Hi everyone
I've been reading the forum for a while, guess its time I wrote my own thread. Dad is 77, after a scan was diagnosed with VD around 3 years ago. Apart from a few TIA's in his 60's and some high BP he's fit and healthy. The problem first became noticeable with a loss of words. I didnt take too much notice because Dad would always have gaps in his sentences while he found the exact word he needed, I guess he is / was a perfectionist. In the early days he became angry and had mood swings but the Dr soon leveled those off with some medication. He sees a specialist every 6 months and I went with him and he didnt really deteriorate much. 1 year ago I took a job in the USA but manage to get home every 3 months. I managed to get EPA before I left. In the last year I've found it so very difficult to help him. He simply cannot construct a sentence either verbally or written, hunts for completely the wrong often complicated word, gets very confused over numbers, and sees absolutely everything in life as a problem. I know he dreads opening the mail because the contents confuse him so much. He's an intelligent man and gets so frustrated with his disability.
His consultant got him on a 6 week speech therapy course but Dad sees this as schoolwork and childish exercises when the whole point is to exercise the dead part of his brain. I managed to see the therapist last week when I was in the UK but Dad just argued with her.
I feel helpless being so far away. His inability to talk makes phone calls extremely upsetting for both of us, and I feel so guilty I'm not there for him. (I promised my Mum I would look after him just before she died)
I get some support just reading the threads here but the questions I want to ask dont have real or definitive answers. Should I go home? Does he need daily care? When WILL he need daily care that I can give him? When will he need more specialist care? Can anyone tell me what to expect next? If Dad is healthy in every other way can he simply die of VD?
He gets extremely confused over money and the solicitor has suggested we visit when I'm next in UK to maybe move to full Power of attorney. I'm worried he will make a mistake over money and I read stories on here about people going out and not knowing where they are, halucinating etc. I know that when that happens I need to be near, but if only I knew when that might be.
I dont expett too many answers, but its been good for me to get it off my chest. Any thoughts or comments would be of great help, thanks, Steve
I've been reading the forum for a while, guess its time I wrote my own thread. Dad is 77, after a scan was diagnosed with VD around 3 years ago. Apart from a few TIA's in his 60's and some high BP he's fit and healthy. The problem first became noticeable with a loss of words. I didnt take too much notice because Dad would always have gaps in his sentences while he found the exact word he needed, I guess he is / was a perfectionist. In the early days he became angry and had mood swings but the Dr soon leveled those off with some medication. He sees a specialist every 6 months and I went with him and he didnt really deteriorate much. 1 year ago I took a job in the USA but manage to get home every 3 months. I managed to get EPA before I left. In the last year I've found it so very difficult to help him. He simply cannot construct a sentence either verbally or written, hunts for completely the wrong often complicated word, gets very confused over numbers, and sees absolutely everything in life as a problem. I know he dreads opening the mail because the contents confuse him so much. He's an intelligent man and gets so frustrated with his disability.
His consultant got him on a 6 week speech therapy course but Dad sees this as schoolwork and childish exercises when the whole point is to exercise the dead part of his brain. I managed to see the therapist last week when I was in the UK but Dad just argued with her.
I feel helpless being so far away. His inability to talk makes phone calls extremely upsetting for both of us, and I feel so guilty I'm not there for him. (I promised my Mum I would look after him just before she died)
I get some support just reading the threads here but the questions I want to ask dont have real or definitive answers. Should I go home? Does he need daily care? When WILL he need daily care that I can give him? When will he need more specialist care? Can anyone tell me what to expect next? If Dad is healthy in every other way can he simply die of VD?
He gets extremely confused over money and the solicitor has suggested we visit when I'm next in UK to maybe move to full Power of attorney. I'm worried he will make a mistake over money and I read stories on here about people going out and not knowing where they are, halucinating etc. I know that when that happens I need to be near, but if only I knew when that might be.
I dont expett too many answers, but its been good for me to get it off my chest. Any thoughts or comments would be of great help, thanks, Steve
