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)

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Medical Forms

Today I stopped into the Medical Clinic in town. I needed to change our health insurance information. (Since I am only prn at work now) We are switching to Brad's... it is has pretty good coverage, but not as good as mine did. So I dropped off my insurance card & the receptionist asked me how Cathy was doing. (It's a small town we live in and Cathy used to live here.) She then mentioned I should take some release forms with me to get signed. If she was to get sick here in town I wouldn't be able to discuss her care with the Doctor without her authorization. It would also be able a good idea to get her records copied and sent here for continuity of care. And then she mentioned it would be a good idea to have a copy of her Power of Attorney for medical decisions and her Living Will. UFFDA! I should have thought of this sooner... I am a nurse. But when it comes to your own life you are not focused on the paperwork.
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