Im either hungover from a bottle of wine, and a glass of prosecco and port or I slept weird or Im coming down with something.
I just don't feel well. All I could find in my bag was low dose aspirin so I took 4 before we left. We were supposed to meet Bill for breakfast but that didn't work out, so we left after a cup of caffeine, dropped buck off, and went out to Richard.
He was bad. Completely unable to swallow normal or thickened liquid. Couldn't clear his throat, complaining hes feeling awful and the phlem in his throat is bothering him. Didn't have the strength to rearrange himself in his bed...
Met with Igor the social worker and went over the Oct 3rd VA appointment and transportation, met with his nurse to talk about his fluid intake, and requested him back on an IV because of his inability to drink....which was a hassle. Requested they consider aspirating him or giving him something to dry up the mucous....also a hassle....everything felt like a hassle and I was frustrated he seemed to be back sliding. Requiring a machine to remove the phlem doesn't jive with becoming independent to me.
Did his vocal exercises with him and left feeling quite defeated and worried...and still personally awful. Im sweating in a sleeveless shirt, and my head is pounding.
Carolyn and I went to a dim sum place he suggested and had another great meal. I'll go back there again before I leave for sure. Left and dropped her off in Golden Gate Park at the Japanese Tea Garden and she enjoyed a visit there an the the DeYoung museum. I came home, took two advil, and a sudafed and took a nap, and on my way back Im thinking that maybe since he has just had so many good days hes just having a bad day and needs to rest.
I felt better after a rest, and then the VA Neurology department calls saying that whoever called and moved up the appointment side stepped and that they only do botox every three months. His last was July 14th, just two weeks before his bleed. I explained that it was supposed to be a lot more than just the botox, he was supposed to get a swallowing exam, his meds reviewed and the botox...that hes lost a lot of weight, he is having difficulty swallowing, and that the phlem was becoming an issue. She starts reviewing notes, looks like maybe the swallowing exam was revoked possibly, and in the end she is only an appointment review person that works in the clinic. She would get together with the team on Monday and have the Doctors contact me in the afternoon....ugh.
In my mind this is all a snowball effect. If he cant drink he cant get hydrated, if he cant eat he cant keep his strength up, if he cant do these two things he can't utilize his time in rehab. Parkinson's is an evil evil machine...and I am a worry wart.
Called the blind man massage and got him set up for another 30 minute session on sunday at 2pm.
So we head back over with Buck and utilized their parking garage for free parking. When we arrive to his room he is sitting up eating his institutional dinner. Thank god he is pretty much back to normal and low and behold he has an IV in. Nurse says hes approved for 4 bags and they started it around lunch time which is about when we left last time. He had just had his meds. He said he did his physical therapy well today.
This is such a roller coaster ride, but if I put it in perspective the good days have outnumbered the bad days, and the bad days are not every other day like they used to be.
I really really really need to get him into VA for the Parkinson's review stuff, so I am looking forward to Monday already.
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