Too Much Saliva

Parkinson’s causes both my husband and me to have difficulty living with the symptom of decreased motor function and sensation of his oral abilities.

Drooling is the result.

The reason I have difficulty is because, as his caregiver, I am the one situated to deal with it and drooling is repulsive to me.

I know this symptom could become another reason for Andy to stay out of the public eye  and grow more isolated. In my moment of feeling grossed out, I also know emphatically that we need to find a way to live well with this too.

First off, I remind myself that he can’t help it. It’s not his fault- it’s his disease. When I separate the person from the symptom, then I can work better with him to resolve the issue instead of against him, trying to make him stop the behavior.

The Andy I know doesn’t want to drool.

Next, I need to really study the symptom-noticing when it happens and what sets it up to happen.

For Andy, any forward leaning posture can be a set up for drooling. When he walks, he sometimes has a Parkinson’s stooped back and neck. When he’s sitting up in a car or at a table and leaning forward: these are the times when drooling can occur. I really analyzed the situation and discovered his drooling was not random. There was a lot higher probability of it happening during certain activities that required forward leaning.

Gravity matters!

Last night, after eating dinner, Andy was rinsing our dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. As I brought over the last dish I saw he was drooling as he leaned over the sink.

My strategies include saying, “Andy close your lips and swallow right now.” Although Parkinson’s has taken away Andy’s awareness of his oral functions, he is able to follow direct instructions.

My words need to be said in a kind way, without any emphasis of my shock. I try and I don’t always succeed, so I try again and again. This is the challenge of being someone’s caregiver. As many times as one fails to find a solution or to show the love one has towards the patient and instead falls into the very human emotions of frustration, disgust, sadness and overwhelm- the caregiver must forgive herself every single time.

It is the only way to reset the situation. It is the only way to move forward in a healthy way. Sometimes forgiveness needs to happen every day or every hour.

The remedies for the problems drooling brings up include postural adjustments, verbal reminders, carrying paper or cloth to catch the saliva before it falls and a giant dose of forgiveness for both the patient and the caregiver- from both the patient and the caregiver.