Category: Health

Okay, so I briefly mentioned my brother’s health issues.  Scott went in on June 6 for a routine hernia repair surgery, and came out with several cognitive issues.  His son is attempting to gain guardianship of some sort, but it is all expensive.   My sisters have created a GoFundMe to help offset some of the initial costs involved.  If you know my brother and want to help, this is where to help.

Scott’s son Daniel has made a couple trips to Phoenix.  Scott recognized him last weekend at the rehab hospital, but after Scott was moved to the long-term care home, he didn’t recognize Daniel today.  I’m not sure if that is a permanent loss of memory of his son or just part of the adjusting, where he may remember his son one day but not another.  I am very unfamiliar with how this sort of mental decline manifests, but it is troubling to me to know that the brother I’ve known all my life isn’t “there” any more.  His face is the same, his body is there, but his mind is not the same.

And while his son is getting a handle on the logistics for his care, I am discovering how very much I Do Not Want to end up in a similar situation.  And that’s putting me in a weird state of mind.  I know my body isn’t what it used to be, and age is definitely showing.  But my mind still feels sharp, I interact with people online, I do crosswords daily to keep my mind sharp, I walk when I can.   I need to pull out my little hand weights and exercise bands and start using them, as well as doing various dance steps and walking when the weather allows.

Thanks to my family’s current issues, I seriously need to dig out and dust off my little hand weights/dumbbells and wipe down my stretchy exercise bands.

The issue, in short, is that my brother went in for routine one-day surgery to fix some hernias, and he didn’t come out of the anesthesia well.  He was confused, aggressive, and combative, and had to be sedated a while until he calmed down.  He is still confused, and later today will be moved from the rehab facility to a new home-care setting.  He will not live on his own again.

I need to work on staying healthy and strong, as well as maintaining balance so minimize the risk of falls.  It sucks being reminded I am aging and if I don’t get my shit together I could just as easily end up like my father and my brother.  My father had a stroke and lived in an adult foster home for 7 years, mostly in a wheelchair, although his mind was mostly intact.  My brother has  severe cognitive issues and falls often so he’s not allowed to walk on his own; his bed and wheelchair both have alarms to alert the nursing staff that he’s not where he is meant to be.

I don’t ever want to end like that.  So, it is on me to get serious about basic exercise and mobility.  I might not be able to control mental decline or dementia, but I can try.