The life of a man suffering from Huntington's Disease, a genetic and fatal illness. Every child of a HD parent has a 50 % chance of suffering from this fatal degenerative neurological illness. This is the story of one such person.
Thursday, 24 January 2013
A Sort of Homecoming
Friday, 12 October 2012
Transitions
So in some of the worst taste I've ever exhibited here (especially considering how much Jane dislikes not only their music but local Martin L. Gore in particular):
Monday, 11 June 2012
Been too long, Popping in with an update.
For two weeks my laptop is in the shop. The canister is used by the twins so I'm a bit uncomfortable using that for my personal writings. The problem is Blogger's mobile platform doesn't allow me to place embedded music videos so its going to be text for a while.
First, my friends Stella and Jan of HDTrainwreck are in my thoughts. Jan is having a bit of a crisis of Faith with all the destruction HD is causing around her. Both her sister and Father are suffering from this disease.
Jan went to the Las Vegas HD Convention this year on scholarship. Stella also applied but did not receive one.
I've been asked if I am going. A resounding NO! Perhaps it was seeing my mother suffer before killing herself. Perhaps it was seeing my grandfather succumb to the final stages of the disease, but I know where I'm going. Simply put I don't want to be around it anymore.
This isn't new to me, I considered going to a support group once. Just the idea gave me nightmares for a month. I think it's great for some people, I'm just not one of them.
Stella is still battling her depression. In terms of dealing with soft symptoms I feel like she's my soul sister. I was in the hospital for them myself last week. It stated innocuously enough. I was on Twitter and suddenly couldn't manage some basic functions. My brain was confusing the private message or DM function with the open communication mention function. Even after using the basic software almost daily for months my brain functioning simply forgot the difference. This caused my frustration and depression, all HD related, to skyrocket. Before I knew it, I was running around the block trying to get all these pent up feelings out. It didn't work.
So back to the hospital I went. Med adjustment time, again.
There went our vacation to Belfast. Corrine Kelly, our twins paternal grandmother, flew out to spend time with her two grandchildren from her late son , Dahy "David" Kelly. A friend of ours Dan G., and former co -worker of Dahy's, came up to help Jane and me while I was at hospital.
The poor man was served with divorce papers his third day here. Jane and I have opened our house to Dan but unlike Dahy, he doesn't like to commute to Los Angeles daily for work. I can't say I blame him. So after his work break he drove down to start on a new project. We're hoping we can convince him to come up on the weekends. We can always use an extra pair of hands and it must be better than sleeping in a hotel. Besides, we have better company, weather, and beaches than LA. His kids have playmates in the twins. We even have live fruit trees in our backyard. Oranges, apples, figs, tangerines, and lemons among others. What's there not to like?
This is my life the last couple of weeks. Thanks for stopping by to read.
Thursday, 1 March 2012
On the Road with Dave and Paul
"I've got AIDS, You've got Huntington's. That means one thing, buddy. ROAD TRIP!"
Yes, my friend Dave said it in those exact terms.
Friday, 27 January 2012
Tired
leaving the door unlocked
forgetting to feed the cat
not being able to bite into a hamburger
misplacing my phone because I forgot where I put it down
making typos because my fingers are shaking and not noticing them when I proofread
having to put a book down because I can't keep the thoughts past two sentences
being unable to express my love to my wife
curling up from fear and anxiety
knocking my glass of juice over
realizing when my mother committed suicide she wasn't as insane as we'd always believed
jumping a mile when my mobile vibrates
crying at the drop of a hat
wondering halfway through a movie "how did I get to this point in the plot?"
not knowing what letter comes after "L" in the word halfway
relying on others to get to people, places and things
using cliches because they are easier to remember than thinking of the next word of a thought.
I'm tired of...
Huntington's Disease
Journey of Life
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Testing in Sheffield
Lately I have been up most nights, and getting a few hours of sleep in the early morning. I'm averaging five hours a day and am dragging all the time.
I think this is due my lack of activity. There just isn't that much that interests me which I can do right now. For example, I generally go to the shopping centre several times a week. Its nearby and I can pick up a few items and bring them home. I also need to go out to buy my smokes. I purposely only purchase a pack at a time so that I am forced out of the house, if it were, by my nicotine addiction.
Currently I can't enter stores. They use florescent lighting and those are known seizure triggers. Until I can safely reintroduce them to my life the stores are out. Until three days ago all back-lit devices were out. That included my telephone and all of the apps that were installed on it. It included both my original mp3 player and my Droid. All music had to be played via my laptop, which had been introduced to me the day of my last seizure. Two days ago I got back my Kindle. As you know that is the only device I can read with for any period of time if I want to understand what I'm reading. Oh, and yesterday I got the TV back.
[update=
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CAG Repeat to Mean Onset Age |
Sunday, 22 January 2012
Strangle The Disease
My husband has come home from his stay in the hospital. Several months ago he had also been hospitalized for pneumonia. That took three stays before it was properly diagnoised and treated. As a consequence I made sure they felt his seizure medication level was stable before releasing him.
It was not so easy. He wasn't home for 24 hours when he had another seizure. I was not happy but he raised his medication dose and has been seizure free since. That has been a relief.
We have another issue that is causing us stress. Paul's primary care doctor was arrested. Not only did the government take all the patient files but they also took the computers. My husband now has to find another primary care physician to take him on. This is hard to do without being able to show a recent medical history. All my husband has are his prescription bottles.
Monday I will be making some calls to see who can fit him in. Its hard when you are dealing with a chronic illness like Huntington's Disease. Many doctor's do not want to see a patient that often for maintance treatment. They want to accept your insurance money monthly and see you once a year for a cold. That's what I liked so much in Paul's former doctor. When the hospital first released him after a twelve hour emergency room visit, Paul's fever spiked. I called the doctor to let him know I would need insurance approval for another visit as my husband's temperature was at 104. Dr. D met us in the hosptial parking lot and he went in with us to make sure Paul was treated properly and not released again.
Yes, I will be making the calls. One of my husband's HD symptoms is a lack of inititive. He doesn't have get up and go. Part of this is from his anxiety. Another part is just the part of his brain that tells us we need to start doing something is now diseased. It is hard to get him to do something, but once he starts there is no stopping him.
Here is another example. I have literally seen him just staring at the computer because the inititive to open up his Kindle to read it is simply not there. He wants to read, he knows the book and page he is on, but he will not open it to start. If I turn it on and place it in his lap he starts reading like a madman. This is because the part of our brain that tells us we need to go from the thought of doing something to actually doing it has been attacked by HD.
So often it is simply easier for me to get up and do what needs to be done. It pains me deeply and I feel as if I'm taking away his independence. At times like this I remind myself I'm not doing it, it is the disease.
This has become worse with his phenobarbital. He simply is too tired to do these things. To make it worse, he is currently to limit his activites and stimulii until we determine what sets off his seizures. He has reintroduced his telephone's web browser, his computer and now the television. He is not to go out to see a movie, enter an establishment that uses florencent lights and many other limitations. I have had to replace our energy saver bulbs with traditional iredencent lights. Somedays I feel as if I have done everything. That is what a full time caregiver does, and I am on that road.
Sometimes it feels as if it will never end. Yesterday I went over to visit my parents. Between working extra hours, the IVF hormones playing games with my emotions, and taking care of Paul I haven't spent the time with them I would like. So last night we played catch-up. It was wonderful and I didn't leave until 11 at night. When I arrived home my husband as in a very depressed state. I did not feel comfortable with him feeling this way and so I began to talk to him. He told me about an incident his in late teens that still haunts him. Until last night I had not known the details.
After laying next to him (and his laptop) I could not comfortably rest. I offered to be a lending ear and we talked until three a.m. He asked me for help looking at some information on the internet and I culled through over fifty links on the internet for what I felt was best to introduce this incident. It was only then that I felt safe to sleep.
After a long night at my parents I would have treasured the ability to come home and sleep. That was simply not to be. When this happens I want to take that disease in my little hands and strangle it to death. Make it go away. Bring back the peace we should have in our home. At the same time, I know I should be thankful for all that HD has not done to him. He can still type on his computer, and talk and eat.
For this time we have together I am eternally grateful.
Friday, 20 January 2012
Seize The Day
I'm still drowsy and dopey from the phenobarbital but the side effects are wearing down. I only took one nap today and stayed up later than I expected although I'm very tired.