Tag Archives: swallowing

Bones, Muscles, and Pain Equals Surgery

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 2

Bones

Two years ago my bone scan came back showing excessive bone loss. My mother’s hip broke and caused her to fall (not the other way around). That, and the scan results, put me in the high risk category, so I’m very motivated to improve my bone density.

My OB/GYN put me on daily Evista to treat the Osteopenia, but I had a severe muscle spasm problem while on it. Not surprising, considering how much jerking, twitching, and trembling I’ve had at various times over the years, due to my Mitochondrial Myopathy. I stayed on the Evista for two months, thinking surely my body would adjust to it, but it just kept getting worse.

(My Orthopedist suggested I try Forteo, which is a daily self administered shot, and I have not had any bad side effects with it. I’ve been on it for eight months now.)

Muscles

Even after I stopped taking Evista, the muscle spasms didn’t stop, particularly in my upper back and neck. I started upping the doses of Methocarbamol muscle relaxer and Neurontin (for nerve pain), trying to control the pain. The more pills I took a day, the more foggy I became. I couldn’t function without the pills, and just barely with them.

My Neurologist did another MRI on my neck and sent me to my Orthopedist for a series of epidurals. These helped, but not consistently, and they will only do four a year. So the relief from pain was fleeting. The last epidural I had didn’t help at all.

Pain

By February of this year I was in severe pain all the time. It had radiated down my arm, midway down my back, and gone up to the top of my head. The headaches felt just like someone had a huge nail pressing into the top of my skull. February 25, 2015 was my turning point. I ended up in the ER with my blood pressure over 200, and my head about to explode. They brought it down with IV meds and sent me home.

Surgery

I started on Amlodipine blood pressure pills and went to my Orthopedist to ASK him for surgery. After looking at the new X-rays and MRI of my neck, he agreed. On March 24th I had Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) of C4-C5 and C5-C6. I stayed in the hospital that night and came home the next day. The hospital stay is a blur for me, because I was on a Morphine pump. About all I remember is the nurse telling me to “push the button” over and over. And I remember choking and gagging on whatever it was they tried to feed me.

Recuperation

I had researched the surgery, of course, so I was aware that they go in from the front of the neck, moving the esophagus aside so they can reach the disks and vertebrae. Hoarseness is a common side effect of this surgery and often swallowing difficulties as well. For most people the hoarseness only lasts a few weeks. At first it was an effort to squeak out even a syllable or two, and everything I tried to swallow choked and gagged me. And there was more swallowing pain than I had expected. I should have known there would be considerable pain; they sent me home with a prescription for 90 Norco tablets.

It’s been about six weeks now, and I’m still a little hoarse, although much better than I was to begin with. I’ve been using Thickit to make swallowing liquids easier since the first week at home. I’m needing it less and less now.

Outcome

The voice and swallowing problems have been very frustrating, but become less of an issue each day. But the neck, shoulder, and back pain have diminished from 8-10 to 3-4!!! I’m no longer on blood pressure medicine, and I usually only take two muscle relaxers a day.

I was apprehensive about having this surgery, but I’m glad I did.

I consider the operation to be a Success!! Praise God for his gracious healing.

I Should Know Better – Back on Bowel Retraining Routine

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by  

CAUTION: I try to be as specific with symptoms, problems, etc., as I can, so that what I write might help someone else in a similar situation. Feel free to skip this post if you’re not up to a frank discussion of bodily functions.

There’s nothing that aggravates me more than to go to my wonderful Gastrologist again with nausea and abdominal pain, only to be told to do the same thing he has had me do before. Each time I go through one of these strange “I don’t think I’m constipated” episodes, I think that it can’t possibly be the same thing I had before.

I have to use Miralax each morning, eat a high fiber breakfast cereal, drink lots of fluids, take 4 Bentyl tablets, a chewable Acidophilus tablet, and 3 Metamucil capsules every day. I’ve been on that regimen now for a long time. Until I started on the Primidone I was not having any problems with my bowels. But as soon as I started taking the Primidone, which has done wonders for my jerking and twitching, I noticed that I was heading for trouble with my elimination.

So, I increased my fiber intake, thinking that was going to be enough. And it looked like I was correct, up until the last few weeks. Then I started having a yucky taste in my mouth most of the day. I had a tickling kind of cough if I swallowed anything the least bit spicy or scratchy, and it was not going down the wrong way. I was almost constantly clearing my throat, and by the end of the day my throat was sore.

I was still having my usual 4 or 5 bowel movements a day, just as I have had ever since I went on all this elimination routine. I have problems with the muscles needed for defecation, so I have to stay just shy of diarrhea to be comfortable. I was still having times when I almost didn’t make it to the bathroom, so everything seemed as it should be as far as elimination was concerned.

So, after a miserable weekend, I decided it was time to see my Gastro, and they are so good about working me in. We saw him yesterday, and he says that I AM constipated, despite my objections to his conclusion. I am to call him Friday after being on the full Bowel Retraining routine, which I started last night.

So now, added to the list of procedures that I was already following, I took 4 TBS Milk of Magnesia this morning, plus used 2 Glycerin suppositories. I am to continue using the suppositories daily, and the Milk of Magnesia every 3 days if I still have symptoms. He also told me to go back to eating my normal diet, instead of the baked potatoes and chicken soup that I have eaten almost exclusively since Friday.

So, you know where I have been most of this day. I’m still clearing my throat constantly, and my throat is irritated, but I am not nauseated like I was yesterday morning. I’ll be eating our usual lunch today, and hopefully it will not cause the coughing or nausea to worsen.

Will I ever learn?????

Choking Episode

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 8

I’m still feeling remarkably well, considering it’s been weeks now since I took a PD med. Reading a post on PLM makes me think it’s at least in part due to the 6-8 cups of green tea I’m drinking most days. Taking the Turmeric and eating a lot of the Super Foods, mostly raw, probably has a lot to do with it, too.

I’m doing my neck exercises each morning, using the cervical collar daily for about 15 minutes, and using the TENS when I need it, so I’m not hurting much, either.

But I did have another choking episode this morning. It’s a little hard to explain. I’ve done it several times lately with my own saliva, but this morning I had a mouth full of tea when a tiny amount just slipped down the wrong way. I wasn’t really swallowing, either. That’s what has been happening with saliva, too. I may not know how it’s happening, but I sure know the results! I end up coughing and gagging for several minutes each time, and it hurts. I’m going to have to try to figure out exactly what is happening, so I can decide the best way to prevent it.

Other than that, I’m feeling fine. I worked really hard on our collectibles and toy inventory yesterday, and pretty well wore myself out, trying to get it stored in a more logical and organized way. But it was good exercise, and I’m glad I was able to do it. I also added another pile to the lasagna compost. That is slowly building up an area of rich material about 100 square feet or so and over a foot high. I haven’t done any walking or Tai Chi for some time, and I do need to get back to it, now that I’m feeling better.

There was a good explanation of voice exercises on PLM, too, so I guess I’ll try to add those exercises to my daily routine, too.

And, to finish this post on a positive note, neither one of us have a single doctor’s appointment this whole month!!!

Getting Back to “Normal” and Doing Some Soul Searching

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 17

I didn’t have any lasting bad effects from the Physical Therapy last week, and my neck continues to improve. The pain is essentially gone, although I do still have some stiffness, and certain activities still hurt. At least I am not hurting when I’m doing nothing!

I continue to limit my reading about Parkinson’s, but it sure is hard to intentionally stay away from Parkie friends I value so much. I had intended to stay away until I had the appointment with the Movement Disorder Specialist (MDS) in April, but I just couldn’t do it. They are too much a part of my life now. If I am diagnosed with something besides PD, I plan to keep up with them anyway. I did stay active in the Alzheimer’s caregiver forum I belonged to for quite awhile after our parents died, but I did finally quit visiting. Life moves on eventually.

I had another choking episode with a pill a couple of days ago that was really bad. That particular pill burns in the mouth, for some reason, if it doesn’t go down right away, and it burned in my throat when it got stuck. I ended up with a very sore throat that lasted until the next day. So, again, I’ve gone back to doing what my Gastroenterologist told me to do. Taking the pills in apple sauce instead of water makes all the difference. I’m just being lazy, and dealing with a heavy dose of apathy right now. That’s the only way to explain that it’s easier to get a glass of water than to open the fridge and get out the apple sauce and a spoon. I have gradually stopped doing several things he told me to do, and I need to get back to the straight and narrow, for my own sake, and my hubby’s. He worries about me so, often without good reason, other than he loves me. I must try to do all I can to keep from getting myself into situations like this that scare him so.

There was a post on Patients Like Me today that has me doing some heavy thinking. Basically, it was about how many Parkies avoid being around those PWP who are farther along in their stage of the disease, because they do not want to be confronted with their own possible future. I know I fit in that category, as I have intentionally not even tried to find a support group, and I have turned down some invitations to meet some online Parkie friends who live in Alabama, too. It’s one thing to read how they are doing, but quite another to see it for myself. I know that’s the way I would react, because I freaked out when I first looked at a free DVD I ordered that had real Parkinson’s people doing exercises. I haven’t watched it again. It does help, knowing that other PWP feel this way, too, but it’s not fair for those who are farther along, who are missing the support they need. It’s a reaction I’m going to have to work on, but not until after I see the MDS.

As it always seems to be, I get better in one area and regress in another. I guess that’s normal for everybody, right?

No Such Thing as Status Quo with Me

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 4

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with our whole family. Our older daughter and her hubby both love to cook. So they went overboard with the food, but it was important to them, as their first big family meal in their new home. I could tell she was getting all stressed, which is not good for her at all, but I sure was glad I didn’t have to have them all at my house. Don’t get me wrong, I love being around all of them… but I get way too panicky at the thought of having that big a group all at once.

Plus now, my house is not clean enough for me to feel comfortable entertaining. I have started trying to unclutter some parts of the house, but it took it several years to get in this mess, and it’s not going to be clean overnight. Hubby says to just ignore it …. something he seems to be able to do quite well. It bothers me, though. Every time I try to tackle it, I get worn out before I’ve made a dent! LOL

Anyway, I did have an appointment with my Gastroenterologist this week. I am still having lots of belching and gas, although the elimination difficulties have improved considerably since he put me on the Bentyl. I had read some things on the Internet that made me ask about the Metamucil and Glycolax, as far as were they contributing to the gas problem. I gave him the printout showing the times I was taking my meds, thinking he might see something that I needed to change. He was flabberghasted. He said he had no idea I was taking the Metamucil and Glycolax in the morning – that I should be taking them at night!

He also said the loud belches were from swallowing air. I told him I knew I did that when I took my meds with a big gulp, because I had trouble swallowing them. He suggested I take them in applesauce, instead of water. And …. it works! I do have a little trouble getting the swallow to come, though, thanks to my uncooperative tongue.

My tongue has started some kind of tic. I’m lip licking, or lip sucking, or moving my tongue around, rubbing against my teeth almost constantly now. I mentioned this new quirk in the PLM forum, and one of the Parkies said she had been rubbing the back of her dentures with her tongue for 14 years! She’s actually worn a hole in the back side of two of her teeth!

Speaking of the TAP, I am continuing to get 7 1/2 to 8 hours of sleep each night. My alarm watch is waking me up now to start my meds at 5:00AM. If I could just stay awake later at night, I would change the time of the first meds. But it’s all I can do most nights to stay awake until 9. I’m toying with the idea of taking a short afternoon nap, but I will wait awhile longer before I try that, to be sure I have the sleep habit well established.

I am out of the muscle relaxer meds now, but they really didn’t help a whole lot to ease the soreness and stiffness in my neck. So I’ll be calling my Orthopedist this next week.

I’m still having a lot more tremors than I had before my trip to the ER. The tremor in my right hand is unpredictable, but strikes often and hard. If I stand still for even a few moments, my right leg starts a little dance all by itself, making my whole body bounce, and sometimes now it starts up even when I am sitting down. That was only happening at church before, where I was blaming it on being cold and the seat being uncomfortable. Now it’s pretty much a given that if I’m standing, I’m dancing, and if I’m the least bit tired or upset, I’m jiggling as I sit. And walking still feels like I’m on Jello. I’m using the cane all the time when we go somewhere now, except for church. I’m still stubbornly holding out on that, as it puts too much attention on me.

I am going to have to keep track of the times of the day that all these tremors start and stop, so I can tell if it has anything to do with my meds wearing off.

So today, I can give my sleep problems an A, elimination difficulties a B-, stiff and sore neck a D, and tremors a D.

Cpap Adventure Continues

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 6

I’ve been on the new full face mask for a week now, with one extremely good night’s sleep, night before last. I’ve been awake since 12:30AM today, though. I woke up with air just jetting out from under the bottom of the mask, where the silicon soft part had come out of the plastic part of the mask. By the time I woke up enough to realize what the problem was, and then fixed it, I was wide awake. I’m also continuing to have problems with my skin. I’m ready to try the all over the face kind. That’s not supposed to irritate skin, as it fits at the hairline and all around the face completely. This is the last style there is, basically, so I’m about to run out of options, other than not use it at all. That 8 hours of sleep on Sunday night gave me such high hopes, too.

I continue to struggle with terrible gas, and I’ll be calling my Gastro’s nurse today to report in. Stopping the Amitiza just didn’t help any. Nothing has really changed as far as feeling like something is wrong with my elimination process, either.

We walked at the track again yesterday morning, after several days off. This time it was due to DH having some pains, as I think he over did it when we started back walking the other day. Hopefully, he’ll be OK this morning, and we can get our walk in. I also worked in the yard early yesterday morning, putting another pile in the Lasagna Compost area and digging around the foundation of our new garage. We need to get a drainage ditch around the front edge, so I’m hoeing just a little bit each day. I’m also trying to sweep off the driveway every day or so, as that is good exercise for my shoulders. It sure does feel funny, though, trying to sweep left handed. But I need to exercise both shoulders, so I do it, funny feeling or not. And boy, am I right sided. I’m pitiful trying to sweep “backwards”. LOL

I’ve been doing more research, trying to see if there is anything I’ve missed about CPAP. I did find that I’m supposed to have the machine below head level, a fact that escaped me somehow. I didn’t keep it on long enough last night to know if that would stop the “rain out”, as it is called. That’s when the humidifier in the machine causes condensation in the tubing, because the air in the room is cooler. I can’t do without the moistened air, so I will need to deal with the condensation. It got so bad one night that it sounded like the thing was gargling!

I was also trying to find out of the machine is aggravating the gas I’m having, and yes, CPAP does often cause that, as many people swallow the air. It’s supposed to be something you grow out of, and can be lessened by using the Ramp Up switch, which starts the pressure lower so you can go to sleep easier. I hadn’t been using it, since going to sleep has never been my problem. But I did use it last night, and will from now on.

For all that I’m discouraged this morning, after so little sleep last night, I am still hopeful that I will adjust to the CPAP. I’m not so optimistic about my digestive system problem, though, and I am still wanting the colonoscopy. My legs and hands continue to be swollen with fluid, too. We’ll see what the doctor has to say today.

Earliest UNDIAGNOSED Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease????

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 35

Hi Rosemary

First I want to thank you for taking the time to blog. You may not be aware of important I find it to hear others Parkinson’s and day to day life experiences. I appreciate it very much.

I am writing to you because my interest in PD came because I began having symptoms which I suspected might be PD. Fortunately my symptoms are very irregular and inconsistent and not at all affecting my ability to function. The Neurologist I am seeing is not good and is pretty much dismissing my symptoms as nothing. This is fine with me or maybe wishful thinking. I will have resting tremors in my left thumb on occassion as well as jerking limbs, and muscle trembles throughout my body, weakness, etc. Again there are very inconsistent and really could be normal daily problems or another issue. I am very much into Holistic and Natural health so have been doing many things to minimize or slow and potential problem I have. I am 45

I started looking for blogs to see what people reported as initial symptoms long before they were diagnosed with PD. I suspect my symptoms maybe be things people have looked back after they were diagnosed and say yeah, now I remember I had problems long before I realized there were problems. I cannot find such a blog and I am really curious as to when you reflect on your past, when did small signs begin to show up and just ignored or dismissed them. Or whether you had inconsistent symptoms at first. I could be completely wrong, I have no idea!

So after that long winded explanation I have a request. If you have the energy and time at some point, I would like to see a blog from you of your very early years working up to PD. No pressure and no hurry. It would be very much appreciated.

Keep up the blogs and my prayers are always with you

Ted C

Ted wants me to try to look back and pinpoint some of the earliest signs that may have been Parkinson’s symptoms that the doctors missed. I’ve mentioned several things in other posts about what I now believe were warning signs that were not detected. I’m not criticizing the doctors about this, as hindsight is always better than foresight. There’s absolutely no way of knowing if I’m correct on any of the possible signs or not, but I’ll try to list as many things as I can remember that were puzzling at the time and went undiagnosed or ignored.

I really do have back problems that are unrelated to Parkinson’s, as I have Degenerative Disk Disease. There have been many trips to different doctors over the years with back pain and weakness in my legs. There were times as long ago as 15 to 20 years ago when I was walking slower than my parents, who were in their 80’s at the time. Doctors were able to alleviate the pain with epidurals, but the walking problem always gradually disappeared on its own and then returned just as mysteriously.

I’ve had spells of mental fog for many years, which I always blamed on female hormone problems, as I was very young when I had a complete hysterectomy, or on the stress of teaching and later as a caregiver. I was on hormone replacement therapy all that time, though.

I had a diagnosis of Functional Dysphonia while I was still teaching, which means that I could not talk at all, but it was supposed to be psychosomatic. The doctor attributed it to stress. I had bouts of severe laryngitis over a period of many years. I had always been in the choir at church, but about 15 years ago I reached a point where I could not sing through a verse without feeling like I was being strangled, with someone squeezing tightly around my neck. My breath volume was greatly diminished, too.

I went through several years of Migraine Headaches. The Neurologist I was seeing at that time found that I had a positive Babinsky reaction, which means my toes didn’t do what they should have when he scraped along the bottom of my bare foot. He concluded that I had probably had one or more concussions from childhood falls. He did not cure the headaches, but the episodes finally slacked off on their own.

I had a very scary episode about 15 years ago in which my left arm went totally to sleep one night while I was watching TV. It took a lot of massaging and soaking in hot water to finally get feeling back in it. When I went to the doctor about it, she diagnosed me as having Mitral Valve Prolapse. Some years later, I had an echo cardiogram, and there was no indication of MVP. I still have to be careful that I don’t keep my hand too still when we drive for any distance, as it will still go to sleep. The same thing happens in the dentist’s chair. These symptoms are probably from a spur on a cervical vertebra, but who knows??

One symptom that I had never gone to a doctor with was the way I would think I was smiling when my picture was taken, only to see that my face was blank when I saw the photo later. That is a definite Parkinson’s trait, and it’s been something that I was aware of for many years.

There may be other symptoms that I’ll think of later, but I’ve read this post to my DH, and he’s in agreement that these are an accurate list of some of the puzzling things that have happened to me over the years. I hope other Parkies will contribute to this post, too, so it will be as informative as possible.

Miralax, Zelnorm, Glycerin Suppositories Update

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 6

I just thought I’d been bring you up to date on how the regimen the Gastroenterologist put me on for constipation is working. I’m currently taking the Zelnorm in the morning at least 30 minutes before breakfast, and again in the evening. I sprinkle 17g of the generic form of Miralax on my high fiber cereal each morning. (It comes with a marked dose cup.) I can’t even remember the last time I had to take the glycerin suppositories. The Bowel Retraining routine worked in about 10 days of using the suppositories at approximately the same time each day.

I’m no longer having problems in the bathroom, and have not had for some time now. I don’t want to “jinx” it, but it looks like that difficulty has been overcome, thanks to Dr. B.

Tummy Improvement OR Walking Faster?

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 8

I’ve been on the new Zelepar medicine for several days now, and my digestive system is behaving just fine. I don’t seem to be getting quite as much help with my gait as I did with the Requip or Sinemet, however, but I’m still on the samples. When I go back to the Neurologist next Friday, it may be that he will order a prescription for a higher dose or more doses, which might make the difference. Anyway, even if the dose stays where it is now, it seems like a reasonable trade off between stomach problems and balance and walking problems. I’d love to walk better, but I can live with it the way it is now, if I have to. It’s nice not to spend part of every day miserable, with a hot pad on my tummy!

I said at first the Zelepar didn’t taste bitter, however, I’d better amend that evaluation. Yes, it is bitter, but not enough to bother me, anyway. (The trick is to be sure you place it under, not on, the tongue.) It dissolves under my tongue so quickly that it’s just a few seconds, and I can swallow it. You’re not allowed to drink or eat anything for at least 5 minutes before or after taking it, but my saliva quickly washes the taste away.

We’re still staying with my Daddy, which means I spend most of my days and every night in a hot house. We tried to find a compromise temperature for the thermostat, but at 101, he gets too cold, while we’re still sweltering. I have noticed that I’m having more trouble with the heat this week, since I’ve been on the Zelepar, than I was before I started taking it. I’m getting what feels exactly like hot flashes several times a day, and I’ve been past that stage for some time now. I have read that Parkinson’s can mess with the body’s regulation of internal temperature, so I guess that’s what’s happening to me right now. Or is it because of the Zelepar? I really don’t know.

I was on Requip before starting the Zelepar. Requip is a dopamine agonist, but Zelepar is an MAO-inhibitor, so they don’t attack the PD symptoms the same way. There’s big news in the Birmingham News today that a doctor at UAB is close to getting FDA approval for a patch version of a dopamine agonist. That will be good news for me, as the Requip did a better job of improving my balance and walking than it looks like the MAO-inhibitors are going to. I’m all for any PD med that I don’t have to swallow!! So this is something else for me to be hopeful about.

It’s great to see that there is good news on the horizon for the large number of people who really suffer with this disease. My own symptoms and discomfort level are so mild compared to people who have had Parkinson’s for years. I pray that all this new research may bring them relief in the near future, instead of years from now.

Life’s Unexpected Turns

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 2

This has certainly been a strange last couple of days for me. It started with my laptop suddenly getting the dreaded Blue Screen of Death over and over, for no apparent reason, right before Thanksgiving. We had all the family coming for dinner, and that meant moving all the eBay stuff out of the guest bedroom, so the grandkids could spend the night. That meant there was no time to work on the ole ‘puter, so I had my first taste of computer withdrawal LOL.

I behaved myself, and only worked on the computer in between housework, as I found out very quickly that I have no stamina at all. I used to be able to move all the stuff quite easily, dust and vacuum, and generally straighten the house with no trouble, but not any more. It seemed like I needed to sit down every few minutes and catch my breath. Thank goodness my dear hubby was doing all he could to straighten up the place, and of course he did all the shopping.

Our family helped out a lot on Thanksgiving, instead of just coming and sitting down to the meal, the way they always have before. Our SIL cooked the turkey, and our daughters took care of the deserts, so DH fixed the vegetables, and I didn’t have to do anything. It’s just as well, as I woke up with those bad stomach cramps and the bloating again on Thanksgiving Day. I spent most of the day with a hot pad on my tummy, ate almost nothing at lunch, but did enjoy having everybody here. Daddy ate almost nothing, and no amount of prodding would get another bite in him. The kids were particularly good this year, as they stayed quiet all day. I asked DD if she had threatened them within an inch of their lives, but she said she hadn’t said a thing to them. So they hadn’t made Daddy nervous, as they sometimes do with their playful noise, so it didn’t make sense that he wasn’t eating.

We had a wonderful time enjoying getting to visit with everybody all at once, particularly since our older daughter and her hubby will be with his parents for Christmas this year. Younger daughter and the girls spent the night and didn’t go home until Friday afternoon, so we did get on our other laptop and do some Wishlist shopping for the girls, so I’ll have some things to pick from that they really want.

After such a pleasant day and a half, even with my stomach cramping, our whole world turned upside down when I got up to Daddy’s to fix his supper Friday evening. I found him in the living room floor, conscious, but unable to get out of the floor. He was not hurt, evidently, and doesn’t remember falling, but he’d been on the floor most of the day. Mind you, he has one of those “I’ve Fallen, and I Can’t Get Up” buttons in his shirt pockets, but he wouldn’t use it! I’ve never been able to get him to use it. No matter how many times I explain it to him, he thinks it’s going to call an ambulance and take him to the hospital. But I have it set to call us, and then a neighbor, and only call the EMT’s as a last resort.

So I called my DH, and he all but ran up there, and got him out of the floor, by the hardest. He was very weak, as he had not eaten since breakfast, and he’s diabetic. We got some juice and a banana into him, and soon realized that he must have had a mild stroke, as his speech was slurred.

So, I’ve been taking care of him now for the last few days. He seems to be getting stronger, and his appetite is improving. His speech is still slurred and I’m being really careful to feed him thick foods like oatmeal, so he won’t choke. I’m not sure what we will do today. It would be extremely difficult to take him to the doctor, and I’m not so sure it would accomplish anything if we did.

As for me, I can really tell the stress has put a strain on my Parkinson’s meds. My balance is poor, because I’m really tired, and my back is bothering me from trying to help him stand up. Luckily, I’ve had lots of practice at care giving, and I do know the correct way to do things, body mechanics wise.

Daddy will be 102 in March, so it’s going to be very difficult for him to recover from whatever happened Friday. He wants to stay home, and I want to be able to help him do that if it’s at all possible. If I could be fairly certain that taking him to the doctor would get us some Hospice help, then it would be worth the trouble of getting him in and out of the car and the doctor’s office.