Dennis' drooling has gone from frustrating to exasperating. He can't seem to utter even two words without having to swallow. Yesterday, he was unable to communicate with the bank and make the transfers to pay-off our loans. Today, when I came home, he was attempting to talk to a nurse at Struther's, his clinic, and they could not comprehend anything he was saying.

He had been begging for help with the drooling. The medicine he is taking is no longer working, but they have limited medications for this problem. His Parkinson's doctor is reticent to give him a stronger dose, due to blood pressure concerns. His general practitioner, however, did encourage him to increase the dose and experiment. The whole point is moot however, the medicine simply does not work, anymore.

Dennis carries a towel with him, almost every where he goes these days. This towel is just to mop up the drool that is continuously sliding out of his mouth. As I have mentioned before, he is not much fun to watch eat, and most of this is due to the drool.

This is really getting exasperating, for both of us. I want, so much, to understand all that he says to me. I desire to enjoy a meal with him without cleaning his face three or four times. I need to be able to go out to eat with him, without anyone either staring at him, or avoiding looking at him. I hope to have a conversation with him without asking him, three or four times, to repeat himself. I wish that he could be understood by others, so that I am not always interpreting for him. I need him to feel capable, once again, and not always dependent on someone else.

Is this asking too much?

Until Tomorrow,
Ann and Dennis
Living with Shy-Drager, Multiple System Atrophy and way too much drool