03 February 2010

Here's My Understanding (of what I don't understand)

OK, so here's the skinny on my health. I realize that this may be about as exciting as the most boring class you ever took, but be patient. I won't take long and there are pictures coming up.

The MRI I recently had tells us this: Both of my parietal lobes are shrunken and show lots of white dots which are scars from old strokes. Nobody is even pretending any more that my memory problems are not Alzheimer's. That's what it is and that's what they're calling it. Soon I'll be given an appointment to spend two or three days at a clinic in SLC which is run by a lady who does nothing but gerontology. How's that for a slap in the not quite 59 year old face?

My counsellor, who has militantly doubted this diagnosis, seems pretty sad and insists that I not "die before you die." After some discussion, I understood this request to be that I not give up. I said that perhaps I could rebuild pathways and storage shelves (so to speak) which have already been destroyed in my brain by frequent mental exercise. He seems OK with this. It's not as though that which is gone can be brought back. They can't do that yet. But I think I could form new memories by reading my journal and reading lots of history and maybe even reading my own lecture notes from back when I was paid for what I could remember.

OK. Enough of that cheerful stuff. Here are a few pictures I've taken since New Years. I think I took them all with my phone!
























6 comments:

Janie said...

You'll still beat us in Trivial Pursuit!

Jim said...

Only if I can stay awake for the duration of the game! But thanks!

Autumn said...

I love you Dad. I join your counselor in his denial 100%...I also join you in your proactive approach of building new paths! :) I don't always know what to say, but my heart always feels the same love when it comes to my daddy, and always will. I love you to pieces and pieces, Dad!

Love,
AubieWan
P.S. I second what Janie said! Ha!

Jim said...

A thousand thanks, Aubs. I love you more that you can know. I miss my family members even more that usual when I'm scared, and this thing is a bit spooky. I've been thinking that maybe I'll just concentrate on keeping the chapel clean and preparing for the Spring Bear Hunt, a thing I've never done yet, but have always wanted to do. I love my yudda Gudda.

Love,

Dad

nanajohanna said...

Janie beat me saying what I had in mind; I still won't stand a chance against you. I like the idea of building more pathways. The human body is amazing and knows ways of fixing itself that modern medicine hasn't figured out yet.

Jim said...

I sure do hope you're right. Thanks.

My Favorite Books & Authors

  • Dale Brown
  • Mark Twain
  • Charles Dickens
  • Speeches both Historical and Hysterical
  • Damon Runyon
  • Jan Karon Mitford Novels
  • Clive Cussler
  • Tom Clancy Novels
  • Harry Potter
  • The Works of Ernest Thompson Seton