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Wednesday 8 December 2010

Thanks for the support

I would like to put on record the thanks of my family and I for the support we have received over the past few days.

I would like to write that my father's health is getting better, but it is not. He has been undergoing tests and assessments since my brother and I took him first to his own doctor, and then on to the local hospital. It is now clear that he did not suffer a stroke on Saturday as we had first feared, but there is evidence to indicate that he had suffered at least one on a previous occasion.

The current diagnosis is that he is suffering from vascular dementia. This is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s, and is caused by problems in the supply of blood to the brain. The symptoms include:
  • Problems concentrating and communicating
  • Depression accompanying the dementia
  • Symptoms of stroke
  • Memory problems
  • A 'stepped' progression, with symptoms remaining at a constant level and then suddenly deteriorating
  • Periods of acute confusion
  • Hallucinations
  • Delusions
  • Walking about and getting lost
  • Physical or verbal aggression
  • Restlessness
  • Incontinence
My father has almost all of these symptoms, and it would appear highly likely that this is what he is suffering from. We are now faced with the problem of finding him a residential home where he can have 24-hour care in the hands of staff who are trained to deal with people suffering from dementia.

8 comments:

  1. That's a dreadful thing to be dealing with Bob. I'm sure I speak for many when I offer any support I can. You know where I am.
    Tim

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  2. Hello Bob,

    Very sorry to hear about your father. We had a similar situation with my maternal grandmother a few years ago, so I understand how difficult these kinds of things are.

    Very Best Wishes,

    Stokes

    ReplyDelete
  3. Again, thanks for your thoughts and support.

    Things are difficult, and not likely to get better. The only good thing is that we are now able to be a bit more proactive rather than reactive, and have put in motion the legal processes we will need to use to run my father's affairs for him.

    Luckily he had - with our assistance - set this up whilst he was still lucid, so it will be a lot easier than if we were trying to do it now.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  4. Hi Bob,

    Once again our thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time. My mother suffered from the same condition as a result of her COPD and so I know how distressing this can be for all concerned.

    All the very best,

    DC

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  5. David Crook,

    Many thanks again for your support.

    This situation is not one that is easy to come to terms with, and therefore not easy to deal with. My father is not the man that he was ... and deep down, I suspect that he knows that there is something wrong and that there is nothing he can do about it.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
  6. Geordie an Exiled FoG,

    Many thanks for your thoughts and support.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
  7. My condolences to you Bob - no response required, you have more than enough to be getting on with...

    ReplyDelete

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