Alzheimer's Reading Room
Right now we are waiting for the calls from Delray Imaging. Dotty is going to get her abdomen - pelvis, etc. scanned.
Just so everyone knows and understands. Since May 10, Dotty had multiple blood and urine tests, EKG, head scan, neurologist check-up, and three doctor check-ups. This along with the standard check you get during an office visit.
I keep getting asked about her heart. Dotty has no known problems with her heart and there isn't any heart disease in her family.
She is not dehydrated.
She seems to be coming back a bit. She does have a better look on her face this morning.
She looks shiny. This is of course is due to the hair wash, scrub down, and lotion rub down she received at Maison de Bobby yesterday.
She is still weak but managed to make it to the bathroom and then into the kitchen for the first time in over a week. The past week she needed to get back in bed after the bathroom. She is still having trouble walking. She says she is dizzy and she is going to feint. Neither has happened, so far.
Imagine this, she brushed her teeth and combed her hair. Very positive sign.
It is early so it is hard to say what will happen next. But, by far the best start to the day in 8 days.
For all I know she might be able to write on this so called blog soon. At least I hope so.
I started thinking about the subtle difference between memory and behavior in Alzheimer's patients about two months ago. This happened because Dotty was starting to act in a way that I could never have expected or envisioned.
For the longest time, I really wasn't thinking about Dotty's memory. It was worsening and I had accepted this as the normal and usual course of events.
When Dotty started talking to me about the newspaper and giving me that little Dotty smile back every time I smiled at her, I really thought to myself, I would take this over memory improvement every time. I mean Dotty seemed genuinely happy day after day for the first time in ten years.
As soon as I can, I want to write more about this and get feedback from Alzheimer's caregivers.
Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,400 articles with more than 9,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.
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Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room