Courage, you'll be proud of me

[Guest guest]

Today I was speaking to my sister on the phone after she came home

from Vegas. I told her that come tomorrow, the Community Access Care

person was coming back and we were being given an opportunity to

reapply even though we had turned down two beds in one and a half

months and the policy clearly states if you turn down a bed you must

wait another 6 months before reapplying.

My sister was shocked that we were once again considering nh for my

dad. I told her my dad almost fell down the stairs today at my mom's

house and that he asked me today how long someone with his illness

had to live because he was tired of living and she put his decline

down to the Sinemet we're giving him. She believes that my dad is

doing so much worse because of the Sinemet. The thing is, that he's

only taking 1 pill per day this week. (It's only today that he was

supposed to begin on 2 pills per day for a week and then next week he

would be able to reach the maximum dosage) What she's forgetting is

that the reason why we asked for my father to be put on the pills in

the first place is because we noted his declining mobility and

ambulating.

Now comes the part where you'll be proud of me. She told me to call

his doctor and ask if he can be prescribed something else. I was

shocked at how easily it came out of her mouth. It doesn't even

spring into her head that perhaps she could do that herself! What I

did was say, " You know what - I am not going to blame this on the

Sinemet because his poor walking skills is what caused us to see the

doctor for Parkinson's medication in the first place. If you need to

question the doctor I think you need to make it a priority to go with

daddy to the doctors and discuss this with him yourself. " She

remained very quiet and then said, " Well, I think we need to discuss

this. " and I replied, " No, you need to go to see the doctor yourself

and do some research on the medication. "

Now, I don't know if she got it but I think I was pretty clear. I

also told my mom that she needs to start being honest with my

sister. My mom wanted me to tell my sister that we were re-

commencing the nh application process yet when I told her my sister's

reaction to our decision, my mom said she was going to lay it on the

line for my sister. I hope she sticks to it. She even told me today

on the drive to the funeral home that my sister needs to know where

things stand with my father.

This issue, as you can probably tell, dates back to well before my

dad's illness. My sister has a bit of a temper and my mom is forever

trying not to piss her off. My dad's LBD and brain tumor has just

brought everything back to the fore.

Like you I cry a lot and I rant on this site a lot. I don't know

what I would have done if I didn't have all of you to listen and

understand. How horrible it is for all of us to watch our LOs being

sacrificed to this illness, but the silver lining on this cloud is

our coming together in compassion and support.

Thanks Courage,

Abby

[Guest guest]

Abby, I am so happy for you. This disease doesn't care abour our family

dynamics at all - the personalities remain the same and you've got to work

with that to boot! The stress can often times bring out the very worst in

us though I have seen instances were we have gone the other way and couldn't

be sweeter.

I think it is important that all family members not only pitch in with the

heavy lifting but with all the other aspects (medical, financial, social,

etc.,) of managing this disease. While the medical portion is still very

much left up to me I am just so happy to have the weekends to myself again

that I'll take it.

I took a good look around my house today and just groaned. The dust bunnies

are reproducing, you can eat off the stacks of books and papers I have in

virtually every corner and I can't see the top of my dinning room table

anymore. YUCK! I guess I'm going to have to straighten this mess up though

I'd much rather be sitting at the beach having a lovely drink and watching

the sun go down!

Take care of yourself.

Courage

Courage, you'll be proud of me

>Today I was speaking to my sister on the phone after she came home

>from Vegas. I told her that come tomorrow, the Community Access Care

>person was coming back and we were being given an opportunity to

>reapply even though we had turned down two beds in one and a half

>months and the policy clearly states if you turn down a bed you must

>wait another 6 months before reapplying.

>

>My sister was shocked that we were once again considering nh for my

>dad. I told her my dad almost fell down the stairs today at my mom's

>house and that he asked me today how long someone with his illness

>had to live because he was tired of living and she put his decline

>down to the Sinemet we're giving him. She believes that my dad is

>doing so much worse because of the Sinemet. The thing is, that he's

>only taking 1 pill per day this week. (It's only today that he was

>supposed to begin on 2 pills per day for a week and then next week he

>would be able to reach the maximum dosage) What she's forgetting is

>that the reason why we asked for my father to be put on the pills in

>the first place is because we noted his declining mobility and

>ambulating.

>

>Now comes the part where you'll be proud of me. She told me to call

>his doctor and ask if he can be prescribed something else. I was

>shocked at how easily it came out of her mouth. It doesn't even

>spring into her head that perhaps she could do that herself! What I

>did was say, " You know what - I am not going to blame this on the

>Sinemet because his poor walking skills is what caused us to see the

>doctor for Parkinson's medication in the first place. If you need to

>question the doctor I think you need to make it a priority to go with

>daddy to the doctors and discuss this with him yourself. " She

>remained very quiet and then said, " Well, I think we need to discuss

>this. " and I replied, " No, you need to go to see the doctor yourself

>and do some research on the medication. "

>

>Now, I don't know if she got it but I think I was pretty clear. I

>also told my mom that she needs to start being honest with my

>sister. My mom wanted me to tell my sister that we were re-

>commencing the nh application process yet when I told her my sister's

>reaction to our decision, my mom said she was going to lay it on the

>line for my sister. I hope she sticks to it. She even told me today

>on the drive to the funeral home that my sister needs to know where

>things stand with my father.

>

>This issue, as you can probably tell, dates back to well before my

>dad's illness. My sister has a bit of a temper and my mom is forever

>trying not to piss her off. My dad's LBD and brain tumor has just

>brought everything back to the fore.

>

>Like you I cry a lot and I rant on this site a lot. I don't know

>what I would have done if I didn't have all of you to listen and

>understand. How horrible it is for all of us to watch our LOs being

>sacrificed to this illness, but the silver lining on this cloud is

>our coming together in compassion and support.

>

>Thanks Courage,

>

>Abby

>

>

>Welcome to LBDcaregivers.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Kareysue,

I don't know if you have it there, but you might want to find out if you

have a recovery Law. They are working on it here in MI now. One of our

members who isn't here any longer, got an $80,000. bill when her Dad

died. The State wants to recover what they pay out for nh's when the

will is settled.

MI is only in the process of working that out. They haven't passed a

law yet.

Donna