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 So many of you have been wonderful and encouraging regarding my
 family's dilemma with my Dad...I can't begin to thank you. Some
 suggestions have been made regarding both drug reactions, or
 subdural hemotoma resulting from his fall. Both will be checked
 into as soon as I can drag him into the doctor (Dr. Nichter at
 Buffalo's VA Hospital).
 
 Some additional background, if anyone else may be able to come
 up with other ideas of things to check:
 
 About 2 mos ago, Dad was acting "odd", and kept saying that he
 smelled gas. No one else could smell it, but he became so
 insistent about it, that in the early evening, my Mom called the
 gas company to check the lines. She also called my sister to come
 over and help. The gas company sent 2 guys who went with my Mom
 to check the lines, and my sister arrived just as they were
 heading down into the basement. My father was walking to the front
 door to greet my sister and collapsed in her arms. He had no
 voluntary movement of ANYTHING...not even his eyes.
 
 He was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital, where there
 was apparently difficulty with his blood pressure (the doctor said
 it wasn't stable). Due to lack of beds, he was transferred to
 the associated hospital in the city (Millard Fillmore Hospital in
 Buffalo NY). He regained use of his extremities but felt extremely
 weak (which lasted for a few weeks). He didn't seem very confused
 or "out of it" to any degree. Tests that were done were inconclusive.
 
 According to the doctors, they didn't think he had a stroke. They
 did find a small kidney stone, however, which they made arrangements
 to remove on an outpatient patient. During the time he was in
 the hospital, it was a constant challenge to get his meds on time
 and correctly, and finally, my Mom & Dad were given control of
 his PD meds, which helped.
 
 When Dad went to get the kidney stone removed, a malignant tumor
 was found in the bladder. The doctor said that it was a type that
 is usually not found "until it's too late" and that all of it was
 able to be removed. Dad doesn't need chemo or any other CA treatment,
 but will be scoped every 3-6 mos to make sure there is no reoccurance.
 
 Most of the changes that we have seen in him have been since this
 collapse that he had. We have talked to Dr. Nichter about the poss-
 ibilty of Dad getting a walker, but we were told that walkers only
 prevent forward falls, and are therefore not a good option. Does
 anyone have any other ideas regarding this also.
 
 Sorry that this note was so long...thank you so much for your very
 kind help. We all appreciate it!
 
 Sharon