^^^^^^GREETINGS FROM^^^^^^^^^^ Ivan Suzman 47/10 [log in to unmask] Portland, Maine land of lighthouses deg. F *********************************************************** mARTHA, yOUR MESSAGE IS SO BEAUTIFUL. i AM DEPRESSED AND YOUR LLOVE IS A MIRACLE. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR LETTER TO dON. ivan On Wed, 10 Sep 1997 18:40:11 -0400 "(Martha Rohrer)" <[log in to unmask]> writes: >Dear Don: > >Anyone who has as many friends here on the list and elsewhere as you >do >should not be so sad and discouraged. > >One of the hardest things to do is to be able to take a final walk >through >that door that represents all the things you were able to do so well >in all >those years gone by. But when you pass through there must be something >to >take the place of what you can no longer do to keep your brain active. > >My husband and I are going through the same kind of trials that upset >you so >much, and we know how you feel. I have had to take on the role of the >bad >guy more often than I like to keep him safe. One of his greatest >pleasures >had been working in his woodshop. He could make just about anything he >or I >wanted or needed, and it always turned out well. As his PD progressed, >I had >to persuade him, for the sake of his fingers, to give up most of his >power >tools one by one. Lately his attempts to do the simplest tasks, like >painting a board or using a screwdriver, result in a botched job, >thanks to >tremor and dyskinesia. Its heartbreaking for both of us. He was a >business >teacher who could type without errors at warp speed. Now his efforts >are >slow and full of errors. He tries to be philosophical about it, but it >depresses him. Another of his pleasures that he has to bid farewell is >keeping our family financial records. He taught accounting, but the >entries >he makes now in the check register are often impossible to read >correctly, >and the bank statements don't reconcile smoothly any more. The best I >can do >is provide love and support and take on more of these duties. He now >supervises my miserable attempts to handle the books and his ego is >still >intact there since I still count on my fingers. He continues to >putter in >his workshop in his short windows of on-time, but he gets so engrossed >he >forgets that off-time can come on suddenly. I am considering brushing >up on >the "Fireman's Carry" technique in case he gets stuck outside the >house when >I have failed to "nag" him in on time. > >Don, its tough, but you need to give yourself some slack. Your brain >is full >of great ideas for tools and devices to make work easier. Instead of >doing >all the work yourself, why not learn about the simple pleasures of >bossing >someone else around while they follow your instructions. You can >practice on >Vivian! > >Never mind the spelling, we can translate just fine. The things that >are >happening to you have nothing to do with being dumb or old... your >mind is >working better than many a young whippersnapper's. Its just that PD >won't >allow your brain's orders to reach your muscles properly. > >We hope you got your pet back safely. > >Martha and Neal >[log in to unmask] >