Aggression and Lewy

It’s a possibility. Especially with LBD.

I’ve mentioned that Burt had a period in which he exercised his anger and aggression. It was due to his aggressive behaviors that we were introduced to mild doses of Seroquel.

In his case, the drug made him sleepy and I could dodge his attacks more easily. It did not calm or quell the aggression.

His aggressive behaviors were mild and this phase lasted a short while.

I worried ahead of the events and felt lucky that his aggression was mild and manageable.

It’s a real worry and I had heard of spouses with extreme rage who posed constant danger to everyone around them.

Early on, because he was prone to anger, I worried Burt would rise to that level when dementia struck. I was thankful that he did not, and grateful that most of our journey was relatively easy.

I don’t want to downplay the possibility. Nor do I want to raise the level of alarm.

Be prepared. I have mentioned that I secreted our knives to a closet after Burt brandished one over my head. He had every confidence he wouldn’t hurt me but that incident unnerved me.

Anything can be a weapon, of course, and Burt’s weapon of choice had been his shoes.

He threw them at the wall when frustrated, but one had gone just over my hair line. Burt was again confident in his aim; he said so.

I don’t think we should cede the responsibility of our pwd’s aim to their control.

You don’t want someone who has delusions, or hallucinations to have access to a deadly weapon.

If you have firearms in your house, disarm them; give them to law enforcement if you can; get them off your premises, or at least lock them up securely and out of harm’s way.

Be prepared, but don’t anticipate. You may never experience any violent episodes with your loved one. Or, if you do, they won’t be extreme or last long. Minimize the possibilities. Take control here, just as you had to with finances and healthcare.

You will understand if I say I am sorry. It’s the disease, not your darling.