THE DIAGNOSIS ON MY FRIEND, LES, SO FARI have just gotten

THE DIAGNOSIS ON MY FRIEND, LES, SO FAR

I have just gotten word about more on the situation with my friend, Les, who is in the hospital in Australia. He fell and fractured the C7 vertebrae in his neck. He is having surgery to insert a pin today, and he should recover fully from this without any difficulties. There is concern about what caused the fall and other symptoms that he exhibited that have worried us, his friends who were corresponding regularly with him. We have wondered if he could have had a stroke. I also have thought perhaps he was having some difficulties because of his Parkinson's -- perhaps not taking his medication as directed, which was discussed here by commenters on a previous entry about him and his Parkinson's. He has been in the hospital for just a couple of days. We don't know who found him or how long he had been lying there before he was found. His friends in Brisbane now know of his situation and are visiting him. He is alert and trying to talk despite being on the ventilator.

The story I mentioned that he had told of a developer taking his house was totally false, and his other friends are recognizing that now. I'm glad it's not the case, but I am concerned that he was so convinced that it was fact. Hopefully someone will be able to get to the bottom of why he had that idea. I am hoping that he is able to be checked on regularly from now on -- perhaps there are government health services in Australia that do that sort of thing. Of course, it will be a little while before he is able to go home. He is still in ICU but will be moved to a regular room when he is ready.

Les has a little dog, Katy, and Les's nurse friend, Jenny, in Brisbane, and the other friend I have been corresponding mostly during this process, Mary, in Missouri, have been working on finding out where she is and making sure she is being cared for.

I have to credit Mary with her determined pursuit in finding out what had happened to Les. She was a regular detective! It is so good to have this much information, and hopefully more will be coming out as time goes on.

A BIG CONCERNI am very concerned tonight for a long-time

A BIG CONCERN

I am very concerned tonight for a long-time online friend who is suffering from Parkinson's disease. In letters I have received from him lately, he has talked about supposed recent events that are surprising, fantastic, and I feel have not happened. I was thinking that he might be having mini-strokes, as he is in his 70's, but then I did a Google search today under "symptoms of advanced Parkinson's" and this is what I found:

"Ask the Experts about Psychiatry/Mental Health for Advanced Practice Nurses
from Medscape Nurses

Managing the Psychological Symptoms of Patients With Parkinson's Disease?
Question
I am interested in knowing more about patients experiencing delusional and psychotic symptoms while being treated for Parkinson's disease. Antipsychotic medications affect dopamine levels and sometimes cause the symptoms of Parkinson's to worsen. I would like to know what approaches to treatment have been effective in managing these patients' symptoms.

Response from Maren S. Mayhew, MS, ANP, GNP
Nurse practitioner, specializing in geriatrics.

As we have improved the treatment of Parkinson's disease, patients are living longer and developing the psychotic symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease. Risk factors for developing psychosis include dementia, sleep disturbances, and nighttime use of long-acting dopamine agonists."

I had no idea. As the title says, I am very concerned about my friend. I don't know of anything to do other than to write to him as I usually do when I hear from him (today I didn't) and to pray for him. I get concerned and discouraged about my medical difficulties at times but situations like this friend's make me put them into better perspective.