by Ava Butler | Jan 27, 2019 | Dementia, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's
9 December 2014 Things are getting worse. Richard was incontinent at night again and can’t understand that he needs to use the toilet not the floor. Damn you, Parkinson’s and dementia. We’ve had several more accidents where he has peed the floor, including three times...
by Ava Butler | Jan 10, 2019 | Dementia, Lewy body dementia, Lewy body dementia hallucinations, Parkinson's
Persistent and recurring visual hallucinations are often an early symptom of Lewy Body Dementia – LBD. This was true for my husband, Richard. Not all LBD hallucinations are fear based, but Richard’s were. His ability to communicate clearly has been impacted, and...
by Ava Butler | Jan 2, 2019 | Dementia, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's
20 March 2013 It’s the first day of spring already. Richard has been having a bad week, feeling poorly, and having difficulty accomplishing tasks. I really need to write in my journal more. This could be a good record of his situation. We’re going to Dr. Ramsey, a...
by Ava Butler | Dec 30, 2018 | Dementia, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's
April 2013 Richard and I were looking for so many ways to fight the inevitable—anything we could find to help him with his Parkinson’s and dementia. We went to the University of Arizona’s neurology department for insights. It’s a teaching hospital, so there were...
by Ava Butler | Dec 16, 2018 | Dementia, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's
22 March 2012 My husband has Parkinson’s disease. When our neurologist, Dr. Sullivan, first said so back in May of 2010, my first thought was, Damn, he was right. Richard is a bit of a hypochondriac and has a tendency to exaggerate. He’s thought he had bone cancer,...
by Ava Butler | Dec 10, 2018 | Dementia, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's
6 July 1991 On our wedding day, these were my vows to Richard: Dearest Richard. I often wondered if it was true what they said. That my expectations were unrealistic and bold. But I knew it was better to live life alone than to compromise a dream. And when I met you,...
