To be continued....

This morning we went for husband's dementia tests.....or rather, the first part!  We were there just over 2 hours (we'd been told it should take around 2 hours), the first part consists of the psychologist asking husband lots of questions, some general, some specific, and sometimes asking if I concurred with what he said (no, most of the time).  Then I was given a questionnaire to fill in regarding husband's behaviour and how he copes with things, whilst husband tackled all the tests - some verbal, some written or drawn.  Well, as is customary with husband, he kept going off at a tangent, joking around and launching into long rambling stories of events in the distant past.  Funnily enough, on the way there I'd specifically asked husband not to keep talking about irrelevant stuff or things he hadn't been asked, and not to keep cracking silly jokes!  He must have forgotten 😒 - actually, he's a law unto himself and can't help himself, it's hard to stop him from talking.  I dare say all of that will probably help the psychologist in her assessment, but it does delay things and add to the length of time we have to be there!  Because of all that, she couldn't get through all the tests in time (she had another appointment straight after ours), and so we have to go back again next Tuesday to complete the rest.  Sigh.  

I asked her about husband's brain scan - again she wouldn't tell us the result.  She said there's no point in looking at any one element of the testing in isolation, everything has to be taken as a whole, which I can see.  But it does feel like they're withholding information from us, which I find quite frustrating.  I suppose they think we might not understand, or be worried about the results....I actually find the not knowing more worrying.  After next Tuesday, which I hope will be the last of the tests, the results have to be collated and written up by the psychologist, then husband's case will be discussed at a case conference.  Only then will we then be called for feedback and diagnosis.  It's such a long drawn out process.

Oh, and once again husband was told that they consider he is safe to carry on driving at the moment.  I'm glad of that, of course, but it always strikes me as a bit odd that someone who doesn't know him can make that sort of judgement from asking a few questions in an office, rather than a practical assessment actually sitting beside him in a car. 🤔  She did ask me if I have any concerns about his driving, I said I do have a few - his reaction times are slower, he has minor lapses in concentration sometimes, he occasionally forgets to change gear.  I don't however feel like I never want to get in the car with him again!  Well, not yet anyway.

I feel quite worn out now......clearly husband does too, as he fell asleep in his armchair soon after we got home, he slept for about half an hour.

Incidentally, if husband is ever asked to do a practical driving assessment, he would have to go to a test centre in either Bristol or Exeter, both of which are miles and miles away from here.....Bristol is almost 2 hours drive, Exeter around 1 hr 20 mins.  If the assessor decided husband was unsafe to drive, it would take effect immediately, meaning he would be unable to drive home.  So how would we get home then?  We were told he should take someone with him who could drive our car home, just in case!  So obviously not me then.  Husband did say that if he was asked to do a driving assessment, he would refuse and accept that he would have to give up driving from then on.

Getting old and infirm is no fun, we really don't appreciate our good health when we're younger.  If only we knew then what we know now!