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FEATURE:
IN REAL TIME
continued from page 25 Our friends were a tremendous support during these times. Some
of N’s time at home was spent in watching tennis. The minute tennis
The MRI result was normal. I was thankful that it is not a brain was over, N turned to the computer. Then came another call from
tumor. The blood tests did not point to an infection which was a another good friend. “You cannot have Facebook access for N. the
concern as he had traveled to so many countries just before these pictures coming on his friends list are not what you want to see.
symptoms presented. The neurologist requested a ‘Neuro psycho- They get distributed to all others on his friends list and my wife got
logical test.’ This is a test administered by a trained psychometrician one. It is not good for his reputation.” I had the Facebook removed
and interpreted by a psychologist. The test takes 3 ½ to 4 hours to for which N has not forgiven me. Then I started surreptitiously
administer and is in the form of a series of questions. The answers watching the screen when N was at the computer. One day he was
are sent elsewhere for analysis. The test was done on Feb. 9 and the so intent on clicking on pictures and writing emails he did not re-
results were not back for three weeks. The waiting and the feeling alize that I was standing behind him. Little did I know the enormity
of doing nothing to help N was killing me. I stopped going to my of the financial precipice I was poised at? The first psychiatrist ap-
office, social gatherings, shopping, board meetings, restaurants, trav- pointment, the day we will hear about the diagnosis was on our wed-
elling. None of this registered in N’s mind. There was no empathy ding anniversary, it was our 44th.
nor sympathy. The emotional loneliness was scary.
Suggested Reading:
N continued to be very agitated. He started pinching his face at NINDS Frontotemporal Dementia Information Page
imaginary bumps. He had created many wounds all over his face http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/picks/picks.htm
and forehead. I would constantly remind him not to pinch, he will
immediately stop and resume pinching within minutes. I continued Rajam Ramamurthy, MD,
to remind him. His face was in such a state that I did not want to Professor Emeritus UTHSCSA.
go out anywhere. There were many social commitments that I
avoided and the one or two that I tried to attend with N were ex-
hausting as I did not want to leave N unattended. Many times he
was very annoyed and would say “Why can’t you leave me alone.”
THANK YOU
to the large group practices with
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26 San Antonio Medicine • August 2016
