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More on my dad.
Apr. 14th, 2009 08:05 pmToday was the appointment with the neurologist. My mom took in a written record of everything my dad's been through since this started (she started keeping a symptom diary right away -- my mom is awesome) along with all the test results, etc. Based on her examination and the records before her, she suspects the following:
My dad was taking Coumadin, which is a blood-thinning agent. It was supposed to be closely monitored by his docs at the VA, but between personnel changes and ice storms and whatnot, he missed an appointment and wasn't able to get another rescheduled. His blood got too thin and he became prone to bleeding -- and that bleeding occurred in the brain. It wasn't a stroke because there wasn't a clot involved, but she thinks that it ended up with damage nonetheless. They're going to do another MRI (this time on a better machine with a more skilled tech) and see if they can't find if there's still a damaged blood vessel. If there is a tear or something, they'll have to go in and repair it.
They've got my dad's blood just about straightened out now. If he'd gone to the hospital on the day it initially happened, they probably would have been able to see it, but it wouldn't have changed the outcome -- since it wasn't a clot, the clot medicine for strokes wouldn't have helped. As it is, he's eating better, sleeping better, his tremors are about gone, and his pain levels are way down. His understanding is good, his communication is pretty good, even his sense of humor is there, but his memory is just... well, "holes you could drive a semi through" is a good description. He doesn't know what day it is or year it is. He still can't hold onto what town he lives in, though his SSN and such are still intact. He doesn't remember that his dad has passed away, or that I live here and not at home. Some of the things he does "remember" aren't real and he can't tell the difference -- Mom has to keep him on track with that. His short-term memory is almost entirely gone.
I don't know. He may get better. He may not. He already has made pretty big improvements and anything is possible. They'll know more if they can pinpoint where the damage is... maybe there's some therapy that will help. What it will mostly be, however, is time.
I know I'm not really dealing with this yet. I haven't talked to him since this happened... the phone is confusing for him, not to have a face or anything to focus on, and he can't really follow what people around him are saying in conversation all that well if they aren't there with him. So all of this is at a remove... filtered through my mom and my own desire to push through and get him help and to be strong for her. I think it's starting to hit, though, and I know that the next time I see him... whenever that is... yeah.
Think good thoughts for him, will you? He so deserves them.
My dad was taking Coumadin, which is a blood-thinning agent. It was supposed to be closely monitored by his docs at the VA, but between personnel changes and ice storms and whatnot, he missed an appointment and wasn't able to get another rescheduled. His blood got too thin and he became prone to bleeding -- and that bleeding occurred in the brain. It wasn't a stroke because there wasn't a clot involved, but she thinks that it ended up with damage nonetheless. They're going to do another MRI (this time on a better machine with a more skilled tech) and see if they can't find if there's still a damaged blood vessel. If there is a tear or something, they'll have to go in and repair it.
They've got my dad's blood just about straightened out now. If he'd gone to the hospital on the day it initially happened, they probably would have been able to see it, but it wouldn't have changed the outcome -- since it wasn't a clot, the clot medicine for strokes wouldn't have helped. As it is, he's eating better, sleeping better, his tremors are about gone, and his pain levels are way down. His understanding is good, his communication is pretty good, even his sense of humor is there, but his memory is just... well, "holes you could drive a semi through" is a good description. He doesn't know what day it is or year it is. He still can't hold onto what town he lives in, though his SSN and such are still intact. He doesn't remember that his dad has passed away, or that I live here and not at home. Some of the things he does "remember" aren't real and he can't tell the difference -- Mom has to keep him on track with that. His short-term memory is almost entirely gone.
I don't know. He may get better. He may not. He already has made pretty big improvements and anything is possible. They'll know more if they can pinpoint where the damage is... maybe there's some therapy that will help. What it will mostly be, however, is time.
I know I'm not really dealing with this yet. I haven't talked to him since this happened... the phone is confusing for him, not to have a face or anything to focus on, and he can't really follow what people around him are saying in conversation all that well if they aren't there with him. So all of this is at a remove... filtered through my mom and my own desire to push through and get him help and to be strong for her. I think it's starting to hit, though, and I know that the next time I see him... whenever that is... yeah.
Think good thoughts for him, will you? He so deserves them.
