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Hi.  My name is Warren Whitney.  I am new to the list.I would
like to relate what happened to my father recently in the hope
that someone in the group may have a similar experience and may have
some advice or may be able to speculate what the future may hold.
 
 
He was diagnosed with Parkinson's about 5 years ago at age 68.  About
4 years ago, my mother died and some significant dementia was noticed.
He took only eldepryl until about 2 1/2 years ago when he started
sinemet CR 3X/day.  Over the past year he has declined significantly
to where he pretty much needed to use a walker to walk.  His dementia
also worsened.
 
 
About 2-1/2 weeks ago he took a fall and hit his head.  Since then he
cannot walk or stand; he has been more or less bedridden.  He only
gets out of bed when he is lifted into a wheelchair.  His dementia has
increased significantly and he often does not make much sense at all.
A ct-scan at the hospital showed no new abnormality in the brain, and
so there is no diagnosis other than "Parkinson's".  It seems strange
that there would be such a rapid worsening of the Parkinsons without
an assignable cause.  Perhaps the fall was the cause.
 
He spent about a week in the hospital, and then we had to move him into
a nursing home.  He is suposed to be getting PT to get him walking again
but they have been slow in getting started.  With the change to the
nursing home, he has a new doctor, who visits at the nursing home, and
we have not yet been successful in communicating with him.  We are still
feeling out the system.
 
I am wondering:  does anybody have similar experience with a fall causing
such a worsening?  Can we expect his condition to improve?  And what
about the severe dementia?  Any experience with that?
 
Any and all comments would be very welcome.  Thanks.
 
Warren Whitney ([log in to unmask])