Two months since the diagnosis

It is hard to believe we have already traveled this road for nearly two months. The medications seem to be working--mom is stable.  We go for another doctor's visit in early May and I expect more testing will be done.  I have read several books on Alzheimer's disease and being a caregiver.  I want to fight this battle with everything I can.  I want my family to be prepared for this battle we will face together.   These books have helped me to understand what we can expect in the future.

We have finished our weekly support group,  but we did find out that we will meet monthly going forward.  This has been a big help to me,  and mom has enjoyed her group.   I have formed a strong bond with the other caregivers.  Some are husbands, some are wives and some are adult children helping care for their parents. We will all share the same journey, some will move through the process faster than others.  Some will have the right 'cocktail' of meds and the journey will be longer. We all have a loved one with Alzheimer's disease.  Each week when we see their loved ones, you don't suspect anything is wrong. They are or were professors, artists, school teachers, and financial planners.  Many have taken early retirement since they can no longer can handle the daily challenges in the workplace.  Their spouse is now the primary breadwinner.  Right now, most of the patients stay at home during the day while the caregiver works full time.  The caregiver now has a new second job when they come home.  Fixing dinner, making sure their loved one has a 'to do list' for tomorrow, grocery shopping--some of the same things we all do.  This too will all change in the future, our loved one will need constant care.  A 'to do list' will no longer be understood.  It is as if the wiring in the brain gets scrambled.  The 'wires get crossed' and simple things don't make sense anymore.

Today, I found out that a Facebook friend lost her mom to Alzheimer's.  This disease hits so many families.  The new stats are staggering yet little is spent on research.  When I started this blog in February is was every 70 seconds someone develops the disease and now it is every 69 seconds.  One second does not sound like a lot; but over a day 30 more people (than before) develops the disease.  In a month, that is an additional 900 people.  In a year,  nearly 11,000 more people than before.

My prayer is for our family to have the strength for this journey.  Psalm 18:29-32 (NLT) says "In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. God's way is perfect.  All the Lord's promises prove true.  He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.  For who is God except the Lord?  Who but our God is a solid rock?  God arms me with strength and he makes my way perfect."

I LOVE YOU MOM & DAD. 

Insurance Hassles over Meds

Be vigilant.  Today I have spent several hours trying to fill a prescription.  It is not a formulary drug and it must be approved by the doctor (AGAIN), even though he wrote the prescription. The insurance company sent the doctor a form to fill out concerning treatment and what disease this drug will be used to treat.  The insurance provider said he did not answer 'question 7 in section 8'.  The doctor's office said that question is answered NO on the original copy but they will re fax it.  The doctor's office has no 'rejection' by the insurance company although the insurance provider said they did notify them by return fax.  Bottom line--the insurance company does not want to pay for namenda.  The pharmacy is not at fault, they can't fill it without approval from the insurance provider. The doctor is not a fault, he prescribed the drug and approved it for treatment when he wrote the prescription.  The insurance company is holding up this simple process with no regard to a patient's well being. The insurance provider expects the elderly patient or their caregiver to FIGHT for their meds.  Does the medicine work?  We don't know--it is early in the diagnosis and we don't know how she would be without the med.  It is a crap shoot at best and we can only take the medication we are given.  Would something else work better? We don't know but the doctor treats many Alzheimer's patients, we have to put our faith in him for treatment.  The pharmacy agreed to sell us 6 pills (3 days worth of meds) while the insurance provider decides what to do. 

This is not our first battle with medicine and I am sure it will not be our last.  Health care is expensive.  Young and old alike need medications as they age, and you must battle every step of the way for what is right for yourself, your mom or your dad. 

UPDATE--Meds approved late this afternoon after 6+ phone calls and several hours on the phone.  Lord, You take my jumbled up prayers and make total sense of them.  Thank you Lord for hearing my plea.