If you’ve been to the hospital after a head bump, you may have been asked these questions:
Until I went with my sister and mom to Lydia’s neurologist after Lydia was in a car accident where she couldn’t explain what had happened, I’d never heard of this. But probably all doctors and nurses know these questions.
After Lydia was in the hospital this spring, I stumbled upon H. Branch Coslett’s video where this MD talks about how what affects people with FTD is learned knowledge. So you have to have learned that COLONEL is pronounced like kernel. Most people can sound out the word ARBITRARY.
Why can’t we just get that word added to the Mini Mental State Exams and cut out all the crazy tests to rule out other illnesses? Just ask two more questions? Instead of waiting and waiting for appointments for MRIs, PET scans, painful spinal taps? Blood tests and more blood tests? EEGs that are inconclusive? Something where you can just cut to the chase and not have to wait for years to get a diagnosis?
My sister was able to get on Social Security Disability before she was able to get into see the specialist who finally diagnosed her 30 months after the car accident. That’s because this disease is not something you can recover from–drugs just help with managing the symptoms.
Don’t worry, she wasn’t driving after that car accident.
Help us get that Mini Mental State Exam changed so others don’t have to go through Lydia’s Not Excellent Adventure.
Spread the word. People and their families will thank you.
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Lydia's FTD House 