1st Symptoms of Bulbar Pls help :(

[Caring for Jean]

I am a caregiver to a 75 year old woman. I've been caring for her for 5 months now so I'm fairly new BUT she is rapidly deteriorating.
When I 1st started she had some problems choking but now I puree all of her food for the last month ... this is the info the family has provided and what I've now kept a log of...
17 months ago she trips and falls
14 months ago her personality changes to a happy go lucky lady (uncharacteristic of her) she also got into 2 car accidents
13 months MRI says there is age related white matter , hers is more severe
Dr diagnosed her w Alzheimer's bc of that info
10 months ago choking on food and voice changes I was told choking is more prevalent at this pt (I wasn't caring for her yet)
5 months ago I start caring for her
I arrange speech and tongue therapy
3 months ago I notice she is more off balance and getting in and out of the car is a bit harder
2 months ago MRI says white matter but neurologist says he hasn't seen anything like it ... she shld go to a big hospital w specialist he also said she has PBA which we know she does (nothing is done... I asked to take her to a specialist but I'm told by the family it's not necessary)
Neurologist doesn't think the white matter is causing the dysphasia or the dystharia
....
Side note
She has been drooling a lot now too and in the past month or so she is having trouble buckling her seat belt ,buttoning her pants , buckling her belt, she cldnt squeeze a hanger to hang her pants the other day and most recently she wasn't able to u lock the door to her home

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!!
We finally have a neurologist appt next month!!!!! I'm thrilled so anything u think I need to ask or point out wld be appropriate as well
TYIA!!!

 

[Caring for Jean]

Let me add... she has had 2 MBS .. she is on a honey consistency liquids... she can't cough bc her tongue doesn't work
she sounds gurgly she have very thick speech
Lately she's been yawning
She was in the hospital last year for Pneumonia

Ok thanks ��

 

[Caring for Jean]

Could this be Bulbar ALS??

I am a caregiver to a 75 year old woman. I've been caring for her for 5 months now so I'm fairly new BUT she is rapidly deteriorating.
When I 1st started she had some problems choking but now I puree all of her food for the last month ... this is the info the family has provided and what I've now kept a log of...
17 months ago she trips and falls
14 months ago her personality changes to a happy go lucky lady (uncharacteristic of her) she also got into 2 car accidents
13 months MRI says there is age related white matter , hers is more severe
Dr diagnosed her w Alzheimer's bc of that info
10 months ago choking on food and voice changes I was told choking is more prevalent at this pt (I wasn't caring for her yet)
5 months ago I start caring for her
I arrange speech and tongue therapy
3 months ago I notice she is more off balance and getting in and out of the car is a bit harder
2 months ago MRI says white matter but neurologist says he hasn't seen anything like it ... she shld go to a big hospital w specialist he also said she has PBA which we know she does (nothing is done... I asked to take her to a specialist but I'm told by the family it's not necessary)
Neurologist doesn't think the white matter is causing the dysphasia or the dystharia
....
Side note
She has been drooling a lot now too and in the past month or so she is having trouble buckling her seat belt ,buttoning her pants , buckling her belt, she cldnt squeeze a hanger to hang her pants the other day and most recently she wasn't able to u lock the door to her home

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!!
We finally have a neurologist appt next month!!!!! I'm thrilled so anything u think I need to ask or point out wld be appropriate as well
TYIA!!!
Also
She had 2 MBS her liquids must be honey consistency
She was in the hospital for a Pneumonia last year
She is now very hard to understand

 

[Nikki J]

Please stay on one thread in this subforum. Ther person you represent is not diagnosed at this time so the dihals posting rules apply. You can see them in the read before posting sticky in this subforum. Thank you

 

[Caring for Jean]

TYSM for responding!!!
Actually she doesn't have trouble walking ... just tripped once in the last 20 months sorry if I misstated that
Her speech is really deteriorating now
It really is only her speech and her swallowing... her hands r funny but she can use them
She's really FINE other than the speech and swallowing
I can't thank you enough for taking the time to reply!
All the best to you