If you dont feel like reading this, thats quite understandable. I really just feel like talking about this right now,and sometimes a total stranger can be the best way to talk about things that are hard to talk about.
Well, My dad was diagnosed with MD about a year ago. He's 59. (Im 22)
The symptoms started about 4 years ago, mostly noticable in his walking. He would stumble frequently, and after coming home from work, it was almost as if he had been drinking by the way his balance was off. It wasn't bad, or even noticable most of the time. He never said anything about it, and I didn't want to bring it up just for the sake of maybe imbarrasing him.
We moved into the house we live in now about 2 years ago, and it became more and more obvious something wasn't right. The stumbling progressed, and became more frequent.
He finally started mentioning that it was becoming an aggrevation for him, which opened the door for myself, and other close friends family members whom had also noticed it but avoided saying anything, to show concern without making it too obvious that we were worried.
He "said" he would see a doctor, but kept putting it off due to work etc. He finally went to the doctor and they did some blood work and found out that he had an extremely low B12 level, and suggested that the low B12 could very well be the cause of all of his symptoms. He began taking B12 shots to bring his level up, but after several months showed no sign of improvement other than the B12 level rising.
That's when the worry set in for us, and him as well. My dad has always been the brick wall, that never shows when he's worried, but it was obvious that he was starting to have some concerns.
The doctors began to look into other possible causes for his symptoms with the balance,stumbling, and slight, but noticable decrease in use of his left leg. After an MRI, the doctor released the frighting news that MD had become a possibility, and a serious concern, and skeduled my dad for another MRI. My dad, hit bottom emotionally. And so did I. ( I live at home with my father, and to see him worried was incredibly shocking, and worried me even more) The second MRI was done, and didn't bring any good news. In the period of the couple of months between the first Dr. Visit, and the second MRI, My dad's walking had become increasingly worse, which he and I both agreed was due to the depression and anxiety of the situation.
The Dr. wanted to do a spinal tap to basically make his diagnosis final. That as im sure some of you know, is not a pleasant proceedure, and can really hard on a person mentally, and physically, which it was in my dad's case. The diagnosis was final, and the Dr. Suggested that my dad begin taking an injectable medication that was quite expensive ( 1000$ a month) , that really didn't gaurantee any results, but the statistic's showed that more patients that took it, showed improvement, than those that did not. 50/50 chance I guess.
After a month or so, my dad set up an appointment with a different doctor that could prescribe the medicine to him.
Thankfully, that Dr. Visit proved to bring " good" news, unlike those prior to it. This doctor was more familar with MD, and MS, and had alot more knowledge about the disorder than the previous Dr. After evaluating my dad, he believed that my dad's case was one of the rare cases, that was the least serious ,and suggested that my dad would be able to live a full normal life Without any medication, and told my dad that from his professional opinion, my dad should be able to continue working and living a normal life, and that the effects of old age would get to him before the MD.
Even though it's hard to say it was good news, if there is a such thing in a case like this, that news was definately not a bad thing.
Since then, my dads emotionally state has improved tremendously. Although some days are worse than others, both physically and mentally, he has made a wonderful come-back from the state he was in for quite some time. It bothers him, but he doesn't let it beat him up like it was doing.
Although he isn't happy about the fact that he cant do many of the things he could before, like work around the house and things like that, he's greatful that it isn't as bad as it could have been for sure.
Being only 22 years old, I am able to step up and take on some of the physical work that my dad can no longer do by himself. Even though I would like to be out doing the normal young adult things, partying and being with friends, getting a place of my own etc.. Staying at home to help my dad out is more important to me, because my dad has been there for me my entire life, so returning the favor is my first priority. You gotta do what you gotta do, even though sometimes it would be more fun doing something else, I know he needs me to be here, so here I am. He can be a real butt sometimes! LoL, but all in all, he's the greatest man I ever met.
Anyway's, sorry this turned out so long. It just helps out just to share stuff like this with other people. It just gets rough sometimes seeing my dad struggle to do things that I know he enjoys doing, like fishing and working in the yard etc.. And I know I have to be strong and keep from showing that it hurts inside, because the last thing he needs is to feel like he's causing me any anxiety. Just gets hard not to..well.. It gets hard not to cry sometimes around him... I see him having trouble just doing the simple things that come easy to most people, and it hurts deep down inside to see the man I thought was the strongest man in the world that could never get hurt when I was little, is now having to depend on me for support and help. It's rough.. But thats life right..
Anyway, if you read this far, hey thanks for taking the time to listen. I appreciate it,truely.
Linear Mode
