Re: LBD and MSA/ April

[Guest guest]

If you think about it, a person that stays indoors a lot, and doesn't have

any reason to keep up with the date, like writing checks, etc., one day slides

into another. It is easy to forget what day it is. That test doesn't seem

really true to me, because many of us always knew, in the business world, but

once at home, and getting older, before you know it, it is Friday. I have to

look at the paper, or my computer, once in a while myself. I keep a little

date calendar on my desk, and have to change it manually every day, so that is

one sure way of keeping up with the date.

Imogene

Caregiver for my True Texas Gentleman husband of 35 years. He has AD and

possibly LBD, is Taking Aricept.

In a message dated 4/27/2006 4:34:01 AM Central Daylight Time,

janetcolello@... writes:

Hi April,

Thank you for sharing your days worth of events. It

sounds like a good thorough doctor that is testing

your FIL. I hope he will have some answers for you.

You taught me something new. I have never heard of

MSA. I will have to read up on it.

I am surprised that your FIL did so well with the

subtracting 7 in a series of numbers. My husband

always has a hard time with that, his neurologist

makes him do that everytime we visit and he used to be

so good with numbers. My husband is onto the

questions, so everytime he knows he is going to see

the neurologist he looks at the newspaper for the day

and year, except for he visited his Internal Medicine

doctor just a few weeks ago and unexpectedly was asked

the month, day and year. He wasn't prepared. He looked

toward the wall for a calendar, but it was funny

because there was a calendar on the opposite wall from

where he was looking and he never saw it. For the

month he said, " April, May, June " and again the doctor

asked the month and Jim said, " April, May, June " So

the doctor gave it to him, because he did say April.

Jim was covering all his bases. (Laugh Out Loud)

It sounds like you are on the right path to finding

some answers now. It will be hard for your MIL to

accept I am sure. Keep us informed. Jan

--- aswest1021 wrote:

> Hello Everyone,

>

> I just got home from the appointment my FIL had

> today with a

> neurologist at Emory for a second opinion. He put

> my FIL through a

> battery of tests to watch how he tracks his eyes

> from L to R and up

> and down. He did fairly well with that. He also

> had him subtract a

> series of numbers by 7 each time and he did well

> with that, too.

> The shocker came when my FIL was asked what month it

> was and he said

> May. He, then, was asked what year it was and he

> said it was 1974.

> I was completely stunned. He also didn't know the

> day of the week,

> but could tell the city and state he was in. He

> tested my FIL's

> mobility by having him walk with and without his

> walker.

> Surprisinly enough, he did relatively well. Of

> course, not long

> after we left the doctor's office, he got really

> bad. We went to a

> restaurant and three different men had to help him

> get seated and

> stand back up again. When we got back to my house,

> he fell

> backwards and fell into the garbage can, but didn't

> get hurt,

> thankfully.

>

> Anyhow, due to my FIL's memory problems and the fact

> that he has an

> active tremor, the doctor said he doesn't have

> " typical PD " . In

> fact, at this juncture, he's leaning towards Diffuse

> Lewy Body or

> Multiple Systems Atrophy (because he's having

> problems with urinary

> incontinence and constipation). So, he's ordered

> that my FIL

> undergo 4 hours of neuropsychological testing in 6

> weeks and he's

> also ordered an MRI. He said those things should

> help him come to a

> definitive diagnosis. He's going to wean my FIL off

> the Sinemet CR

> during the day over a period of the next three

> weeks. He said his

> philosophy with meds sometimes is that less is more.

> Does anyone

> here know anything about MSA? What is the

> prognosis, in comparison

> to LBD? Any info. would be much appreciated.

>

> I'll keep you posted,

> April

>

> P.S. My FIL is currently falling anywhere from 8 to

> 16 times a

> day. My poor MIL is worn completely out. Just

> being with my FIL

> for 6 hours today wore me out. I don't know how she

> does it.

>

>

>

>

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