Friday, August 14, 2009

Parkinsons? Or neuropathy?

We went to dinner tonight and when he went to cut his steak, his right hand just started shaking violently. It's hard to describe but I had never seen anything like it before. He laid his hand down on the table, used his left hand to remove the fork from his right hand and let it just lay there. When he went to pick up his fork again, it was still shaking, but much better.

It truly looked like an extremely severe case of parkinsons. I asked him about it. He said that there are no nerves left and sometimes, it depends on the angle of his hand when he picks up his fork, it will just shake like that. He just has to rest it, change the angle and start over.

Scared the crap out of me! I was just glad he didn't have a sharp knife in that hand...he could have cut himself.

I just have to wonder, "what next?" Sigh.

DW

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

It was a great trip

Yes, I'm back. Was gone 3 weeks. And I have decided that I can't be gone for more than 2 at a time - just too much left unattended here at home while I'm gone.

But I did come back refreshed and renewed. I had a wonderful time - 1/3 at an art conference, 1/3 with family and reunions, 1/3 at a girlfriend's house for a true get-away. I crammed way too much into a short timeframe, but it sure was fun!

The infection in his knee seems to be improving. He had a horrible day yesterday, but today was much better. You can actually literally see the pain in his face these days.

So, my next "problem". I know that we need to downsize and move into a 1 level place before he gets to the point where he can't make the move. But how do I convince him that we need to make the move now? I can totally see a time in our not too distant future where he is going to be unable to do stairs and we are going to have a dialysis machine in our home. He does not see that and doesn't think it's going to happen for years.

We have over 2/3 acre here and I have huge flower beds that I can't really keep up with any more. He can't help at all. I'm managing to get in an hour or 2 every morning....but I see no end in sight and keep thinking that I can't keep up this pace but a couple more years, if that! And no, I can't plow them under or plant grass.....just wouldn't work for the terrain tha we have.

And for the record, he still has not been to see a doctor about the angina attack he had back in May. I'm sure he's not going to go.

DW

Monday, August 10, 2009

Just an update

He has had a bad infection in his left knee and left wrist for the last 4 days. Yesterday he started having an infection in his right knee and said his back hurt so bad he could hardly sit.

Today, he sat in the recliner with a heating pad on his left knee.

I asked him tonight if he thought maybe it was time to go see a doctor and he said, "maybe in a few days or so" - which translated simply means that he's going to wait at least a week and see if the pain is any better.

I've started back doing yardwork - 2 or 3 hours every morning. Someone has to do it. And he simply can't.

DW