JYWdaughter
04-17-2008, 06:23 PM
Hi all -
I was delighted to stumble onto this forum - hoping all of you can help me with a couple of questions.
My dad, who is 71, has a diagnosis of "cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, frontal skull base defect related, status post dura repair." He has had repeated bouts of meningitis, which I just learned is related to CSF. He is in stable but poor health, including possible Alzheimer's. He currently lives in a nursing home in Taiwan but he wants to come back to the U.S. to be near his grandkids.
My questions are:
- Should he attempt the flight from Asia to the U.S.? It is at least a 10-hour flight, with at least one connection, and that doesn't include the time at the airports. (I don't even want to think about delayed/canceled flights.) And he doesn't walk; he needs a wheelchair. There is no way he could travel alone, so this trip would be a major commitment for someone.
- His doctor was planning a second CSF surgery but ended up canceling - I'm not sure why, but I think because my dad was not in good condition at the time. He had a tough recovery from the first surgery. Should I ask them to do the second one before he tries to fly? Then there would be all the recuperation time. Or should I just get him over here and then get him to a U.S. specialist?
Thank you very much for any insights you can offer.
I was delighted to stumble onto this forum - hoping all of you can help me with a couple of questions.
My dad, who is 71, has a diagnosis of "cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, frontal skull base defect related, status post dura repair." He has had repeated bouts of meningitis, which I just learned is related to CSF. He is in stable but poor health, including possible Alzheimer's. He currently lives in a nursing home in Taiwan but he wants to come back to the U.S. to be near his grandkids.
My questions are:
- Should he attempt the flight from Asia to the U.S.? It is at least a 10-hour flight, with at least one connection, and that doesn't include the time at the airports. (I don't even want to think about delayed/canceled flights.) And he doesn't walk; he needs a wheelchair. There is no way he could travel alone, so this trip would be a major commitment for someone.
- His doctor was planning a second CSF surgery but ended up canceling - I'm not sure why, but I think because my dad was not in good condition at the time. He had a tough recovery from the first surgery. Should I ask them to do the second one before he tries to fly? Then there would be all the recuperation time. Or should I just get him over here and then get him to a U.S. specialist?
Thank you very much for any insights you can offer.