Alzheimer’s/Dementia

look forward

3 Positives:
cooler temps – just a few degrees, but noticable
kindness
time in the studio – August cards coming along

Our Journey Notes:
T is struggling. News yesterday wasn’t as hoped. Swelling hasn’t gone down as much as hoped and IOP pressure is once again too high in the left eye. Dr added another drop to help with the irritation and inflamation with hopes that some additional healing will help. Another appointment on the calendar for early Aug. He was really hoping for some progress. Let’s hope this new plan of drops and healing will work.

every day is a new beginning.

3 Positives:
Found some interesting things while looking for a document
Good news that all of the scheduled PT appointments will be covered by insurance
tried a little more tatting — not the worst of outcomes, but not the best either. LOL

Our Journey Notes:
T is really enjoying unlimited audio books in the app we got for him. His library is filling fast and he’s going through several books a week. Although he’d rather hold a book in his hands, this is also satisfying to him and is sparing his eyes some strain as he listens late into the night. His next appointment with the eye surgeoncoming up shortly. Hoping we’ll get more info on the next steps regarding the glaucoma — and when he will get a corrective lens for the right eye and/or if he’ll get a low vision designation or not.

I’ve been experiencing some additional discomfort in the left shoulder this week and on the right side of my neck. Ice packs to the rescue and I’ll be starting with those shortly from the way things feel. Continuing the 4 home assigned exercises as instructed and have already completed the necessary check in forms for Monday’s am PT visit. Still have the tingling. I’m wondering if that will go away or lessen by the time I see the spine surgeon later this month. My fear is that it is a sign of Alzheimer’s and that additional signs will become more prominent as the year progresses.

it’s a RAK sort of day!

3 Positives:
1 creative project completed, 2nd underway
Quick and easy dinner on the table just as T and A walked in the door
another round of PT exercises at home logged

Our Journey Notes:
T is struggling with much of the smaller print on his required to complete forms. Last night we spent a while catching up on last week’s reports. They’re done and he was able to sign off on all of them.

PT went well. Lifting, pushing and pulling weights for a majority of the time. He did some manual traction on my neck and shoulders again, but a little longer and deeper. I’m sore. Didn’t sleep well last night as every time I moved, it hurt. He said it might. Well, it did! LOL

patience pays off…

3 Positives:
a good meeting at church
a long nap (needed)
reading time

Our Journey Notes:
PT exercises are pretty much a part of the daily routine now. I can get the number of sets in and times per day as indicated per the PT’s instructions. Really hoping for some improvement before I meet with the surgeon at the end of the month. I think the “game” playing is helping a bit and keeping things from declining more rapidly. Grateful for any saving time at all. Very grateful at this point in time.

T’s struggled a bit over the weekend. He’s had a little pain and several headaches. Let’s hope today is a better day all around. He has another appointment next week and hopefully, they’ll discuss the next step with him. He had a conversation with a friend who is an opthalmalogist yesterday and according to him, we’re sort of at a stalemate as we’ve reached the end of the current of technology.

Good energy is Contagious!

3 Positives:
Sleep – and lots of it.
a little reading time
Grateful! Fans to the rescue!*

Our Journey Notes:
T has the time for tthe time for check in at the surgical center on Monday. Sounds like a packed schedule for the day.

The shingles shot did me in again. Fever, headache and lots of pain at the injection site. Same as in April. Happy to be done with the vaccines for now. Feeling better this morning. Lots to catch up on today.

*The AC went out. No callback from the warranty company as it was a holiday, so calling the emergency line this morning. The temp on the main floor is in the 80’s still — we have windows open, ceiling fans going and two large fans trying to circulate the air.

Never hurts to keep an extra in your pocket

3 Positives:
BLTs the first of the season
a little more sleep than the night before
Even though yesterday’s studio time didn’t turn out as hoped, It was a good attempt.

Our Journey Notes:
Second Shingles shot in the books for me. Vaccinations done until fall. Arm is hurting a lot — it wasn’t a gentle stab.
T has today and Monday off. Pre-registration for the surgery on Monday completed. They didn’t ask for payment during that process, so assuming we’ll get that on Monday when he checks in at the surgical center. This site is more expensive than the other – but is closer to the dr’s office. Let’s hope they have the correct paperwork this go round. A previous time, wrong name and wrong insurance.

You have more power than you can imagine

3 Positives:
Lunch with 2 sisters and friends – it was fun
Envelopes and inserts printed and ready for the stack of cards – the personalizing has begun
New bday card ready to try out. We’ll see how that goes…. LOL

Our Journey Notes:
T signs consent forms this morning – surgery is on Monday. Let’s hope this procedure works and we can then focus on getting the right eye cataract done and some new glasses that hopefully, will help him read screens and pages in books again.

No additional word from the dr yet on the referral for the Spinal Orthopedist following the MRI last week. I guess I’ll wait another week and touch bases with the dr and have them press the button again on the referral if I haven’t heard anything by next Friday. I don’t imagine that I’ll get an appointment before September. So, in the meantime….

Be kind to yourself

3 Positives:
another birthday card completed
design for July cards finalized — need a quick print this morning to make sure it’s right
spent a bit of time sketching and coloring in Procreate late last night — a great way to relax

Our Journey Notes:
Dr called to discuss the results of the MRI. Neuro has been pushed back a bit longer, feels that a Spinal Orthopedist is the next step to treat the current issues. He was to have his nurse get that started ASAP. New problems were abundant yesterday, not so much overnight or this morning. Not sure why I had such a bad morning yesterday – lots of balance and vertigo issues. I’ve had a couple of similar spells in the last few weeks, but yesterday was BAD. Let’s add Lheritte’s Sign and arthritis in two areas of my cervical spine to the “getting old sucks” mix for me. Brain scan is in the future if the vertigo and balance issues continue/worsen between now and the appointment with the new specialist. Those possible dx do scare me. Not what I wanted to hear or have to think about at this point in time. In the meantime, while we wait for that referral to go through, we’ll hope that things will clear up and I’ll not have to worry about the brain scan for a long while.

make EVERY day a RAK sort of day.

3 Positives:
migraine meds worked, sort of
2 hour nap
a little time in the studio

Our Journey Notes:
T used his walking stick yesterday. He said it was a help

Needing a little more support on the short term stuff. Sometimes the notes/lists aren’t quite enough for some of those things. Thankfully, T and A are okay with sharing a reminder — no did you forget statements, just a quick driveby as a reminder. That seems to help when it’s stuff that needs more immediate attention. We do have a couple on today’s list, so hopefully, by this evening, all will be taken care of. I have to have T’s phone for a couple of them, so those will have to wait until after he gets home from work — and before he starts listening to his ebook for the evening.

have courage…

3 Positives:
24 Teacher Appreciation tags for June designed, cut and assembled
A little reading time
heard back from 2 of the boys on their birthdays

Our Journey Notes:
Allergies, cold or pneumonia? I’m hoping for the middle and not the third. Feeling a little better this morning. MRI canceled for this week with hopes that by next week, the coughing will have subsided enough I’ll not be coughing and hacking up a lung every five minutes and can go to the rescheduled appointment. Hoping to be on the downside of this thing, whatever it is. No fever, just a nasty cough and lots of normal allergy symptoms. Need to catch up a little on the “lists” for the week – there are a few things I can’t let slide by.

T has another eye post-op tomorrow. Doing what we can on this side of things in hopes we’ll get a little good news or a more definitive answer on what the future may look like for him.