Parkinson's.

We saw Dr. Sibley, I'm unsure if that's how you spell his name. Anyhow, we went in & saw the intern first. The intern wasn't convinced that any of dad's symptom's have anything to do with his tumor. I wasn't exactly nice, although I wasn't mean either. I was concerned. I want answers for my dad. He doesn't deserve to live like this. The intern seemed concerned. As he was looking dad over, the actual doctor came in. The doctor went and looked at dad's disks.

Hope you're sitting down. The tumor has NOT GROWN. How is it possible that Dr. Jani explicitly said that it HAD grown when in fact, right there in the report, with dad's name on it, the radiologist said, "There has been no change." Thank You Dr. Jani for messing this up. Making us worry even MORE about my dad. We were completely hell bent that this tumor needed to come out! It's grown! No, it hasn't grown.

Dr. Sibley was awesome. I wasn't exceptionally nice to him either. He saw my frustration with the mixed opinions of all the doctor's.

I said, "Dealing with all of these doctors is like mediating a divorced couple, it's hell."

He chuckled. The intern interjected that this is a puzzle, we just have to put it together.

As the doctor was talking to dad, listening to him stutter, watching him TRY to keep his thoughts together, you could SEE that he was still examining dad. He watched how he talked, how he moved, his facial expressions.

Then out of no where, he looked at me & said, "Does he tremor often?" I replied that he did, only when still though. I noticed it last week. His hands shake, when he tries to eat, he shakes. I just thought his blood sugar was low.

The Dr. said, "xxxx, I want to see you walk."

Dad gave a confused look. NONE of these doctors have asked dad to walk! He took dad out in the hall and watched him walk.

We came back in the room & he said, "Have you been checked for Parkinson's disease?" No. No he hasn't. He said, "This is what I'm going to do, we're going to call Dr. Li (groan.. I loathe that woman too & expressed as much to the doctor), I'm going to have you tested for Parkinson's & we're going to put you on medicine for Parkinson's. Worst case scenario, the medicine doesn't work. Best case, it works and we make this better for you."

For the first time in 6 months we have something else to go on besides the tumor. All because Dr. Sibley paid attention to my dad. He cared.

We told him about the depression & stress diagnosis & Dr. Sibley said, "No, this is not stress & depression, this is neurological." FINALLY! AGAIN! Here we go! I hope with everything I have that we are getting somewhere with him. They aren't using depression & stress as a fall back because they don't know!

Dad has a doctor appointment on Monday at 9:30 am. I didn't know this until yesterday after work.

Mom said, "Dad said that it's a waste of time for you guys to take off work."

I said, "Uhm, how's he going to get down there?"

She said, "He said he's going to take himself."

I laughed. I said, "Bullshit mom, I'm taking him."

I went out into the kitchen & asked dad when his appointment was.

He said, "Before 12."

I said, "How are you getting there?"

He said, "I'm going to drive myself."

I looked at him & said, "Do you think that's wise?"

He said, "You girls don't need to go with me, we aren't going to find anything out."

I said, "Daddy, it's like this, I don't care what we find out or not, what happens if you get into an accident and hurt someone else? You can barely walk around the house & we're supposed to be ok with you getting behind the wheel & driving somewhere?"

I said, "If it were Pontiac I wouldn't be so pissy about this, but it's Bloomington, they're doing construction, I don't want you to get confused."

He said, "My appointment is at 9:30."

I said, "GOOD we have a date then for 8:30 on Monday!"

He said, "What about your work?"

I said, "Dad, I'll get it figured out."

I am hoping and praying that I don't lose my job. I would NEVER EVER express that to my dad though. I take doctor's notes in to prove where I've been (hell I have to do that for my attorney too since I'm still getting alimony!)

It's like I told mom, "I don't know if I'd want to work for someone/place who doesn't believe that family comes first." Luckily I think they'll be ok with this. I hope so.

So the newest diagnosis is Parkinson's possibly. Monday we should be making more appointments for more testing and possibly get a rx for dad for Parkinson's.

I'm putting another post up since this one is solely about dad & I don't want to get the next post mixed in with this one!