Friday, June 10, 2022

My Blog's not dead!

I hope each of you is having a good day.
I am back from a trip to East Texas. My Dad isn't doing too well, and he knows it. We are all hoping this sudden, rapid mental decline is due to an imbalance of medication. The sudden decline in his acuity started soon after his Physicians Assistant (managing his case after his Parkinson's Doctor moved) changed up some of his medications. Two of his drugs were working at cross purposes. (Not prescribed by the same Doctors). Dad's Physical Therapist mentioned a Parkinson's specialist that several of his other patients see. Dad's  Parkinson's doctor was the only one in the PPO system near them. So, they are in the process of getting a referral to an out of system Parkinson's Specialist. 

Dad is lucid enough. But, he is seeing things the rest of aren't privy to. He doesn't recognize the house... which he mostly built. He told me he has no idea of what the exterior looks like- and the first he recalls of the interior was when he arrived back from a brief hospital stay. Yet during one conversation, he went into detail about the kind of wood he used in trimming the bedroom.
What alarmed me the most during my visit was that he failed to recognize his favorite dog. He tried to keep her from entering her kennel and eating her food, saying it was Kelsey's kennel and Kelsey's food. The dog was, in fact, Kelsey.
I have been reading up on Parkinson's and Lewy Body Dementia (LBD).
Little chance of getting my folks to change their diets, but research says a Keto diet could help. An undiagnosed gluten intolerance can trigger episodes of decline.  Maybe I can try a less intimidating form of help, such as essential oils in a diffuser? I was just reading Dr Axe's article on LBD.

I came home with a long list of things the folks need help with. My brother Robbie is struggling with all that needs to be done. He has two disks in his spine that need repair... and no insurance. So he grits his teeth and does what he can do.

I return to east Texas on the 18th, to sit with Dad on the 19th. Then I will stay over a few days, and do what I can do to help until time to take Nickole to camp with Tommy's church in Midlothian.

After that, I don't have anyplace I have to be until The Big Roadtrip, in late August.
I intend to have a blog just for that trip!
Three women, six kids, and an Ugly Kitty seeing the USA in a van.... while one of my sons bicycles across the continent. It should be an Adventure! (And, good golly Miss Molly! Gas is already up to $5 a gallon here, and over $7 on the west coast... continuing to trend upward, with 10 weeks until we start.)


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