Jerry's Challenge ...

October 7, 2017...

I gave Jerry a complicated math problem yesterday, and he solved it. Yet, last night he told me when he took the dogs out, he got confused for a few minutes as to where he was, so he was kind of walking in circles. He said he knew he was home, but he just felt totally confused and that he has had a lot more confusion lately. He said I need to prepare for when I can no longer "do this." I told him I am not going anywhere, and am here for the duration. He told me the time will come when I can no longer handle him and will need help. I asked him to wait for th outcome of all of his testing and medical consultations before giving up to a disease and reminded him there may be some of his symptoms which can be addressed and could help with the overall situation. He had told me this week, that he has concentrated a lot since he was originally diagnosed on mentally shifting assignments from an area of the brain that seemed to be affected to the other side of the brain. In other words, shifting what area of the brain we normally use (left brain ...for example) to the right brain. Research has shown when people develop certain brain diseases or suffer a brain injury, another area of the brain may try to compensate and become more dominant. That could cause us to believe that is partially how we end up with an idiot savant outcome in some people. I have personally met a half dozen savants in my career. It is pretty fascinating. Anyway... I would never second guess what anyone is telling me who is experiencing brain disorders of any type, but that would be quite an achievement if he could actually shift a task that is normally carried out by the left side of the brain to the right side. His neurologist told me that his entire brain is experiencing atrophy, but it is more concentrated in the frontal temporal lobe which explains why he can still perform exceptionally well in some areas and shows increasing incapability in other areas. Every professional that has seen him has recognized his superior intelligence. I am fairly convinced that he suffered a brain injury early in his life which gave the frontal temporal lobe a head start on atrophy whether it happened in service to his country or even prior to that. What I attributed to PTSD when I first met him, I know think may have been the beginning of FTD. Both PTSD and FTD can cause a lack of understanding of the behavior (symptoms)  from other people resulting in alienation from people you love. I guess it doesn't really matter anymore. We are here now, the voting is done and we will live with the outcome.~drj51