Visit to see Don

[Guest guest]

The latest----

Last Wednesday I had to go get Don, bring him home and take him to the

Doctor on Thursday, and drive him back that same afternoon. 70 miles one way. I

just barely made it back home before it got dark.

It was all I could do to gently persuade him to go back last Thursday. He

fought it tooth and nail. I called Sharon (his nursing daughter) and she said

his Medicaid hasn't paid yet. That didn't satisfy him, so I called the NH's

bookkeeper. She said it has not paid yet. So after arguing and trying to

persuade him, he said let me talk to the bookkeeper. So I called her again, and

handed him the phone, so He finally agreed to go back. I don't want to bring

him

home again. Neither of us can stand it.

It was terribly hard on my nerves.

Yesterday I called to check up on him and he slept all day. The nurse told

me so. She said he wasn't feeling well, and just slept. The Doctor saw him,

and lowered Don's BP medicine. I hung up and bawled a blue streak.

He takes the BP Medicine for his heart, to help it rest as much as possible,

but the BP is bottoming out. I don't know what happened.

took me to see Don today. The trip made me sick, before, for four

days. That is why took me today, and now we have a standing plan to go

once a week. We are phasing out the S.A. Doctors. He has a good Doctor up

there.

When we saw him, his first words to me was, " When are you going to take me

out of here? " He fussed, and then we ate. He was delusional, and paranoid, as

well as incoherent a lot. Later, We did get to express our love, and he said

I guess we can't move together. I assured him that he was in a good place,

and was there so that others could give him the kind of care he needed.

I asked Don about his BP. He said it " zeroed " out. He insisted it was on

zero. I don't know. After all he would have died or been sent to the hospital,

and wasn't.

He did have a nasty bruise on his arm and now I believe it was from falling.

At first I thought it was because he hit his bed rail. (The bruise is too

large for the bed rail). Now, I believe he fell, and that along with the BP is

why he slept all day, yesterday.

I moved his TV to a place for him to watch it, and turned on the weather

channel. He became ingrossed in watching, so I told we needed to go.

She

started to object, (that she could stay until dark,) but I managed to head

her off. When she and I were alone I told her that it was a good time to say

our good-byes as he was happy right then with the TV, and he needed a nap. She

understood. I couldn't have taken a whole day anyway. I rested after getting

home.

He made three tries to get up, but after falling back into his chair, he

gave a big shove and up he came. He told us good-by with many hugs and kisses,

and stayed in his room instead of following us out. I knew he was happy with

the TV, and wanted to watch it.

On the way home said, Mom, Don was out of it today. I asked what she

meant. She said I know you didn't hear him half the time,( the dining hall

was very loud.) But, he was terribly delusional. She told me some of the

things he said, and for the life of me I can't remember them, but it sounded

like

Don, only worse than in the past.

He did tell me once that he won't be around long because of his BP problem.

So his cognition is in and out.

I assured him that he was fine, and that those nurses playing in the hall

was life. I said Honey there is life all around you here. And, you are going to

live. He wasn't fussing to go home with me after that.

One nurse told me that he sleeps a while and then gets up and wonders up and

down the halls. She said You can't handle that. I know it. But, at another

time Don told me, and I said, " Good! You are keeping your legs strong. " Bless

his heart, his legs are very long. He is 6' 2 1/2. " All of it is legs and are

now tooth picks.He always reminded me of in his walk. Stiff long

legs. He didn't eat half his lunch, and he didn't use to eat like that. The

food is delicious, and he said it was even today.

Well, here I sit kind of lost, but know he is where he needs to be. It just

hurts both of us terribly. That is the way of a terrible illness. Do the best

you can and live with it.

Take care and enjoy every ounce of life there is. It is a very precious gift.

Love a lot,

Imogene

Caregiver for my true Texas Gentleman Husband of 38 years. First diagnosed

with Alzheimer's by a Neurologist OCT, 2005. (He was sick long before that

date.) But, on May 2, 2006 Dr. Schillerstrom, Geriatric/Psychiatrist

diagnosed LBD with Parkinsonism.

My precious husband, Don, is taking Zoloft and Exelon patch for LBD. Other

Medicines for his heart.

A happy personality is contagious. Infect someone today

**************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog,

plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com.

(http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014)