Tonight the folks are spending the night in their new apartment for the first time! They are excited to begin this new part of their life and to no longer worry about a large house and yard to care for. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts, prayers and support during the past few weeks. They were looking forward to bologna sandwiches, Campbell's vegetable soup and sleeping in their own beds.
Dean's dad went for his first doctor's appointment today. After a lengthy examination, the doctor strongly suspects that Fil (father-in-law) does not have Alzheimer's type dementia but vascular dementia. An MRI will need to be done to confirm his theory. In other words, for two years Fil has been wrongly treated for a disease he doesn't have. Meanwhile the real disease has not been treated and therefore the damage done is permanent. The thought is that this dementia is the result of multiple mini-strokes, which makes sense. Two years ago Fil was still working when one day he did not return from lunch and was found in the parking lot confused and unable to tell anyone who he was. A month earlier he drove his car into a field and didn't know what happened except that he says he "saw stars." A year ago he went to visit Mil (mother-in-law) in the hospital (a building he had helped build) and he got lost. Prior to the incident two years ago; there was no Alzheimer's like symptoms. And since starting on Alzheimer's meds there has not only been no slowing down of the disease but a startlingly fast progression. Dean's dad was able to perform several tests successfully that a person with Alzheimer's should not be able to do, and yet he has deficits that do not match up.
Fil has also complained periodically of feeling "like everything is spinning." He gets panicky and weepy and disoriented. Probably more mini-strokes.
This is a frustrating thing to deal with because if it turns out to be correct, Fil has sustained a lot of preventable brain damage with multiple episodes that were never treated. Please pray for the wisdom of the doctors now treating him and that successful treatment will take place. He will have a complete medical work-up, physical and MRI. He'll be back at the doctor after these things are done in the first week of December.
Whew! As for us, the Mr. is off to practice and I think looking forward to a few hours with the band and away from his caretaking responsibilities. I've been sitting in front of the fire eating the stuffed cabbage my mom made us. Daboyz aren't home yet but will be any minute now. I'm going to do my Thursday night linen change on our bed and probably crawl right in with my latest Tamar Myer book, Assault & Pepper.
Working tomorrow and then the weekend!