therustycupboard

  This is a week that I have been dreading....we have an appointment in Meridian on Friday for hubby to see the neurologist. She wanted us to go for 4 months without meds and then come back. She wanted us to note what we saw and she will evaluate what the next step is. The kids and friends all have noticed a decline in him. He no longer reads just sets. I try hard to find things to make him move and do. Even if they are silly it gets him to react. I need your prayers as the doctor will decide what meds as the Lewy body is doctored then the Parkinson will get worse and vice versa....so not sure what she will do. Kids and I have agreed that we will do what the neurologist says either way. Lewy body is so different than other dementias... While camping he got confused and turned around....but not bad. He helped a little but not much. People you loose your best friend, best hubby, and you find yourself feeling like you are really just a caretaker.....I try not to feel that way bu

  this week we got to finally go see an elder atorney....this is something all the forums tell you to do immediately after being diagnosed. I have googled many questions...talked with a lot of seniors and I was so confused about a few things. I was almost stressed out over which to do sell the house or keep it....well no longer the attorney was very kind took time to answer all our questions and explain them. He went over everything...yes, he charges $250 per hour and then so much for each document that you need written up...everyone is different, but it is so worth it for me. I had ones telling me to sell and ones saying no....now I know what the right answer is and what to do next. If you can ...go now and get it all together,,...take the stress off.

  Things for us are on a even roll....hubby has been doing pretty good. His legs are getting bad and his knees hurt a lot...this disease they sometimes don't know they have a hurt...when they do...he thinks when something happens he will say "that crazy thing happens every day at the same time" when it really doesn't....he has difficulty in sequencing activities like what happened now and what is next....his strength is getting worse....it is hard to watch everyday as I lose a little more of him....he can no longer go to the basement for laundry....he can't cook....can't empty the dishwasher or mow the lawn....I am learning to cope with this...learning to step up....but the hard part is he doesn't realize he can no longer do it because he can't really remember doing it...he claims he is showering everyday when I have to make him shower....causes an argument but we get it done....he goes to work but he mostly just sets and watches...he will help once i

 We have lived in a 1958 ranch style home for 21 years.  We have worked on it, planted the yard, changed things and made it home. Now that we are facing this disease things change.  Our laundry is in the basement with two bedrooms, recreation room and pantry.  Hubby is beginning to have problems with his legs and his knees.  I am now starting to see it is only a matter of time and he will no longer be able to take the stairs down to the basement. I hate this, because I love our home.  I love my changes. I love where it is located.  I love owning something, but I need to think about hubby; so I made the decision to sell.  I struggled with this idea.  What is next for me?  Where do I go?  My only answer is placing my hand in the hand of the Lord and waiting for his leading.

 This was sent to me and it is so important....just a few tips to remember....

 Today is hubbies 73rd birthday.....we were excited for him.  But we had agreed to celebrate it next weekend when the kids will be here, and we are all camping at the local state park and going to the Asotin county fair and parade. So today we were going to go to work for a few hours and then relax the rest of the day.  When we got home, we decided to go to Costco for a few items and our 16-year-old grandson was with us for the weekend.  We were having fun and finished at Costco when we got back to our car hubby had a melt down.  I told grandson to put the groceries in the back of the jeep and the toilet paper in the backseat next to him.  That's when hubby lost it...he began throwing his arms around yelling "you do that... don't do that" and yelling at grandson.  People were stopping and looking at him....I jumped from the driver's seat and said "Brent settle down everything is fine...just get in"....he begins to yell "you never listen to me".

  This picture just made me happy today. Not so much as things are changing for me but that we can make of our journey what we can.  They tell us we are in stages....and not everyone will go through the same stage at any given time during the journey of Lewy body dementia.... This last week we have been in a sad stage.  Hubby knows he has the disease; he knows he is a Christian and that God has things in control but still he is human. We were just setting and watching TV one evening and hubby turned to me with tears in his eyes..."I didn't ask for this disease".... I don't know what I have done to get it....and why?????? It was so sad.... but all I could say was "no we don't know but we still know who holds our hands and he has a good reason for everything.".... He tries to work but no energy.... tries to read but can't focus....tries to do dishes but doesn't know where they go.... he stopped helping with laundry as too complicated.  He is still