Doctor's Home Visit

Doctor’s Home Visit – Mark and Roland

Roland: Ah morning Mark, nice to see you again

Mark: Morning Roland, feeling any better today?

Roland: Slightly, keep forgetting things though. How about a cup of tea?

Mark: Hmmm the sounds lovely, Milk and two Sugars please

Roland: No problem

Mark: So Roland, I’ve got a little questionnaire I’d like you to fill out

Roland: Ah no problem, love a good quiz

Mark: It’s not that type of quiz Roland aha

Roland: Two cups of tea, Milk, No Sugar

Mark: Erm, thank you Roland, so now let’s answer these questions

Roland: Okay

Mark: So, Do you often repeat yourself or ask the same question over and over?

Mark: Yes

Roland: Do you seem more forgetful?

Roland: Well yes, I have been forgetting things more

Mark: Do you need multiple reminders to do things you used to do on their own, like chores, shopping or taking medication?

Roland: Yes

Mark: Do you repeatedly forget important appointments, family occasions or holidays?

Roland: Yes

Mark: Do you seem sad, down in the dumps or prone to crying more often than in the past, and without any apparent reason?

Roland: Sometimes

Mark: Do you have trouble doing routine calculations, managing finances or balancing a cheque book?

Roland: In recent months, I’ve been struggling with the shop finances

Mark: Do you appear to have lost interest in your usual activities such as hobbies, reading or social occasions?

Roland: I must admit I used to love the cricket but my interest seems to be fading

Mark: Do you need help performing regular activities such as eating and dressing

Roland: Sometimes but I’ve got too much pride to ask

Mark: Do you become easily and unexpectedly irritable, agitated, suspicious or started imagining (i.e. hearing, seeing or believing) things that are not real?

Roland: I do think people are talking from time to time but it turns out no ones in the shop

Mark: Do you have trouble finding words, finishing sentences or naming people or things?

Roland: Always Charlie, I mean Mark, I do it without noticing

Mark: I see, well there’s something I need to tell you

Roland: What is it Mark?

Mark: From your questions, you seem to be suffering from Alzheimer’s

Roland: What’s that?

Mark: Alzheimer’s is caused by some sort of damaged to the cells in your brain and is the most common form of Dementia. Alzheimer disease is a neurodegenerative disease which means it causes the degeneration or loss of neurons in your brain.

Roland: It’s grateful for you explaining it Doctor but what does it mean for me? What about my memory loss, how can I stop that? I’m forgetting everything

Mark: Well over the next few month your condition will deteriorate even more and you’ll continue to forget information about your life, from the small everyday things to be life events.

Roland: But surely there must be something to stop it, I mean all these new medical marvels, surely you’ve got something for it

Mark: There’s no easy way to say this Roland but Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease which means the cells are slowly breaking down and there’s nothing we’re able to do to prevent it. I’m sorry Roland but the cell will deteriorate to the point where you’ll become too weak and slowly the cells will stop functioning.

Roland: Oh, well I guess I’ve lead a good life

Mark: I’m so sorry Roland, I’ll do everything I can to make sure you’re comfortable in the coming months and I’ll help you to the very end

Roland: Thank you Mark

Mark: No problem, now how about that cup of tea? Milk and two sugars this time aha