A Simple Update

Tomorrow evening we leave for London for two weeks. I look forward to visiting Jane and Ralph and hopefully relaxing more than on a usual vacation. We aren't taking Raquel on this trip, but Ralph and Jane are good about pitching in and helping.

Anyway, I just wanted to add a few updates on Dennis before we headed out.

He is almost at the point where he is unable to eat any real food anymore. Chewing is pretty much out of the question, and swallowing is becoming iffy. Thankfully the new nutrition he is taking through his feeding tube seems to be working better than the sticky-icky glue that he was taking in before.

He is stiffer than ever. It is getting more and more difficult to lift him without the aid of another person. He has been taking a new drug the past two weeks prescribed by his neurologist last month, but it isn't helping. Actually he decided today to stop taking the medication; we are hoping that the medicine is the cause for this increased stiffness.

His speech has deteriorated to almost nil. There are times some words are understandable, but sentences are out of the question. We communicate with me asking questions and him answering mostly with a yes or a no. At times I ask him the context of what he is trying to say, and I am able to piece together something. At other times we both just shake our heads and move on.

The Dynavox is helpful, but only if he is able to lift his hand to use it. Some times I lift his hand to the keyboard and then he is able to type out something. Thankfully he has put in many key phrases and sentences, and can often find one that more or less communicates his needs. Real conversation is now a thing of the past.

But, I must add, that we continue to love each other, continue to enjoy just sitting by each other and I continue to tease him as he continues to laugh.

Until after London,
Ann and Dennis