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----- Forwarded message begins here ----- From: Kathy Sowa <[log in to unmask]> Mon, 27 May 96 09:23:51 MDT To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) crisis Eventhough my mother has PSP and not Parkinsons, I have been utilizing this listserv for several years and have always received valuable knowledge about Parkinsons and Parkinsonisms. Now I need some help. My mother (Marge) was first diagnosed with Parkinsons in 1991, but that diagnosis was later changed to PSP in January of 1995. She moved to live with me in Las Cruces NM from Chicago in March of 1995, and has always done pretty well--able to ambulate with assistance, attend adult day care, go to Church on Sundays, shopping (though walking longer distances made her tired) and fly to Chicago to visit the rest of the family. On May 3d of this year Mom and I flew to Chicago for a family visit. She did very well the first couple of days--even climbed steps and a church for a first communion, got in and out of a Winnebago (with assistance, of course). Starting about Thursday of the next week, while still in Chicago, she started a strange decline : she would awake in the morning, but would refuse to take her shower, or take her pills, eat, or anything. She was awake but would close her eyes. After several hours she would "snap" out of it, and do everything. But by Sunday (Mother's day) it was longer and she didn't snap until 2 pm. But she was able to fly home that night, and on Monday was ok. We stayed home, but on Tuesday, when she was to return to adult day care and me to work, she again refused. By Thursday she was worse, so I called an ambulance and took her to the emergency room, who admitted her to a psych hospital since it appeard to be depression. She was at that hospital for a week but didn't get any better. She hasn't walked in about 6 days and is getting weaker. She is now in El Paso at a Rehabilitation hospital, where she is being fed & given her meds through a nasal tube. I am considering a feeding tube instead. For medication, the psych doctor prescribed Ritalin 10 Mg. Praxil (not sure of amount), and her regular Sinemet 25/100, 2 pills 3 x's day, glipizide (she's diabetic), and amantadine. What worries me is that this happened so fast. Our family knew that she would get worse, but not this fast! We are so desperate because we are not confident with the doctors. Her neurologist refused to deal with her when this first happened because he said it was "not a neurological" thing and she should see her primary care physician! That's what we pay $150 a visit for! Any ideas, similar experiences, would be helpful. My email address is: [log in to unmask] ------ Forwarded message ends here ------