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Sunday evening 4th May '97.
Today Bob was admitted to hospital with what we think is Vertigo.  He felt
nauseated and very very dizzy at 11pm last night and this morning his whole
world was spinning.  His eyes were flicking back and forth trying to
equalize his field of vision, and he was seeing double & blurred, except
when he looked to the left, and then he saw only one of anything.  On top
of his usual PD balance problems, this is not icing on the cake, believe
me.
I was relieved that the emergency doctor believed me (and treated me with
respect!) when I asked that he NOT be given stemetil, rather
domperidome/Motilium.
But, do you think I remembered to take the "Drugs to Be Given with Caution
to people with Parkinson's Disease" brochure?
  I did Not...I am ashamed to say.
And did I take the great Hospitalisation chart which is a check list of the
way PD sympoms may affect nursing care/observation?
Once again NO!
What a failure... Anyway, I am pleased to report that he has been seen by a
neuro-registrar and will see his own neurologist hopefully tomorrow.  But
we were very satisfied with the care and attention (he is in SCGH, for
those WA List member friends).  He is mentally very alert - no headache for
those of you who may be thinking he may have a CVA!

 Believe it or not, we had a good time waiting for the process of admission
because I was reading a most interesting book to him called "The Island of
The Colour Blind" by Oliver Sacks, which is mostly about  the island of
Guam and the Chammorros, many of whom have a peculiar parkinson's like
condition called "lytigo-botig", some forms of which look like the
post-encechalitic form of PD which we saw in the movie Awakenings.

We have been so busy of late, that this was a rare treat to be able to read!

I think I will have to be off List for a while, I just can't keep up with
all the mail now that I have two people I am visiting in hospital.
 But please email me off list if you wish and I will keep our WA List
members informed.
Joy Graham (CG Bob, 57, 8yrs)