Hi, New to forum.
Husband was diagnosed recently and its been a steep learning curve for us both. He has been off work since Easter and is signed off till beginning of September. For a man it is difficult for them to have reality kick them in the butt and realise that they are not invincible and finding that they may not be the main bread winner. They struggle daily with this concept and withdraw into their 'cave' we all rely on our cognitive abilities and to have that taken away from you is utterly devastating.
I have found it difficult as I could see his decline over the last 4yrs and of course being a man 'he was fine and it was stress!' He is now on Requip which has made such a change to his functioning and cognitive abilities. It may appear that I am getting lazy, but have found that as he has to be home he needs things to do. So he does the shopping, some housework and cook our meals, with encouragement from me. Yes I get frustrated at times as he takes longer to do things, I just take a deep breath and don't take over and let him carry on at his own pace.
We are fortunate as we can talk about how he is doing and can nip any undesirable behaviour that may crop up.
Take care everyone
hi
in my humble opinion get him back to work if he can .
and by the way, if he is doing undesirable behaviours, you wont know about it, because he will be lying and devious in ways you never imagined- thats the problem.
Can I say I totally agree with Turnip.
In my experience, the Requip-related behaviour is skilfully covered in a web of deceit until the loss of funds, hypersexuality activities away from home etc finally end in discovery and meltdown.
Always check bank statements, mobile phones, pockets etc.
How I wish I had done!
Love
GG
Hi mindful space and welcome,
I like your forum name, do you practice mindfulness?
Being diagnosed with Parkinson's, starting meds and being off work are all disruptive enough taken one at a time and can be unsettling for both of you. I've done them all but luckily not at the same time. You don't say exactly why your husband is off work but I agree with Turnip - it is worth getting back to work if he can.
One of the reasons that it is hard to adapt to diagnosis is that you don't know exactly what you are facing. Your fears are very likely worse than the facts will be. The condition can progress slowly in some people and the drugs can really help although it can take time to find the right drug regime and dose.
Joining the forum is a step in the right direction as there are people here who have experienced pretty much everything that Parkinson's can throw at you. It's worth speaking to other people in your position. Your husband may get insights from another person with parkinson's that he can't get from anyone else. The same is true for you with another carer.
It is encouraging that you appear to have been warned about the potential for impulse control side effects with some drugs including ropinirole (requip). It is worth taking these issues very seriously. These drugs can be very helpful if you are not affected by impulse control effects.
This video clip might interest you. It was the winning entry in a video competition run as part of the 2013 World Parkinson Congress.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nI17vFWYaQ
It is relevant to the notion of personality change
I hope that helps. Please keep posting and let us know how you get on
Elegant Fowl
Hi, thanks for your replies.
Yes I practice mindfulness and I am a teacher of mindfulness. Fortunately we have a very good relationship and communicate very well with each other. I am a councillor as well and have worked with people who have mental health issues and understand the complexities around ill health.
I am making sure that I am looking after myself and giving Charlie the space he needs right now.
Take care all and stay in the moment ☺
