Oh my gosh, my heart breaks for him and at the same time my heart breaks for me too. I can relate to feeling like a ghost. In fact I think I have said that about myself before to my husband.
In terms of reading and following instructions I can just say that I understand so much of what he is going through.. I went from being a good cook and following elaborate recipes for my family to now having most of my meals done very simply and with my husband. I can just empathize so very much.
I see the rehab doctor for an evaluation on August 1st. I will share all and any tips I learn from that visit. I also have high anxiety and take meds for it though I am very careful with them as I don’t want to slow my cognition further.
It was recommended that I try Modafinil and Armodafonil (name brands are Provigil and Nuvigil) , to help with brain functioning. They are stimulating however and my body didn’t tolerate them even at a very low dose without raising my anxiety and panic so high that I had to stop. They were helpful though for mood and clarity in thinking so it they might be something to consider for him.
I know speech therapy is recommended for memory and I expect the rehab doctor may suggest that for me. I will follow up with you on that.
I haven’t had a lot of patience with memory games but I’m sure they could be helpful.
Reading is the most disappointing thing to see fall off for me. I loved reading all my life- something changed. It’s partly I can’t remember the storyline but it also just causes me anxiety as I am no longer up to the levels that I once was with it.
I will follow up after my appointment, hopefully I can share something helpful.
I send my best to you and your son. He is not alone although it is a terribly lonely place to be in.
ECT justice is a website he might find helpful. It focuses some on the legal side of things- which was not an option for me as I explained- but it also had personal stories and information. I especially liked information written by Peter Breggin, MD. He is a psychiatrist who has openly spoken out about the dangers of ECT.
💕