…we’re all overwhelmed with this.  Today, Dad’s friend, a lawyer in south Florida, informed us that Florida law may consider Dad’s power of attorney (POA) signed in Tennessee invalid for the sale of the house in Florida because recent Florida legislation requires a POA to have witnesses in addition to a notary signature.  Dad’s POA only has a notary’s signature.  The Florida friend/lawyer’s investigating it more.  I talked with Dad’s attorney in Tennessee this morning and he said he is willing to defend the power of attorney he witnessed as a notary.

In a little while, I’m heading over to see Dad and then drive home to attend to my wife’s health (and my sanity).  Hopefully, Dad is stable enough to keep getting rehab for a few days and Mom can get some rest.  Friends will bring food to Mom over the weekend.

BTW, last night, while Dad’s childhood friends, Philip and Terry, were visiting, Dad exhibited behaviour that indicates his thought patterns are very much mixed up, including putting the left houseshoe on the right foot, and then picking up a left tennis shoe to put on the other foot.  He was able to tie a knot, though, and did, for the first time, lean over to kiss Mom goodbye when we left, so Dad’s thoughts are a mix of logical and illogical.

For instance, the bedrails were up and Dad kept trying to operate the buttons on the side of the bed to lower the rails, which didn’t work, but somehow he knew how to push one button to raise the headend of the bed to make watching TV more comfortable (behavioural feedback mechanisms are interested to observe, even in my father, the former professor).

He would grab the bedrail and pretend to climb over but look confused when he saw how steep it was from the bed to the floor and lean back into the bed.  He saw Terry get in the wheelchair and then he decided he wanted to get in the wheelchair so we got him in it and let Philip take him for a spin around the rehab center.  The nurses and techs said that riding in the wheelchair is Dad’s favourite activity right now; they encouraged us to do give him wheelchair rides as much as possible for his mental health.  Interestingly, sometimes he can walk on his own and sometimes he’s like a ragdoll.

Terry said that this behaviour is normal for one of her grandchildren and we’re trying to get Mom to accept that Dad is like a little autistic child, who needs lots of love and encouragement no matter how odd his behaviour may seem at times.  Just declare it Opposite Day and go with the flow.  I think I’ll buy Dad some children’s books with pictures of cars — he loves to stare at the TV when a car race is on.

BTW, I sent an email to the case manager at the rehab hospital, asking for assistance in getting some questions of Mom’s answered:

1. The Rehab Hospital brochure mentions having a neuropsychologist on staff.  Why hasn’t the neuropsychologist reviewed Dad’s case and performed a cognitive test on him yet?  Will the neuropsychologist be able to tell if Dad has FTLD in addition to ALS, bulbar option?
2. Will the attending physician be prescribing Rilutek for Dad now that Dad has been diagnosed with ALS by the Medical Center staff?
3. Will the Rehab Hospital be able to order a heart echo/ultrasound test that was not completed by the Medical Center?  If not, can they assist in getting it performed offsite?
4. Can the case manager assist Mom in filling out paperwork in order to submit a claim for Dad’s longterm care insurance policy?

There are days when I’m not a happy-go-lucky, patient man.  Today is one of those days — just get me the answers I want and we can both move on to other subjects.  Thank goodness I have a drive of five hours on which to focus my attention on mindless meditation.

Time to make a pledge to WETS-FM and then hit the road with tiny particles of rubber rubbed off through the heat and friction factor.

More thanks to give: Dr. Mann, NE State nursing students such as Miriam (as well as their instructor)…