Took Daddy to the Doctor

We did take Daddy to the doctor yesterday afternoon. We borrowed a wheelchair from one of our church friends, and we have a very nice ramp left from when Mama needed it, so that made getting him there less of a hassle. The worst part was the long wait at the doctor's office. We had a 2:00 appointment, but didn't see him until after 3:00, and that's normal. If he weren't so conveniently close to the house, we wouldn't put up with it.

Anyway, he started talking about MRI's and tests on carotids, and I told him that we wouldn't be doing any of that, because we wouldn't be following through with any of the results. That took him aback for a second, and then he stopped and thought about who his patient was, and agreed with me. I told him my concern was if Daddy might be developing pneumonia, which could be dealt with, and could he get us some help from Home Health or Hospice. I told him that the stress and extra work of the last few days had exhausted my Parkinson's meds ability to cope with my symptoms, and that my legs were very wobbly. He agreed that Daddy should qualify for some kind of help, and he would get his office lady on it. He gave Daddy an antibiotic shot and a prescription for more antibiotics, and that was it. He agreed with me that it appeared that he had suffered a small stroke, but was reluctant to start him on Cumadin or any other blood thinner, because of his age (he's 101).

So, it was a long day, and a tiring one, as only waiting in a doctor's office can be tiring, but I think we accomplished what I had hoped we would. This doctor will get him on Hospice if it's possible, and that will be the help we need to keep him in his own home. The one thing Daddy dreads is ending up in the hospital or a nursing home, and it's important to me that I help him have the Quality of Life that he wants, even if it shortens it a little. As long as he has lived, I don't think that's a bad thing. With the extra help, and all the help that my DH is giving, we'll make it through this. We've known it was coming, as it was inevitable, but it's still harder to deal with than we had planned, thanks to the Parkinson's leaving me with so little stamina.