As long as I go gently, no running or whumping along at my normal pace for the moment! So I tootled along at a gentle 5kph rather than my usual 6.5. But at least it was something! And at least I am reassured that I am
not facing knee replacement surgery! Doc says as far as she can see, the cartilege and joint appear ok.
I was talking to her about William, and the progression of his dementia, and mentioned to her what I was saying here earlier. This thing of the insidious creeping of behavioural changes that started many years before anything that looked definitively like dementia came along - the controlling behaviour, the bullying, the paranoia, gradually increasing over the years until it wasn't funny anymore. And this "psychic vampire" thing. All of which were there for several years before we knew he had dementia. She knew exactly what I was talking about - and she was very interested. She said "This is where us medics need to be getting more aware and getting more on board and listening to what people like you are telling us. Because while there is that thing of when and where do you draw a line between signs of illness and plain behaviour issues - the earlier dementia can be seen, the greater the chance that the progression can be delayed. And if behaviour changes like this might be being caused by say, pre-dementia, or dementia so early that it couldn't be diagnosed at all yet - then we need to be taking note."
She did say thought that when behavioural changes are so very gradual, it can be really hard to see them except with hindsight - and she also said that you would wonder how many relationships just break down under those behavioural changes, so that we will never see a pattern of reporting of these kind of changes that come so early, because there is no-one there with the person all the time. They are left to it.
I am feeling very tired after my early start this morning and my busy day - but also feeling very accomplished! I invested in a new wireless printer, which will also scan and copy. And this evening, I have managed to do the set up and installation myself! Tired as I am, I sat there having to read some instructions over and over, going "Wha?" before I managed bits - but I did it! I had been thinking about getting one, because it's a right pain, and can be expensive, to have to go to town and pay everytime I need stuff copied! Especially if it's colour stuff. And now, one of William's daughters wants some of the photographs that my dau used on the poster sheets she made to display at the funeral reception - his dau wants to do the same at the Memorial Service. I don't want to send her the actual photos, as I doubt I'd get them back! So I thought I can scan them and email them to her!