Theresa's Story

When your husband is diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer's,  that ailment becomes yours too.

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Our journey began in the summer of 2014. It became obvious to our friends and neighbors that my husband suffered when he walked, and would have a blank stare resulting in less communication. I never knew anyone with Parkinson's, so these signs weren't alarming to me - at least at the time.

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Now I know there is a test to determine how much dopamine is in your brain, and, thus, this test will be valuable to you and your neurologist regarding treatment options.

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Unfortunately for us, the idea of having a degenerative disease threw us for a loop!

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My husband was an athlete. He was a life guard for twenty years, he jogged every day, and he was always, always, doing work around the house. He never sat still until it all happened.

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In October of 2014 I went to the hospital because I had symptoms of a stroke. It was Bell's palsy. While in the hospital, several neurologists would come by to check on me and guess what- every single neurologist saw my husband and said to me, "I see your husband has Parkinson's."

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It has been eight years since my husband was diagnosed, and he is still in denial. It has been a journey of seeking out neurologists and these last eight years are a blur!

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Every year becomes more difficult- the symptoms are more obvious, a walker is needed, I am washing and dressing him, and he's discontent at night and needs a catheter.

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Sometimes he needs me to cut his meat. Yes, he is taking medication but, because sometimes you, as a caretaker, know better than your doctor! My husband had to be hospitalized due to too much medication. 

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He was having seizures, dyskinesia, and flailing causing him to have falls that ended with more hospitalizations. In other words, we were having fun :)

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I want to mention two things, which I believe are very important. The first is there are two schools of though. Medicate or do not medicate. 

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You cannot take the imaging test if you have started medication. So, please take that test. It will help you going forward. We had started the medication - we were confused and overwhelmed.

 

Luckily, you will be taking care of a toddler! So, please try to have a sense of demeanor. I call my husband Houdini, the magician, when his catheter ends up in bed with us. We laugh - it's good for the soul.

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Also, I ask God to help me every day. Not necessarily in prayer- God help me!!! And he does! It could be an unexpected phone call to brighten my day, or a friend stops by to visit. If you pay attention you will surely see the Hand of God in your every day existence! Thank God!

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