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@tauruslouise

My husband is a Vietnam Vet. He was in the Air Force and flew as loadmaster on C130's and was exposed to Agent Orange. He had a heart attack in September 2023 and it has been downhill since then. He had a balloon and a stent. For years, he has had balance problems and a tremor. He is blind in one eye and poor vision in the other eye from macular degeneration. He is depressed, anxious and last week he got Covid, which has knocked him off is feet with fatigue, confusion and now has a hard time getting off the bed. He was hospitalized in the VA hospital in February 2024. He walked in with a white cane and was wheeled out two weeks later, being discharged to a group home. I found out he was being neglected and verbally abused by one of the caregivers so I moved him to a memory care facility that is better able to deal with his physical needs. He has been diagnosed with MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment). He now has incontinence at night because he was afraid to ask the caretake to use the urinal or go to the bathroom. He is in Depends in the daytime and a diaper at night. They use chucks on the bed, just in case. I find it very hard to visit him and many times leave in tears because his downhill spiral gets to me as there is nothing I can do to help him. I was going daily, but need my self care, so now take off 1 - 2 days per week. It is so hard watching a loved one go downhill and there is nothing I can do to stop it. I have turned him over to God. There is a poem that has helped me called: Footsteps in the Sand. There are times I need to be carried by God because I just can't do it. I have read some of the posts and can identify. This is a tough road supporting someone with PD.

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Replies to "My husband is a Vietnam Vet. He was in the Air Force and flew as loadmaster..."

I also spent 20 months in Vietnam and spent it in the back of a C130. I remember those 55 gallon drums with Thor orange band. There were times when I and other team members slipped in the wet agent orange from drums leaking. Today I have bad tremors and it may take many months to see a neurologist. We were just young men doing our duty for our Country. My prayers are with your husband, and stay strong and god bless you.

Serious "challenges" I've confronted:
1) Severe migraines;
2) Severe depression;
3) Severe foot arthritis; and
4) Parkinson's disease
The two changes that have alleviated symptoms and vastly improved my mood are doing away with sugar and processed foods, and engaging in water aerobics. Try getting your husband into a pool several times weekly, if at all possible. I spent a chunk of my retirement on installing a smallish pool in my back yard; but without it, my quality of life would have descended into lifelessness. Water gives one the illusion of weightlessness and the real ability to move in ways one never dreamed. I would have happily spent 90% of my retirement on my pool!