My mother was on a guerney in the ER for a UTI. She had been using both arms. She took a three hour nap and when she awoke, she was alarmed to find out she could not use or even move her left arm.

Further, she could not move her left leg/foot. A Stroke Team was called.

Mom has had three days of IV abx, and her urine is clear.

HOWEVER, she is still, "paralyzed" down her left side. Neuro saw her in consult and an MRI was done - it came back with no signs of CVA or intracranial bleed.

Therefore, Neuro is postulating that the inability to use her left side is simply a progression of Mom's FTD.

Now, if I had seen that there was a slow progression of this over time, I wouldn't question this.

But, have you ever heard of someone using the arm/hand just fine, taking a nap; waking up and have a total inability to use the arm and lower extremity with such an abrupt onset secondary to decline from dementia?

I have not, so I am truly flummoxed by this. Though she cannot move the arm/leg, she is experiencing some pain in the arm and Neuro suggests she is having a shoulder "impingement." Mom has NEVER had any shoulder symptoms before.

However, that aside; I am mostly curious about such a sudden abrupt onset of dementia induced inability to utilize one side of the body.

Curiouser and curiouser. Thank you once again.

Hello Johanna,

How upsetting! I am really sorry to hear about all of that. To answer your question quickly - I have not heard of this kind of situation before. I am not, however, medically trained and cannot offer suggestions as to what physically may have caused this. I would certainly support the idea of seeking a second opinion from another doctor if that is something you're thinking of. Did you feel that they really looked into everything as much as they could have?

I will also ask my colleagues if they have heard of this type of situation and send on any new information I might gather.

Sorry again for your troubles. I hope you are getting some rest.

Sincerely,

Hi Martha T.:

Well, they did a CT of the brain. An MRI of the brain, the cervical and thoracic spine. They did a carotid doppler. THey x-rayed the shoulder and arm on the affected side. They did an esophogogram under fluoroscopy, they put her on telemetry, they called in Neuro, they did a full blood chemistry, etc.

Everything was negative. Very, very perplexing.

If it were a TIA, it would have passed in 24 hours. The lack of movement of her arm persists.

Her cognition has declined and though she is able to speak and respond appropriately, she does not initiate conversation. It is as though she is withdrawing, and cognitively, she is on her way somewhere else. And she may well be.

Thank you for asking the others. I greatly appreciated it.

Hello Johanna,

I checked with others about your concerns but have no more information for you regarding what may have happened medically. It sounds like your mother has been assessed quite thoroughly which must just increase your frustration and shock at the sudden change and lack of a clear cause.

Please take care of yourself emotionally these days. You are facing a lot of change and a lot of loss. Even when our loved ones have been sick for a long time, it sometimes feels like a shock when they decline further. When the medical field cannot clearly explain why it happened or what can be done about it, it's easy to feel helpless.

Your mother is lucky to have you. Try to focus on positive moments of connection with her whether it is through conversation or simply holding her hand, brushing her hair, or remembering past times with her on your own.

Take care of yourself,