Hi Paula. I'll try to answer your questions. Thanks for your input on the seizure related symptoms. I will relate that to his wife and she may have some insight.
He monitors his blood sugar because he's a diabetic -- so that should be OK. And his nutrition should be good as well. I don't know if he's on any nutrients, and I don't know if his meds have changed recently. I'll ask his wife about that -- but I would think that the doctors would already know about that. I found out this morning that he has undergone lots of testing in the recent past. I'm sure he takes his meds on his own, but he's very methodical. Keeps them in one of those daily reminder compartment things. You could be right that he's messing up on those. Yes -- his wife can verify that he's taking them correctly -- and I'm sure that from now on she will be, but she may not have been paying attention to that before. Alcohol is definitely not in the mix -- he is a recovered alcoholic -- thirty years. And he gave up smoking at about the same time. He may be depressed and have anxiety. His job was eliminated in May of this year, and he's been unsuccessful in finding another. This situation won't help any, either. He certainly has anxiety, because he is strapped financially. He is entitled to start Social Security income in two weeks, but qualifies for railroad retirement benefits (which are substantially more money). But the RR benefits wouldn't begin until January. I know he's been trying to figure out how to survive financially until he can get the RR pension money. Today's news is even worse. He's in the hospital right now, undergoing testing. His wife came home yesterday to find him in a very emotional state, very confused, and asking to be taken to a psyche hospital. He couldn't find the can of coffee, and was looking for it in the basement and outdoors. It was in its regular place in the kitchen cabinet. When asked questions at the hospital, he looked to his wife to answer them for him -- ordinary questions that he should know the answers to. His wife also related to me this morning that he has recently been flying into rages at her, with no provocation -- sometimes two or three times a day. His speech patterns to me, when speaking to him on the phone this morning, were abnormal -- not like him at all. My brother has a fine intellect, and a master's degree in his field. His speech is disconnected. I'm very, very frightened. MA
