Our Families Journey Caring for a Mom with FTLD-MND

It is important to know as you read this journal that this was Cathy's life post diagnosis...

To know Cathy Truly you must know that she was: a Wife, Mother of 3 boys, Grandmother of 9, Sister, Niece, Aunt, Daughter, and Friend.

Our families journey began with Cathy's diagnosis the week of Thanksgiving 2006, Cathy was 52. Her original diagnosis was Pick's Disease/FTD. Looking back her symptoms most likely began 3-5 years before diagnosis. Most of the Doctors have told us that from onset of symptoms to death... the average timeframe is 4-7 years. (sigh) In the end her brain autopsy showed Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration with Motor Neuron Disease FTLD-MND. (Basically... Frontal Lobe Dementia with Lou Gehrig's Disease)

Monday, May 28, 2007

Update


Well... it has been a few months since I posted my first journal note. Our family has been through some rough months. Each time we see Cathy something has changed for the worse. Each of us is dealing with her illness in our own way. We are all going through some part of the grieving process.

At this time she is starting to need supervision. She is beginning to do a few things that are unsafe. For example: Cooking Bacon on the stove and walking away & forgetting it cooking, getting lost while driving, taking too many of her pills on any given day and forgetting what day it is and taking more, & many other little things.

I am Blessed enough to work a 9 month job as a nurse. So I am able to spend the summer with our kiddos. I plan on spending as much of this summer with Cathy as I can. We may be up in Wisconsin or having her here with us when Gayle is out of town. Whatever will help. I want to help while I can this summer. And I want our kids to spend as much time with Grandma as possible... making memories.

Hopefully by the end of the summer we will have a plan for her care. Maybe her sister will move back after since she is retiring from the Army, maybe Ryan will move up North to help out. For now, I will help when I can. Unfortunately, I am not as good of a cook as Cathy, nor as good of a housekeeper, nor as good with dogs.... but I can make a mean Egemo Toast for breakfast!

Monday, May 7, 2007

Bears

Bears... Cathy has never been afraid of Bears before. She grew up in the woods here in Wisconsin. But lately she has been taking a stick, golf club, or rake with her on her walks with the dogs. She walks the dogs around the field a few times everyday. And when we asked her what the stick was for she said, "Bears." She thinks there is a bear around. Yes, Wisconsin does have Black Bears around, but usually they only bother you if you bother them. They have been spotted around locally, but she has never been afraid before. Another change...