My dad died one year ago, and in 2 months she was dx with myasthenia gravis, spending a month in…read morethe hospital. My mom (85 years old) had no medical problems prior to this other than hypertension, and she was volunteering running the office of Meals on Wheels in her town.
Depression set in, and nothing we did could help her. Got her affairs all in order; she had been hinting about suicide for some time; the family all was very engaged and doing the best that all of us could. Nevertheless, she had a suicide attempt one month ago; thankfully with no lasting damage.
Her last stop was ketamine. She unwaveringly believed that any of her physical symptoms were a product of depression, she believed it was the disease, which myasthenia gravis (which it does not-it is autoimmune).
My 85 years old mom had two ketamine infusions so far. After one treatment we all saw the difference, she denied feeling any different initially The second treatment in the same week-Whoa, we got our mom back!
She was out of bed only about 4 hours a day previously. She couldn't walk without walker or cane; she was very unsteady on her feet. No appetite. No interest in anything or anyone. Talked with her eyes closed.
This morning she told me, "I can think clearer, it's not as fuzzy. I was pulling weeds in the yard this morning, can you imagine? I went shopping yesterday with Denise for 5 hours!"
She has gone to the senior center-alone, on SCAT. She is welcoming physical therapy to come in. She wakes in the morning and goes to bed at night. No naps. She will rest, but she will be on her iPad playing scrabble. Her gait is normal, no walker, no cane, and beginning to zip around like she used to. (We joke it's like miracle like Lazarus).
I am an RN of 41 years, many of those years in mental health. I have NEVER seen such excellent results with any treatment. I have to admit, I have been giving her MD's a rough time believing that with "more or different medication" we can treat the exhaustion from her disease. Even a seasoned professional myself did not realize THE EXTENT her depression had on her physical symptoms.
The Veterans Administration throughout the country has APPROVED Ketamine Clinics in all their medical centers since nothing so far done has curbed the number of suicides in our veterans.
Ketamine is not experimental treatment, it is the state-of the-art treatment for depression.
Many people to do not realize that depression has so many physical symptoms; one attributes it to aging or other medical diagnoses. Yes, a medical diagnosis brings on exhaustion of the body, however, the component of the "emotional anguish and exhaustion" of dealing with a physical illness is separate.
Depression is NOT a normal process of aging. This is a fallacy. Yes, the older adult has continued loss of friends from death and loss of bodily functions. Nevertheless, sadness to the point of suicide is NOT a part of aging.
My grandmother lived until 96. Mom has a good decade yet. Our goal is to get her feeling strong enough to visit Israel again, something place she holds dear to her heart. I'm expecting it will take about 6 months since due to the depression, she has become so debilitated from bedrest so many months. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
