of days while keeping a close eye on Muddear with the hope the dehydration would subside. It didn't and we ended up in Mercy Hospital's emergency room. 

Six hours later and after numerous tests, including chest X-rays, Muddear was admitted into Mercy Hospital. Prognosis - severe dehydration, caused by severe anemia, caused by internal bleeding.  Muddear has always been anemic with a baseline anemia of 9.52 - I really don't know what that means, but the doctors say that the normal baseline for women is 12. A "normal" baseline for anemia is between 10 and 11. When tested at the hospital, Muddear's anemia level hovered around 7. Treatment - blood transfusion.  After receiving two pints of blood, Muddear's levels increased to 13 - above the normal range for women. The conclusion was that Muddear's internal bleeding was slow at best. Based upon her age and medical condition, any further treatment for internal bleeding would probably be more intrusive than what she would be physically able to handle.

After two days in the hospital, Muddear appeared (she didn't realize she was sick) to be feeling and looking much better. Thankfully, she was no longer hitting, but still thoroughly confused. I'll keep you posted on her progress.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

Last week I posted, Pale and Worried. My first thought was to check out WebMD to attempt an initial self diagnosis - you know, because I am a trained physician. Nevertheless, "Greg" posted a comment about a site call Revolution Health. Once I logged onto the site I had a revelation. Perhaps Muddear is pale because of her anemia. (It only took me a week to think of that one.)

After reading the introduction below I have been inspired to contact Dr. Shah to ask that tests be conducted to check Muddear's iron levels.

Introduction Date updated: March 07, 2007
Content provided by MayoClinic.com

Having iron deficiency anemia may cause you to feel tired and often look pale. It's a common type of anemia - a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen to tissues. Oxygenated blood gives your body energy and your skin a healthy color.

As the name implies, iron deficiency anemia is due to insufficient iron. Your body needs the element iron to make hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen.

Iron deficiency anemia is common, especially in women. One in five women and half of all pregnant women are iron deficient. Lack of iron in your diet is one cause of iron deficiency anemia, but there are other causes as well.

You can usually correct iron deficiency anemia with iron supplementation. Sometimes, additional treatments are necessary, especially if you're bleeding internally.

Check out the following link on Revolution Health to read more about the causes and symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia: http://www.revolutionhealth.com/conditions/anemia/iron-deficiency-anemia/iron-deficiency-anemia?section=section_00