Thank you Kimberly. I should have used my words more carefully–I read on this web site (ngdf.org) that oftentimes patients can confuse their diagnosis (memory loss/issues) and therefore may not be able to relay information to family and friends correctly. She has repeatedly given us incorrect diagnoses to explain away some of her beahvior and we are not sure if this is just another attempt to excuse some of her past actions that have created the significant rift in the family.
As for my FIL, I wish I could say that he was a reliable source of information, but he has requested that we talk about other things with him. I am not certain how involved he is with her treatment and recovery. Before seeing an endo–suggested strongly by my husband–she was seeing her regular physician who said she had a thyroid "problem" and then spent the next 17 years giving her medicine to try to regulate her hormone levels. After doing so much research on the thyroid, it is clear that the #1 thing to do is to see an endo immediately and develop a good relationship. She refuses to allow any of us to accompany her to the doctor to ask questions so we cannot firmly grasp anything about her illness/condition (or even obtain a correct and accurate diagnosis for that matter). My husband and I have "turned off" communication with her for the past 6 months feeling that we have done more harm than good trying to move her into active rehabilitation. See below.
Before this said diagnosis, she has been dealing with alcoholism and addictions to prescription drugs. Needless to say, her health is an ongoing concern and a constant conversation. We are trying to approach this with her best interests in mind BUT with her recovery as our number 1 goal.
We are confused and feel helpless…
