Confabulation "I understand completely about the anger at the doctor's words."

We had a neuropsych whom I hate to this day. Our first chat with him in the rehab hospital with the entire family there, ended with him telling us Kenny was VERY confabulatory and confused and had severe short term memory deficits...which was true, but then he said Kenny couldn't even tell us his children's names.

So I looked at Kenny and asked him how many daughters he had, he said 2 (correct). I asked him what their names are, he said their names. Hmm...

Now this is also the same neuropsych that later on told us Kenny would always be at the point of confabulation he was just 3 months ago...His confabulation was very bad at that point. He was constantly making up stories, all day, in answering questions and trying to fill in the blanks his memory was leaving. He was also very confused about orientation and didn't realize his deficits. This Dr. told us this really wouldn't change and I was SO upset. If it had remained this bad, Kenny would never be able to have any independence.

It is now 3 months after that little diagnosis and I left Kenny alone for an hour on Tuesday, he's been walking to the corner store by himself for weeks now everyday. He has been confabulatory about an average of 2 times a week. He is retaining daily events better now, not consistent, but at least retaining. AND, when he is confabulatory, he catches it himself at least 50% of the time.

Another doctor told us that guy needed a vacation...We called him Dr. Pessimist, and his staff just loved it, caught on as a matter of fact.

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