Harriet:
This isn’t a new topic, but one that keeps reoccurring for me. I have been exhausted since Easter Weekend.
Over Easter Weekend, we visited our daughter-in-law’s parents near Toronto, (Aurora) Ontario, Canada. Getting ready is exhausting enough; it takes so much effort. There is: laundry, packing, Easter gifts to buy and wrap, and so on.
We got together with our son, Zachary, and his wife, Gina in Ferndale, a suburb of Detroit. It was a four to five-hour drive from their house to Aurora. What a beautiful country Canada is. It rained almost all the way from Detroit to Gina’s parent’s home. We got the tour of their beautiful home and settled in with snacks and drinks.
Right after dinner, Dave had a call that his Dad was in the hospital and was not expected to live for more than a few days. It was decided that he would fly from Toronto to Florida first thing in the morning.
When I woke up, Saturday morning, Dave was already gone. I went down stairs, it smelled like breakfast, but nobody was around. It seemed a bit odd, but I went about getting what others had earlier. I was ok, I knew Zach and Gina were there, and her family is so nice and understanding about my condition. It was a whirlwind day with all kinds of preparations being made for Easter Sunday. That Evening Gina’s Grandfather, Frank an Immigrant from Italy, came to dinner. He was very charming, and the evening was a lot of fun. We were going to go to Saturday Evening Mass, at the Italian Catholic Church, but forgot that there was only Easter Vigil which is a service that lasts for about four hours. It was decided to go to mass the next morning, which meant getting there extra early, because of how crowded the church would be.
Easter Sunday didn’t go as planned. I was having trouble getting around and Zach was late getting into the shower. We did not get to the church early enough, so that as we were going in a huge group of people was coming out, who told us that there wasn’t even standing room in the sanctuary or the overflow rooms. Disappointed, we returned to Anthony and Adriana’s house and watched the Mass on television. That was quite nice, except for the fact that you don’t get to receive the Eucharist at home.
That afternoon there were quite a number of friends and family came for Easter Dinner, which was Lamb Chops, I guess because Jesus, the Lamb of God, died and rose again for us. I met a wonderful Muslim couple, and their daughter, from Iran. There was also a guy and his daughter from Kazakhstan. What a delightful change from our usual ham and potato dinner with our family.
We had to leave that evening to return to Detroit, because Zach had to go to work early the next morning. Instead of continuing to, our home in, Adrian, I spent the night at Zach and Gina’s house. It was already late when we got back to Ferndale, and I sometimes have problems driving after dark.
When I got up the next morning, Zach had already left for work.
Gina and I had a great time together. We went out to lunch to a Thai restaurant. I was starting to get tired. I stopped a couple of places and headed home. I stopped and picked up my Daisy dog. Boy, was I beat! That was the last thing I did for days…or for weeks. When other FTD people talk about how tired they get and how long it takes to rest up, I completely understand. Sometimes, I think I might be sick, or I’m coming down with something. I worry that I won’t come back from it. I know Dave is concerned that I won’t.
David:
What a change a little medication can make. Last week I told you about Dr. Li and his diagnosis, of my emotional problems. He believed that my anger, rage, crying, and that kind of behavior, was caused by a lack of sleep. However, he did blood work, just to rule out any other cause. Well, the blood work report shows that all the tests are within normal ranges. I’m right on the edge of diabetes, but if I can lose the weight and go down to 190 pounds that will take care of itself.
I filled the prescription, for the mood stabilizer/sleep aid, last Friday evening and had a great night’s sleep. Now, a week later, I am happy to report that I have slept well every night this week. Hallelujah!! Thank you, Lord!!
Not only that, but on Tuesday, I was collecting the garbage because the collection goes on Wednesday morning. I had the contents of almost every garbage can in one big bag. I set the bag on a bar stool and went to do something else. Of course, the bag fell off the stool and spilled most of the contents all over the kitchen floor. What a mess: coffee grounds, egg shells, papers, and all kinds of junk were strewn across the kitchen floor. Last week I would have released a tirade that would scare the dog and upset Harriet. Last Tuesday, I just cleaned up the mess. I think I’m going to be able to stand to be with myself after all.
Harriet wrote above about her exhaustion from the weekend in Toronto. I went on the Facebook Support Group, Ask the FTD Patient? and everyone agreed that this is a common experience for those with FTD. One person answered and said that she has had a similar experience in the past. She went on to say, that she was going to the AFTD Conference in LA and when she gets home, she will be exhausted and worry about permanent damage.
The Facebook Support groups are a wonderful resource because you’re hearing from people who are going through the same thing you are. Sometimes they are ahead of you in the process and can give you the benefit of their wisdom. That is one reason I hate to see people drop out after their LO dies. Some of us need the wisdom that comes from experience that only they can give.
Please pray for us. Rest assured that we are praying for you.
Dave
A Caregiver's Journal 