swi71
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2007
- Messages
- 57
- Reason
- Loved one DX
- Diagnosis
- 07/2002
- Country
- US
- State
- IL
- City
- Morris
I haven't been saying much here of late--just visiting and reading.
Gerald did get to RIC. Orthotics gave us some braces to try to help the contractures. Since he can't talk, I can only hope that the braces aren't hurting. We won't know for a while if the bracing is helping.
Gerald had a real bad day last week--didn't seem to be able to swallow (but he has done fine by mouth since then). As some know, he doesn't have a PEG (his request before he lost speech). I contacted his doctor about a swallow study and the feasibility of a PEG at this point. I don't want to go against his wishes, but I don't know if I have the strength to watch him starve to death. He can not communicate with us in any way due to FTD, so I can't know what he is thinking. I am scared that putting in a PEG at this point will also be too difficult for him to go through. Unfortunately, all this means another trip to Chicago (1 1/2 hours at best and very tough on him) and I start back to work on Tuesday.
To top this off, my daughter (23 years old) has a nodule in her thyroid that may or may not be cancer. She has had some inconclusive tests, so her ENT referred her to a specialist. We see him Tuesday night. She is scared--she is supposed to start student teaching after 5 grueling years of school next week. She was so looking forward to being done by Christmas.
Our faith is strong, but we're getting a little shell-shocked here. Please keep us in your prayers.
Sharon
Gerald did get to RIC. Orthotics gave us some braces to try to help the contractures. Since he can't talk, I can only hope that the braces aren't hurting. We won't know for a while if the bracing is helping.
Gerald had a real bad day last week--didn't seem to be able to swallow (but he has done fine by mouth since then). As some know, he doesn't have a PEG (his request before he lost speech). I contacted his doctor about a swallow study and the feasibility of a PEG at this point. I don't want to go against his wishes, but I don't know if I have the strength to watch him starve to death. He can not communicate with us in any way due to FTD, so I can't know what he is thinking. I am scared that putting in a PEG at this point will also be too difficult for him to go through. Unfortunately, all this means another trip to Chicago (1 1/2 hours at best and very tough on him) and I start back to work on Tuesday.
To top this off, my daughter (23 years old) has a nodule in her thyroid that may or may not be cancer. She has had some inconclusive tests, so her ENT referred her to a specialist. We see him Tuesday night. She is scared--she is supposed to start student teaching after 5 grueling years of school next week. She was so looking forward to being done by Christmas.
Our faith is strong, but we're getting a little shell-shocked here. Please keep us in your prayers.
Sharon