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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------------7D8559161C092 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii <HTML><BODY> Bob Chapman wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE> <BR> <BR>Sokolowski, Ray wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>Marcia Mc Cabe wrote about her husband being diagnosed as having PD and <BR>starting to forget things. <BR> I have written last week about some of the things my father went <BR>through, and is still going through. Your husband, Marcia, is in a <BR>slightly different situation, since he has diabetes and the onset of PD <BR>is apparently ocurring before forgetfulness. But it may be similar. My <BR>father first started to forget things about 8 or 9 years ago. He got <BR>lost driving, until we finally took his keys away. About six years ago, <BR>sitting on a patio with relatives, he asked us "Who is this big woman <BR>sitting next to me?", and it was his sister-in-law who he'd known for <BR>about 40 years. This was both funny and heartbraking. PD struck about 5 <BR>years ago or so. Sinimet and Eldepryl helped control it, but he has <BR>gotten progressively worse. Of course, he is now 80 years old. You don't <BR>mention your husband's age. He started to lose the ability to walk very <BR>well, and we had several instances of him falling down and staying there <BR>until I got there to pick him up. I have already told how he started to <BR>have trouble eating, which caused pneumonia, which caused damage to the <BR>lungs. Which eventually lead to having a feeding tube put in his <BR>stomach. This is where I would advise you to think long and hard if this <BR>option is presented to you, especially if he is severly confused. At the <BR>time it was presented to us, we were told it was a simple, painless <BR>operation. If you have your faculties, maybe it is not such a big deal. <BR>They gave us a pamphlet showing a smiling, happy guy playing scrabble <BR>with his family. Maybe. But when the lungs become infected the third <BR>time or so, even with the feeding tube, and you are offered the choice <BR>of whether to put him on a respirator or not, say no. This is not <BR>euthenasia, as someone has written, but letting nature take it's course. <BR>This is assuming he is incapable of answering for himself, which may not <BR>be the case.But it's starting to sound that way. Get him to sign those <BR>living will and power of attorney statements now, before it's too late. <BR>As it was for us. And while my father does not remember his <BR>granddaughters names, he still has a smile for them when they come to <BR>visit. And he does know his chilren and his wife. Good luck to you. <BR> <BR> Ray [log in to unmask] </BLOCKQUOTE> To All: There have been a nunmber of postings regarding Living Wills and powers of attorney. Does anyone know if there is a site which offers blank or sample copies of these documents? Do they have to be executed or filed by an attorney? Thanks. <BR>Bob Chapman <BR>[log in to unmask] </BLOCKQUOTE> <BR> </BODY> </HTML> ------------7D8559161C092 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: Card for Bob Chapman Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="nsmail6U.TMP" Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="nsmail6U.TMP" BEGIN:VCARD FN:Bob Chapman N:Chapman;Bob EMAIL;INTERNET:[log in to unmask] NOTE:Sun Lakes, AZ X-MOZILLA-HTML:T END:VCARD ------------7D8559161C092--