July 6, 2022

On the 4th John told me we needed to find Susan. I asked him what my name was. He avoided the question and said 'oh come on, you know!' So I asked again. After a moment he admitted he didn't know. Today he had his annual appointment with the retina specialist (he see's this Dr because he had a partially detached retina some years ago). They gave him a vision test, but he had a lot of difficulty reading the letters because he couldn't follow directions and stay on task. It was hard to tell if he couldn't see the letters because he was all over the place, talking about things moving from here to there. I'd jump in and explain that they were checking his vision and needed to know if letters were blurry. Then sometimes he'd rattle off a row of letters, getting most of them right, then he'd start to talk about a mark on his arm. Then the dr wanted to check his vision with his glasses on. By that time all was lost and he couldn't manage to name very many letters. He worries a great deal about whether our doors are locked, if the dogs are in the house, when people are coming over, and then whining if no one is coming over. He often wants me to call a dr immediately when I'm trying to coerce him into taking his meds. And brushing teeth is becoming a big source of contention. He needs more and more assistance with daily activities, and is becoming increasingly dependant.