We saw John's neurologist this morning. We see him every 6 months - which is a good indicator that's there's very little that can be done for people suffering with Alzheimer's Disease. No reason to see the Dr if there's not much he can do.
We discussed the things that have been happening over the last 6 months. The Dr gave John the MMSE - Mini Menal State Exam. John scored an 11 out of 30. I think a score of 10 is considered severe dementia. 6 months ago John scored a 13. So that's depressing. However, 6 months ago the Dr started John on Aricept, the go to medication for Alzheimer's. Despite an improvement in cognition, John became very agitated so I called the Dr and discontinued the medication. Today the Dr suggested that we start Namenda first, a medication that helps with behavior issues. It was always the Dr's plan to start the medication at this time as a supplement to Aricept. So the plan now is to start with Namenda first and then add Aricept again in 3 months. The Dr said hopefully that will show a couple points improvement on the next MMSE. So we'll give that a try.
Although the Dr didn't mention it, the paperwork recommends what is essentially a Mediterranean diet and exercise. Beyond that, see you in 6 months.
Woohoo! John's sister is bringing over BJ's pizza tonight!
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