9/15/2009
September 15, 2009It’s been a moment.
I have been blessed as Dad has been pretty good for the past few weeks. He had his regularly scheduled appointment with the doctor on 9/11 and both doctors are pleased with his progress.
Dr. Rosman is Dad’s primary doctor at the VA and has been his physician since the mid 1990s. He was with my father when he had colon cancer back in 1997 and before then when Dad smoked cigarettes. He is very pleased with Dad’s progress. In fact he often comments that Dad is the patient he had the longest.
Dr. Rosman addressed the concerns I had a few weeks ago with Dad having dark stool. He is taking iron supplements and I know that can lead to darker coloroed stool and constipation. Dad had the dark stool and I wasn’t sure it wasn’t because of blood so I took him off the iron temporarily. I took him to the doctor a few days later where a visiting doctor (Rosman was on vacation) said the dark stool was normal. After Dr. Rosman and I discussed the iron he checked his notes for the vital signs and was concerned that the blood pressure was something like 180/89.
Now a couple of months ago I was concerned that Dad’s blood pressure spikes. It can be 192/88 or 90/64. When Dad had pneumonia last year his pressure went up to 180/90 or something similar and he was placed on blood pressure medication for the first time of his life that I can recall. In fact I have a funny story about how low his pressure is I will share another day.
After Dad got out of the hospital and nursing home I took him to Florida so I could look after my mother and not be concerned about him. he was still on the medication. He stayed on it until about March when Dr. Rosman determined that due to Dad’s medical history and the fact that he had pneumonia at the time the blood pressure was high, Dad shouldn’t have to take it any more. He first lowered the dose from 10 mg to 5 mg then dropped it while we monitored it. It stayed normal too. I check it daily from home and it is normal…….except when Dad has to go to the senior center across the street for lunch around 11:15. I checked his pressure a few times at around 11 o’clock and what was usually 126/72 was now…on occasion….170/80. I would force him to relax then take it again five to ten minutes later and it would be normal again. Dad was concerned about getting a seat for lunch. Apparently some of the ladies would grab every good seat they could and Dad was worried about that. Did I mention he leaves the apartment at 11:15 and lunch is at 12? And the place is across the street?
Well back at the doctor’s office, Dad’s pressure was high and Dr. Rosman was concerned. I didn’t blink. I told him and the nursing staff about the spikes already. On THIS particular occasion Dad was…pre-occupied with the nursing and reception staff. The ladies really like Dad and pay attention to him. Dad is a smooth one and teases the ladies and they respond, so you will have them”fighting” over him. Dad likes that and naturally gets excited, thus his pressure went up. Dr. rosman though was stunned and asked if I thought he should go back on the medication. Either the one he was already taking or a water pill. Dad has suffered dementia and I don’t need him up during the night more than he already is. I chose the old medication. We have to call at the end of the month to check on the flu shots. He gave Dad a prescription of Claritin and for the blood pressure. I forgot both of them. Thankfully we have some at the apartment.
Dr. Borik is Dad’s psychiatrist. He was assigned to her after dad had hallucinations back in late 2007. She is a middle aged lady with a German (I think) accent andI think she is pretty good. Back in 2007 she put Dad on Donepezil (I know I spelled that wrong) and somehting else to help with the hallucinations. The problem is that medication’s side effects can cause fever and a host of nasty reactions that may have helped put Dad in the emergency room when he had the pneumonia. Problem is as it is with most medications, which do you deal with. the problem or the side effects?
Today, Dad was good though. The Aricept (Donepezil) is working for the most part. No children under the table or boxers sitting in the living room to report about. For the most part Dad is pretty stable. The doctor was happy. I was happy.
I have been blessed as Dad has been pretty good for the past few weeks. He had his regularly scheduled appointment with the doctor on 9/11 and both doctors are pleased with his progress.
Dr. Rosman is Dad’s primary doctor at the VA and has been his physician since the mid 1990s. He was with my father when he had colon cancer back in 1997 and before then when Dad smoked cigarettes. He is very pleased with Dad’s progress. In fact he often comments that Dad is the patient he had the longest.
Dr. Rosman addressed the concerns I had a few weeks ago with Dad having dark stool. He is taking iron supplements and I know that can lead to darker coloroed stool and constipation. Dad had the dark stool and I wasn’t sure it wasn’t because of blood so I took him off the iron temporarily. I took him to the doctor a few days later where a visiting doctor (Rosman was on vacation) said the dark stool was normal. After Dr. Rosman and I discussed the iron he checked his notes for the vital signs and was concerned that the blood pressure was something like 180/89.
Now a couple of months ago I was concerned that Dad’s blood pressure spikes. It can be 192/88 or 90/64. When Dad had pneumonia last year his pressure went up to 180/90 or something similar and he was placed on blood pressure medication for the first time of his life that I can recall. In fact I have a funny story about how low his pressure is I will share another day.
After Dad got out of the hospital and nursing home I took him to Florida so I could look after my mother and not be concerned about him. he was still on the medication. He stayed on it until about March when Dr. Rosman determined that due to Dad’s medical history and the fact that he had pneumonia at the time the blood pressure was high, Dad shouldn’t have to take it any more. He first lowered the dose from 10 mg to 5 mg then dropped it while we monitored it. It stayed normal too. I check it daily from home and it is normal…….except when Dad has to go to the senior center across the street for lunch around 11:15. I checked his pressure a few times at around 11 o’clock and what was usually 126/72 was now…on occasion….170/80. I would force him to relax then take it again five to ten minutes later and it would be normal again. Dad was concerned about getting a seat for lunch. Apparently some of the ladies would grab every good seat they could and Dad was worried about that. Did I mention he leaves the apartment at 11:15 and lunch is at 12? And the place is across the street?
Well back at the doctor’s office, Dad’s pressure was high and Dr. Rosman was concerned. I didn’t blink. I told him and the nursing staff about the spikes already. On THIS particular occasion Dad was…pre-occupied with the nursing and reception staff. The ladies really like Dad and pay attention to him. Dad is a smooth one and teases the ladies and they respond, so you will have them”fighting” over him. Dad likes that and naturally gets excited, thus his pressure went up. Dr. rosman though was stunned and asked if I thought he should go back on the medication. Either the one he was already taking or a water pill. Dad has suffered dementia and I don’t need him up during the night more than he already is. I chose the old medication. We have to call at the end of the month to check on the flu shots. He gave Dad a prescription of Claritin and for the blood pressure. I forgot both of them. Thankfully we have some at the apartment.
Dr. Borik is Dad’s psychiatrist. He was assigned to her after dad had hallucinations back in late 2007. She is a middle aged lady with a German (I think) accent andI think she is pretty good. Back in 2007 she put Dad on Donepezil (I know I spelled that wrong) and somehting else to help with the hallucinations. The problem is that medication’s side effects can cause fever and a host of nasty reactions that may have helped put Dad in the emergency room when he had the pneumonia. Problem is as it is with most medications, which do you deal with. the problem or the side effects?
Today, Dad was good though. The Aricept (Donepezil) is working for the most part. No children under the table or boxers sitting in the living room to report about. For the most part Dad is pretty stable. The doctor was happy. I was happy.
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