Yesterday's report

Yesterday went well.  Mike was at the clinic when I arrived and he was looking very sharp in his new jeans and the shirt I bought for him.  Quite the dapper 63 year old.  I really liked his doctor.  He spent quite a bit of time with us and was very accommodating of all my questions.  Dr. G. does not feel that Mike has dementia.  He explained that the psychotic break Mike suffered in November was equivalent to a traumatic brain injury TBI.  He may have suffered brain damage but there is a window of recovery that lasts for about a year to 18 months.  I'm familiar with this because of the children with brain injuries we have treated here at the hospital.  Dr. G. indicated Mike will continue to improve for another 6 to 12 months.  He also told me that Mike will never have another psychotic break.  This was startling information and I asked him how he knows that.  He said that with the combination of anti-psychotic meds. Mike is taking and the fact that he is so compliant with taking them, a psychotic break is impossible.

Mike started to cry as soon as he heard this information.  I know that has been his greatest fear since all this began.  Dr. G. told Mike he will have a very merry Christmas this year!

So we left feeling very upbeat and hopeful for Mike's future! Mike came home with me and I laid out a smorgus board of food for him to try.  He put his stamp of approval on egg salad!  Hooray, I have something else I can feed him!  I wasn't sure I'd be able to get that one by him.  It seems he has an aversion to eating something that came out of a chicken's butt! (Not my words....his)  He has a phobia about chickens that has been with him since childhood.  That includes turkeys (which according to Mike is only a chicken on steroids).

So I am feeling more hopeful today than I have felt in 6 months.  Mike may never completely recover but at least I have hope that he can improve and become a little more independent.  I want it for him as much as for me.  I just want him to be peaceful and happy!