BARRY’S JOURNEY No. 23
To drug or not to drug It is the end of summer and life for Barry is a lot different from what it was at the beginning of summer. On Memorial Day, Barry was on his second trip to the …
Category: Barry’s Journey
BARRY’S JOURNEY No. 22
Swallowing issues Quite a few times this summer when I went to visit Barry, I found him unable to swallow. The first time I found him with his lap and chair soaking wet. He could not talk because his mouth …
BARRY’S JOURNEY No. 21
MY KIDS’ DAD My kids have a dad in a nursing home who is sometimes embarrassingly filthy when they come to visit. Sometimes he is wearing clothes that do not belong to him. Sometimes he says f*** you to them …
BARRY’S JOURNEY No. 20
Barry is getting stuck Something new is happening with Barry. He is getting stuck. The first time I noticed it, he was looking at a magazine when the subscription card fell out. Barry reached down to grab it. I was …
BARRY’S JOURNEY No. 19
Laugh out loud Every once in a while, Barry’s old sense of humor comes alive. Before FTD, Barry was not one to talk a lot in a group. But he had a very dry sense of humor, which quietly would …
BARRY’S JOURNEY No. 18
Musical shirts I try to visit Barry at least twice a day at his care center. I ride my bike there in the morning to get my exercise in and then try to get there in the afternoon with a …
BARRY’S JOURNEY No. 17
Happy anniversary Not surprising — I forgot our anniversary this year. It slipped my mind as I spent the morning following Barry around his care center. We were married on June 30, 1979. The ceremony was held at the church …
BARRY’S JOURNEY No. 16
More moves for Barry In my last post, I reported that Barry had been moved back and forth to hospitals and care facilities that didn’t want to or couldn’t take care of him. The saga included a two-week stay at …
BARRY’S JOURNEY No. 15
From hospital to hospital to where now? A person with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is not someone you want to be around. Hanging out with Barry can sometimes be a very unpleasant experience. I am learning that caring for Barry as …
BARRY’S JOURNEY No. 14
BARRY’S NEW PALS Barry has a lot of new pals to hang out with now. I’m getting to know them as well. Photos from younger days with wives and kids hang outside their doors. It is a good reminder of …
