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Friends & Flowers & Sentiments

May this year be your very best one ever!
Begin by honoring your three-pound brain.
Works 24/7 even during the hours we sleep.

Granddaughter love brings a bright light to all grandma-hearts.

Standing on the porch of a friend’s cabin in Utah overlooking majestic ah-inspiring beauty, it comes to me…how lucky to be here…how fortunate to be alive…to have had caring parents. And to have kids after some years of growing pains, support and help each other is a true gift. It makes life the best it can. Gratitude overwhelms!

My Dad was a mountain to me. He died in 2002 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Sadly, I did not know what I did not know. If I have any pearls of wisdom to share along the lines of Communication is Key, it is to . . . stop! look into your parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, friend’s face! and listen! Never wallow in sadness without figuring out how AD takes its toll.

In moments of silence and deep regard, Irmtrud and I stood at our father’s gravesite. The bigger shoes? Belonging to Les, Irm’s life partner. A family tribute!!

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is but two words. Words that cause fear, stigma and distance. It has an unidentifiable beginning and sometimes creates what is called, “the long good-bye.”

There are many descriptions for AD:

“…progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or old age, due to generalized degeneration of the brain. It is the most common cause of premature senility.” Internet answer to What is Alzheimer’s disease?

 “AD is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes.”  Alzheimer’s Foundation of America    www.alzfdn.org

“AD is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. AD accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.”  Alzheimer’s Association   800-272-3900    www.alz.org

Imagine a big open umbrella. The umbrella represents the main category, Dementia. Under the main category, there are many ribs, or dividers, for the different types of dementia. The biggest type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Some other types are Vascular, Lewy bodies (DLB), Mixed dementias, Frontotemporal, Parkinson’s (PDD), Creutzfeldt-Jakob (CJD), Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH), Huntington’s, Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), etc. These different types of dementia make for a very full Dementia umbrella!

This umbrella visualization helped me to understand better, and I sure hope it helps you. There are so many resources available to us, to educate and support us in finding answers to What is Alzheimer’s disease?

I strongly encourage becoming a partner in your own health.

Sometimes it feels like we’re between a rock and hard place. Sometimes it feels like we’re very much alone. If your mind is set because of unhappy and unhealthy thoughts, the good news is you can change thoughts and beliefs by being open to listening, reading and socializing with all kinds of diverse people, ideas, and circumstances. You’re ready?

Now the problem might become…where’s the boat?

Becoming a partner in my own health means to me learning about what I don’t know regarding my medical diagnosis, “You have early onset Alzheimer’s.” It’s been an on-going search for insight and rescue since September 2013.

For you, you may need to figure out what your symptoms are telling you, what’s happening to a friend or family member that causes you concern, scares you, or… where to begin, from what little you do know?

If we think of our body as we do about repairing an engine or fixing something we think is wrong with our car, we go to that auto repairman with some knowledge of how the car is operating, tell him what’s happening. Otherwise, we might get a wrong diagnostic determination, right?

As with malfunctioning autos, in our own health we need to read about, talk about, and do some of our own due diligence.  For sure in the case of mental acuity, it isn’t always best to forget about it. (pardon the pun)  It is said that early detection is paramount.

Choose/interview for a caring and knowledgeable healthcare professional. Patients may undergo a physical exam and blood tests. Diagnosing dementia requires a full review of patient’s health, family and medical history. Evaluating the patient for depression, substance abuse and nutrition and other conditions that can cause memory loss, including anemia, vitamin deficiency, diabetes, kidney or liver disease, thyroid disease, infections, cardio vascular and pulmonary problems, etc. I’ve always heard, there is no single test that proves AD. It is a process of elimination.

You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die.
Or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live. Now.
~ Joan Baez

You think your loved one may have memory issues above and beyond casual forgetfulness? You’re beginning to hear and read about all kinds of dementia, mostly about something named Alzheimer’s? Can Alzheimer’s be diagnosed? Who is qualified to diagnose it? And certainly if it cannot be cured, what’s the point in subjecting loved ones to a fear-inducing diagnosis?

I’m only me, but I can tell you from my humble standpoint – I want to know everything. And that means sharing my fears and asking my children and grandchildren to investigate AD with me. We’ve done that together, hand in hand. Sometimes I think I am wrong to ask them to help shoulder the burden. I wasn’t given that chance when my dad was diagnosed; therefore, I didn’t know how to deal with the angst and anger he displayed – yelling as he raised his fist up to my face. I was horrified…for him and for me. I do not want that for my family. My decision to include everyone may not be the way you’d handle it for your family. It’s a personal choice we all need to work through.

Experts admit that definitively diagnosing AD can be tricky. It is a process of elimination through different tests. Do I believe I have it? No, not completely. Well, sometimes. Yes. Am I in denial? Probably, based on testing.

So I’m approaching my diagnosis with a ‘tricky’ strategy – gathering the mega information available about a subject that is not fully understood, changing my diet to include more plant based foods, gluten-free and heaven knows cutting out sweets. That one is the hardest of all…and I am not fully successful. Shhh.

I am fighting for my cognitive well-being as best I know how. That’s today and that is what I know for sure, today. We are only promised now.

How is your day going?

A renowned authority on Alzheimer’s (AD) spoke and he said – a 70 year-old with a parent who died from the complications of AD and who has been diagnosed herself/himself, has a grim chance of overcoming the verdict.

I say…Pashaw! Let’s scream and holler, fight and kick and stay the distance with a smile and a “Not me, not yet” attitude. So – what do we do and how do we do it?

Not totally sure, but it is my belief we cannot be ‘a resting pooch.’ I’m going to dig deep, pull up those rosy red big girl panties, commit to exercising today – and socializing, even if it means talking to strangers!Excercise looks like … walking, maybe a block or a mile! Or three four or five times a week. If you cannot walk, maybe sit in a chair and kick your legs and arms around like the crazy person you’ve always wanted to be – for five minutes. Fight back within your ability – this is not about over-doing, but ‘doing’ . . . something.

Socializing looks like …maybe lunch with a new friend. That always takes more energy and thought than sitting home eating alone. If you do not drive, perhaps you could invite someone to your home to share conversation? Holler at your neighbor, you’ve been wanting to do that for some time now, haven’t you? Tell them about this new blog and my book, Blue.River.Apple.