Things I have noticed lately

1/5/12

Happy New Year, hoping it a good one for all of us.

Things I have noticed lately;

Appetite has lessened, he does not seem to eat as much, slower at processing foods, takes twice as long to eat as in the past but still stuffs his mouth with food. The stuffing of the mouth is hard for me and I spend too much time watching and holding his hand down to prevent him from doing it. I explain about the choking process and how before you start to cough you take in a breath and if your mouth is full of ½ chewed food it can get lodged in the throat, but to no avail time after time month after month and year after years the stuffing continues, I don’t get it. I know it is a symptom and the person with PSP can’t help it but it is still hard for me to understand.

Quiet – he doesn’t often start a conversation or participate in a conversation started by others. This again is sad to see, Bernie was always a chatter box, center of attention.

Breathing difficulties while sleeping, short breaths taken, pauses in breathing patterns (sleep apnea), failure to take a breath for a period of time. This one is difficult as well because it deprives both the person with the illness and the spouse of a good night’s rest.  

He also has shortness of breath when he walks, we just found out at his last doctor’s appointment that his has diminished lung capacity, this in a man who for 30+ years ran at least 40 miles a week.

Well back to work my lunch is over, be back to post another day.