Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Frontal Lobe Syndrome

Just got word that Mom has something called frontal lobe syndrome. I haven't seen her since Friday, when we were chuckling away over The Daily Show. According to reports, she's disoriented now, doesn't know what to do with her legs, and that sort of thing. Sibling One says Daddy is beside himself.

Mom will be discharged this afternoon. Sibling One is arranging for a hospital bed to be put in her apartment and for four hours of home care every day. The doctor has been telling Dad that he can no longer care for Mom.

But he's not getting it. He's not the most adaptable person, and these are stressful times to say the least. He thinks if he keeps on as usual, going to the bank, the library, and the post office, things will return to normal.

The doctor says that things are not going to return to normal.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Terry, I have suspected that I have frontal lobe syndrome for a while now. So, I have researched it on the Internet and in scientific journals, and really find it pretty fascinating.

In its purest form, it consists of an 'amotivational syndrome' in which a person retains his/her abilities, memories, etc., but undergoes personality changes. These include such things as slovenliness, apathy, inappropriate behavior, and so on. I personally changed from an overachiever with a great life into a disorganized barfly (with bad credit and a criminal record) virtually overnight. I am still trying to figure out "what happened" and what to do about it.

In some cases, frontal lobe syndrome can affect grasp reflex, coordination, etc. Science does not understand the frontal lobes very well, and frontal lobe apathy is often connected with other brain injuries.

I don't know if that's what your mom is experiencing, but I thought you might be interested...

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