Personal Post

Hey everybody, I've been on vacation for the last two weeks and it was great. I'll be back posting now but just wanted to give a shout-out to my friend Leslie. Her website link is now listed on my site, she's the wonderful person who spent 6 months helping me out with Dad's house. If you've got a similar situation, or just need to get a little organized, she's the person to call! I've also decided to self-publish my book and hopefully make it available for purchase through the blog so keep checking back for updates!

Walker III

Dad's doctor is so great-she always talks directly at Dad as if he can understand everything she's saying, and she never talks down to him or is insulting. She carefully explained to him what she thought the problem was, that we all knew how he valued his independence, and that if he fell and broke a hip, his independence would be severely curtailed. She then said gently that she was going to suggest he use a walker. And just when I think Dad can't understand anymore what's happening to him... I swear I saw his face fall and settle into dismay, and I know I saw in his eyes the comprehension of yet another indignity being visited upon him. I think he understood very well what the walker meant, and I felt my heart contract with pity.

Walker II

After the doctor sat Dad down, she turned to me and Dad's caregiver to discuss what she thought. She said that she didn't think the problem was because of dizziness or any inner ear problem. She said it was possible it had something to do with the medication that he was on but she also thought it was structural, that due to the Parkinsons, Dad was losing nerve feeling in his feet; he might not be able to tell where his feet or body was. His body was literally losing the ability to remember how to walk. The minute she said that, I knew what was coming. I knew she was going to suggest a walker, the penultimate insult to Dad's independence and ability to move-the only thing still making him happy. My heart fell. I knew this was not going to be an easy problem to fix.

Walker

Just when I think Dad has finally past the point of being aware of the terrible things happening to him, something else happens and I have to wonder. His caregiver called me the other day because he was worried about Dad. Apparently Dad has been having what looks like dizzy spells and his caregivers were concerned so they called his doctor and made an emergency appointment, then called me. Why is it that you can have free spots in your schedule everywhere except for one thing you have to do, and something comes up that has to go exactly where you don't have the time. The doctor's appointment was, of course, right during something else I had planned! I managed to get there with Dad at the right time and we met up with his doctor, who is absolutely great and absolutely on my side where Dad is concerned. Dad seemed more dozy than usual and kept falling asleep during his exam, even when the doctor was talking to him. She managed to examine him as best she could, however, even having him walk down the hallway a couple of times. I was a little sad to see how slowly he was moving.