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Hello, My name is Niels Thae Boeske and i am a 28 year old male living in Amsterdam the Netherlands and working as an engineer at IBM Amsterdam. My mother has been diagnosed as a Parkinson Patient approx 12 years ago. She is currently 61 years old. Diagnosis was late. She went for a contrast fluid x-ray in the hospital. This was a bad experience for her her left arm started to schake heavily when the fluid was injected. Diagnosis was stress and medication prescription antidepresent. These where the days that anti depresents where not fashionable so my mother didn't take them. A year later a friend of the family came up with the parkinson idea. Two doctors later the diagnosis was confirmed. She had a terrible time coming to terms with the disease wich got worse fast. Four years ago she broke her hip. The operation was done under full anaestatic. Big mistake the parkinson got worse. Two months later my father died suddenly of cancer. Since then i am taking care of my mother with help from my sister. My sister had a relationship with somebody in spain so she moved two years ago to Barcelona. She resently broke up so now she is living again with me at my mothers house. My mother is totally debillitated.I wash, cloth, give her food and drink She can walk with me although the contractures are getting worse. I am amazed she still can walk because she sits a lot during the day. I think it is because she was always into sports, and she had a good condition. She can't communicate anymore (at least verbally) I still seem to find out what she wants. She can't read or watch tv. So she moved mentally in the twilight show, likes to sleep, still loves opera music humms to the music. When she has an on period she moves jerkilly and loves to cross her legs with her arms between. And then ofcourse i have to get her out of this "knot" 30min later. She goes to a "day-care center" three times a week. Weekends and tuesday and thursday she is home. On the week days she is home we have a nurse that takes care of here. So this way me and my sister are still able to work.(and get a carreer going, duuuuuh) She uses madopar 4 times a day 125mg and two half akineton tablets. We reduced the medication drastically about two years ago because she hadvision. Was seeing things and it scared the hell out of here. Last check-up at a specialist in the AMC hostpital here in Amsterdam was a year ago. I disliked the doctor who is more a researcher and no bedside manners. During the conversation he mentioned that my mother didn't have parkinson's but parkinson's like syndrome. I always suggested to the doctor's i have been with that there must be different kind of parkinson's because my mother lacked so much of the "normal" symptoms. She hardly if any had tremors for instance. Mentally she got worse fast (memory loss, seeing things) wich i hardly read about in the books in the past. We haven't been to the specialist since but we do have a good what we call in the netherlands house doctor a sort of family doctor. Worst thing sofar: the evening she dind't know who i was, i totally freaked out. Best things: the nights when i turn her on her other side and she get's mad a me for waking her up and even mutters some understandable words. My motto: It hasn't changed my life, this is my life. Things that help: Wonderfull friends that truly help.And humor. Things i don't understand: My mothers friends that never come around anymore. I don't judge them just totally don't understand it. Generally my mother is happy as i see it. Sometimes she cries but don't we all. Most of the time she is ok. She loves sweets and laughs when you tickle her feet or when she heres a dirty joke. I hope this mailing list will give me tips and tricks with nursing my mother and keep in touch with the latest developments and just a general feeling of not being alone with this. Okay maybe a little bit on the long side this introduction but oh well ik makes me feel good. Bye Niels Thae Boeske [log in to unmask]