MY NEW ADVENTURE ~ ALZHEIMERS

Moving my journal

2011-10-20T12:56:00.000-04:00

I've decided to return to Simplesite to continue my journal.
Please join me there at my new and improved site:
MY JOURNAL

I'm shakin' in my boots

2011-10-19T16:24:00.000-04:00

I had a look at the program for the Changing Melody Forum for Saturday. The morning guest speaker is Dr. Jennifer Fogarty, a clinical neuropsychologist. The afternoon speaker is Dr. Ken Shonk, a family doctor who has been doing public speaking for twenty years. Sandwiched in between those two high profile people is little old me! But worse than that...I speak after we eat lunch!!! What if I drop some food on my top, before I speak? Well, I've devised a very nice little bib to wear to protect my top. I used miniature paper clamps and a gold chain. I'll let you know how my invention worked!!!

Slow month

2011-10-16T18:54:00.002-04:00

Still plugging along...doing this and that....and enjoying life. I haven't attempted any more baking since the banana bread fiasco. Only the top half of the loaf was edible! I need to figure out a new recipe system, so just one recipe is visible at a time!
I have another speaking engagement this Saturday at the Changing Melody Forum in Woodstock, Ontario, which is about four hours away. I hope I'm able to help a few more folks on this journey.

Back to my normal self

2011-10-02T10:51:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess I'm pretty well back to my normal self. In fact I thought this morning would be an excellent morning to use up some overripe bananas in some banana bread. I found my banana bread recipe in my binder, and proceeded to make it. Somehow my eyes got onto the next page, and I ended up adding all the ingredients for Applesauce Pancakes into my mashed bananas. Don't you just hate when something like that happens? I added more flour to make it thicker....and now I'm waiting for my banana applesauce pancake bread to bake. Anyone want to be my guinea pig?

Great news

2011-09-27T15:57:00.003-04:00

We are very happy to report that our son's surgery went well. The tumor was successfully removed and Sandy was bright and alert this morning. He expects to be home tomorrow. Thank you all for your prayers and best wishes. I think I will need to sleep for a week to get my brain unfogged, but it is indeed a happy fog!

2011-09-10T18:57:00.000-04:00

Jim and I joined my brother in law Nick in his Parkinsons' Superwalk today in Ottawa. Pictured above is Nick and some of the other super heroes!! Nick raised nearly five thousand dollars for Parkinsons...way to go Nick! It was a really fun day. I accompanied Nick on the five kilometer walk on my Scooter....it was great fun!

Update on son

2011-09-09T08:47:00.000-04:00

Sandy visited his neurosurgeon again yesterday, and received confirmation of his brain surgery for September 26th. Our other four sons will be here to give Sandy their support. Sandy, of course, is very positive, and when asked if he would consent to donating his tumor for science, immediately agreed, "as he won't be needing it anymore!". The five boys are planning on having their annual golf game on the 24th. We sure do have five great boys!!!

Lowering my cholesterol

2011-08-20T14:34:00.000-04:00

Last week our doctor prescribed Ezetrol to lower my cholesterol. It isn't a statin drug, so I agreed to take it. However, my research indicated it was also known to sometimes cause muscle problems. There is no way I need any more muscle issues going on, so I'm not going to take it. Jim's sister Carly suggested I try flax seeds and chia seeds. Both are known to lower cholesterol. Also Chia seeds are a major source of omega-3. They also contain high amounts of antioxidants, fiber, protein, calcium, magnesium and iron. They have been recently touted as the new 'superfood'. They are an amazing source of long-term energy. So I will be taking 2 tablespoons of ground flax and 2 tablespoons of ground chia daily, and I'll let you know in a month when I have my next blood test how they worked at lowering my cholesterol.

Stressful week

2011-08-18T14:51:00.003-04:00

A week ago we received news that our son Sandy, who is 40, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. According to his neurologist it is a grade two astrocytoma. Now we wait for his appointment with the neurosurgeon in Toronto, which will hopefully be within a few weeks. Sandy is still able to carry on work as an electrician, but isn't allowed to drive, because of his seizures. His spirits are good and he has his mommy's positive outlook! I'll keep you posted on any news in the weeks to come.

Doctor Appointment

2011-08-10T11:44:00.000-04:00

I wanted to give you an update on my cholesterol levels. We had our dr. appointment yesterday, and even though I've been taking 3 yellow peas a day, my cholesterol level is still up at 7. I had great hopes for the yellow peas! Not sure what we're doing about it yet, but I am refusing to get back on the statin drugs.
I just spent the last twenty minutes going through all our cupboards looking for the noodle soup that my mouth is watering for. I finally remembered the two packages were in the pile of stuff we left behind at Giant Tiger last time we shopped, because the noise in the store became more than I can handle. I guess I'll have to settle for a salad for lunch!!

2011-08-02T18:00:00.001-04:00

We had an enjoyable week with Jim's Mom visiting, along with her 4 month old puppy Buttons. Having a puppy really cuts down on how much time you can spend shopping. However I was able to find a neat solution which let us do all the shopping we wanted. Buttons didn't seem to mind shopping at all from the duffel bag slung over my shoulder.
I'm totally enjoying my Kindle, and now have a Kindle case with light, so I can read out on my deck in the evening, after the sun goes down. Life just can't get much better than this, I don't think!

2011-07-20T09:56:00.001-04:00

I had an appointment with a physiotherapist on Monday to see if he could help with the nightly muscle spasms in my legs. After a half hour consultation, he concluded that there was nothing he could do. He did suggest having my electrolyte levels checked, and perhaps see a nutritionist to see if they might have some suggestions for me. We have a doctor appointment schedule for two weeks, so we'll see what we can set up. In the meantime, I'm totally delighted with my early birthday present from son Ralph and his wife Lisa of a KINDLE e-reader. It even has text to speech, so it can read to me when I need to be busy doing something! I have yet to try out the browsing and emailing it does, but I'll keep you posted as I experiment with all the features.

2011-07-17T19:02:00.002-04:00

Words cannot possibly do justice to describe the absolutely fantastic week we've just enjoyed with our family. If you had a chance to click on the link from my last Journal entry, you can visualize 30 to 38 of us enjoying the amenities provided to us. (Various family members arrived for a day which added to the numbers.) The week seemed to melt away at an incredible speed, and suddenly we were having to hug and kiss everyone goodbye until next time. I won't be able to step on the scales for at least a month, after a whole week of indulging in every bit of scrumptious cooking that came from the huge kitchen that was at our disposal. Thanks to our neighbors Ann and Barb's excellent care, our cats are still talking to us!

Exciting Week Ahead

2011-07-08T18:45:00.000-04:00

Our family are having a Family Retreat for a whole week, starting Sunday. You can picture us lounging around here!
There will be 28 to 30 of us....including 3 of our sons, and 10 of our grandkids and my sister June and her sweetheart Nick. Brother Dave and wife Margaret are also coming for a day visit. We'll see if we can convince them to stay longer! I am so excited! I've got many lists prepared for shopping as well as packing. Fortunately our neighbor Ann is able to come in and care for Angel and Baby, our two senior cats. Barb and Eric said they'd also pop in occasionally for a visit, just so the girls don't feel terrible neglected. I'll be taking along my laptop but I imagine I'll be having internet withdrawals big time!

A funny thing happened on the way....

2011-07-07T19:29:00.002-04:00

I was scootering over to the recycle bin with my bag full of goodies when I had a brainwave that maybe I should just toodle up the laneway to the neighbours where Jim was cutting grass while they're on vacation. Now the laneway is about 1/2 mile to the highway, and I was totally loving that I could be whizzing merrily along at top speed of about 5 miles per hour, when something flew into my mouth. Now with my demented brain, it takes a wee tad longer trying to figure out what you should be doing about it. I finally stopped my vehicle, and without losing my dentures, managed to spit whatever it was out. Not, unfortunately, before it manage to sting me twice...on the tongue and at the back of my mouth. So then I'm hurridly driving up to where Jim was cutting grass, hoping I wouldn't go into anaphylactic shock or any such thing! So here I am, living to tell about it....and vowing to now keep my mouth tightly shut...or wear a face helmet.

Happy Canada Day

2011-07-01T19:37:00.000-04:00

We've discovered, by trial and error, that I have almost no muscle spasms at night when I don't use my legs. So I found this great scooter on kijiji, and I'm now able to galavant all over the campground! Notice my pretty Canadian flag we installed for this special day! Jim said he's going to have to install a personal tracking device on me to keep track of where I am.

A Great Day

2011-06-16T10:46:00.000-04:00

Our trip to Peterborough to attend the Alzheimers Society meeting went well. We were early enough to first visit the graveyard where Jim's father and aunts and uncles are buried. The meeting was held in a very luxurious retirement home called Canterbury Gardens. I doubt any of us could afford to retire there! They had a buffet supper consisting of various sandwiches, cheese platter, veggie platter and desert tray. Jim and I managed to find lots of food to eat without straying from our diets. We picked sandwiches that just had meat, so we ate the meat and wrapped the bread in a napkin to dispose of later. I had picked a quiet spot to sit and eat so I don't think anyone saw me stuffing bread in my purse! The organizers thoughtfully had my speech at the beginning of the meeting, so when I finished speaking, I accepted a lovely gift basket and we were on our way home again. Jim says I was 100% again, and everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy what I had to say. Hopefully some folks there got a few tips they can use to make life easier. Now its back to hauling wood and screwing screws!

Busy, busy days

2011-06-14T14:13:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe we're at the middle of June already! Jim's Mother bought us a newer trailer, and we have been unbelievably busy removing the old one off our site, and getting the new one set up. We are totally in love with our new 12' x 40' summer home! Our son Sandy spent Sunday with us helping Jim level the old deck, and installing new deck boards. He and his daughters will come again this weekend to help Jim finish up.
Tomorrow we go to Peterborough where I am the guest speaker at the Alzheimers Society Annual General Meeting. A day off from hauling wood and screwing deck boards!

2011-05-24T14:19:00.000-04:00

We have now moved our two cats down to the summer trailer, so we are officially In Residence, and our flag is flying. Sort of makes me feel like the Queen!
We found the required yellow peas needed to lower my cholesterol. I have a sealed jar sitting on the counter top so I remember to pop three a day. I'm scheduled to have my cholesterol checked again in August, and I'll let you know how the peas worked. Our friends at the campground have decided I will be their guinea pig. The pharmaceutical companies should be quivering in their boots about now!

Lowering cholesterol

2011-05-17T14:38:00.000-04:00

My friend Linda emailed me after reading on my blog that I've once again stopped taking the statin drug and shared the following:

My friend who lives in New Hampshire is a nurse who was diagnosed with high cholesterol. Her friend suggested that instead of taking any of the statins she try taking three whole yellow peas daily. Her friend said that the same chemical as found in the statins was in the peas. So she left the drugs on the shelf and started taking the peas. When she returned to the doc to have her levels checked a few months later the doc was please to report that her numbers where back within the safe range.

Wouldn't that be totally amazing if it works? I'm off to find a supply of yellow peas!!!

Happy Friday the 13th

2011-05-13T15:42:00.000-04:00

We went to the trailer yesterday so Jim could get the lawns all ready for the weekend. He finished washing down the walls and ceilings in the trailer so we have a nice fresh start. I busied myself washing windows and screens, and even got a start at washing down the deck. I was feeling so proud of myself for remembering to take everything, even the MagicJack phone. Then I remembered I'd forgotten to pack my medications. I missed my evening and morning pills and by afternoon my head was feeling like a large empty block. I'm now making up a emergency package so this doesn't happen again!

Cramping Legs All Gone

2011-05-07T16:21:00.000-04:00

Even though I used my walker very faithfully, I was still having to jump out of bed at night to relieve the leg cramps. While trying to think of what else had changed with me in the last month, besides my diet, I remembered our new doctor has put me back on a cholesterol lowering drug. Of course when I checked the side effects of the drug, muscle cramping was staring me in the face! I then remembered that I had stopped taking a statin drug a couple of years ago, because we had read it could be causing muscle cramping. Needless to say, I've again stopped the statin drug, and so far I haven't been up dancing in the wee small hours.
We're at our summer trailer for the weekend The grass is growing so fast with all the rains we've had, so Jim is out doing his "dancing" with his lawnmower!

Exciting news

2011-05-02T10:49:00.000-04:00

I am very excited about a new speaking engagement. I've been asked to speak at the Peterborough Alzheimer's Society Annual General Meeting next month. I lived in Peterborough from 1972 to 1980, when I relocated from Alberta, and that is where Jim and I met. It will be interesting to see if any of our old friends on our the same journey as we are.

Happy May Day

2011-05-01T10:18:00.000-04:00

This is the time of year when warmer weather begins and flowers and trees start to blossom. I wish the weatherman had been told that this morning, when we woke in our summer trailer with the winds howling, and our curtains billowing in the breezes. We really do need to buy ourselves a 4 season trailer so we can be warm and comfy even if the weather changes. We opened our trailer on Friday and Jim got all the lawns cut. I have the inside all set up, except for washing the walls, but I can do that another day. We've been trying to think why my nightly leg cramps are back again, and are wondering if its due to me not using my walker as much. I wonder if I attach a leash to my walker, I might remember to not go out the door without it!

Happy Easter and Passover

2011-04-25T12:49:00.002-04:00

We've had a few busy days with family visits and tonight we're having a dinner catered at our apartment. I imagine Jim and I will take our own plates of food down with us as I'm sure there's not likely to be a thing we can eat with our funny diet. We've discovered we can make some really nice flat breads in the George Foreman grill, and now I'm just experimenting with various flours to see what works best. We made our first batch of ice cream yesterday, using coconut milk, strawberries and honey. It was delicious. Today I've made a coconut icecream. I still have to try one using carob powder to give us our chocolate fix. I do find I have to have a brain break quite often, or I start doing really wierd things in the kitchen! Oopss...brain quiver there....wierd should be "weird"! Yep!

From the inside out

2011-04-17T16:06:00.000-04:00

There is a great article written by a doctor in England who has Picks Disease (frontotemporal dementia). It is certainly worth having a read through. From the Inside Out

Jim's Mother is visiting for a few days. She is having to suffer through all my cooking experiments as I try to find new and interesting meals on our new diet. I haven't had to throw any more foods out, but we did find out that the millet flour we had used was rancid. Apparently millet flour has a very short shelf life. Our next visit to Kingston will be looking at flours sold at Asian and Chinese grocery stores, where we should be able to get very fresh flours. We will probably do another Chinese Buffet as well. I was delighted to discover last week that there were lots of food there we could indulge in and still stay on our diets!

Another speaking engagement

2011-04-08T15:06:00.000-04:00

I have been asked by the Alzheimers Society of Oxford in Woodstock, Ontario to give my speech at their Changing Melody Forum in October. I'm really pleased people are finding my speech helpful and it's a good feeling to know I might be helping a few more folks on this journey.

Doctor treats husband's alzheimers with coconut oil

2011-04-07T09:56:00.000-04:00

I've read about this before and forgotten it. Jim just found it in ALIVE, the Canadian natural health and wellness magazine. Since we're not allowed to have corn oil or soy soil we are definitely switching to coconut oil. Here's the link to the article. I made pancakes this morning using tapioca flour and millet flour. Jim had his with blueberies and I had mine with artificial syrup. We each had one, then filed the rest in the Trash Bin! yuck Back to the drawing board!!

Foodprint 200+ IgG Food Intolerance Test

2011-04-06T20:45:00.000-04:00

Jim and I have gotten the results back from the bloodwork we had done for the food intolerance testing called Foodprint. Food intolerances can be the cause of many symptoms including bloating, weight problems, depression, sinus issues, headaches, anxiety, skin problems and insomnia to name but a few. So we're now changing our diet to avoid all the foods that our results indicate our bodies can't handle. No more dairy, eggs, yeast, wheat flour, rice, beans, cabbage, corn, peas and sugar to name just a few. Each day is a new adventure in shopping and eating. I'm still looking for a supplier of water buffalo milk, which is the only dairy that we can have! The good news is we can eat ostrich, octopus, eel, cuttle fish and barnacles if we can catch them!
Click here to see the list of foods that were tested for.

Another interview

2011-03-28T11:33:00.000-04:00

The Alzheimers Society has two videos on youtube....one is a clip of Christine Bryden speaking to the Forum

The second is a short interview I gave after the Forum. Unfortunately there was a lot of background noise, however I think I got the message across that we still have a lot of good living to do.

Another article

2011-03-27T13:31:00.000-04:00

Here is the third article done by The Star in Toronto:

The Star

Two of our sons have phoned to say the CBC link to my video is broken, however I imagine CBC will get it up and running tomorrow.

Great success

2011-03-26T19:25:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to say the Changing Melody Forum was a huge success today, and my speech went very well. Here is the link to the CBC article and video which came out today as well.

Click here

Globe and Mail article

2011-03-24T15:48:00.000-04:00

Rethinking our approach to Alzheimer’s

Judith Timson

A new pamphlet for Alzheimer’s patients suggests readers 'see the world through the eyes of your grandchildren and the young people in your life.'

I was talking on the phone with a woman named Brenda about public speaking – which as a challenge ranks very near the top of everyone’s nightmare list.
“In the beginning, you could not have paid me any amount of money to speak in public,” Brenda told me. “The first time I did I was a mess.” Now she can speak for up to an hour – “I do have to have notes” – and always has people to prompt her.

She’ll be speaking briefly this weekend to more than 200 people at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto, but what’s remarkable is that Brenda Hounam has Alzheimer’s disease. She’s one of the organizers of A Changing Melody, an interactive forum complete with audience activities, which will also be broadcast live online for people living with dementia, their caregivers and professionals, to be held Saturday in conjunction with the 2011 Alzheimer's Disease International conference.
Ms. Hounam, a former accountant who lives in Paris, Ont., was diagnosed at 53 with the early onset of a disease that has only one public profile. It’s portrayed as a tragedy that robs its victims of their selves, upends families and – you’ve seen the headlines – is the potential calamity awaiting us all. In fact, some middle-aged people I know are so terrified that they will get “it,” they can’t even joke about having a lousy memory.
Brenda Hounam says that when she was first diagnosed in 2000, “I lost everything.” She couldn’t work and when she told people about her condition, she says, she was met with “patronage, avoidance and denial.”
But now she is passionate about conveying that “there’s hope and possibility.” The general public, she says, doesn’t know anything about that.
She’s been instrumental in getting people with dementia together to produce a series of pamphlets called By Us For Us (“at first they said you can’t put eight people with dementia in a room together and get this done”), offering tips on how to get the best out of life. A recent pamphlet, Living and Celebrating Life Through Leisure, suggests readers “see the world through the eyes of your grandchildren and the young people in your life as they have unconditional acceptance,” play Nintendo and Wii, and “DVD your favourite TV shows or news and watch them several times to follow the story line.”
I loved talking to Ms. Hounam. We both laughed when I said, “You’ve had this disease for 11 years,” and she paused and said, “Have I?” Her disease has definitely progressed, she said, but “I always seem to find something to keep me going.” Without that sense of purpose, “you get drawn into this disease very quickly.”
I also spoke to Mary McKinlay, 66, who is from Napanee, Ont., was diagnosed five years ago, and writes a blog – My New Adventure ~ Alzheimers (alzheimer-journey.blogspot.com). A recent entry which began “Sometimes I really hate being me!” detailed her misadventures with what she thought was a rice cooker but turned out to be a small crock pot. (Her husband Jim is now going to put a sign on the crock pot saying “no rice.”)
Last year, even though she was terrified, she delivered the keynote at a Kingston forum and said, “I got a standing ovation.” And this weekend, she’s actually looking forward to being a featured speaker: “This disease has taken away my fear – it’s great!”
I normally get suspicious of any attempt to prettify a disease, like the upbeat pink ribbonizing of breast cancer, to the point that some women write they are “grateful” they got the disease. So when A Changing Melody’s organizer, Sherry Dupuis, director of the Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program at the University of Waterloo, pointed out to me that most of the media “perpetuates a tragedy discourse” about Alzheimer’s, I pushed back – what, you want us to say it isn’t a terrible disease?
But she held her ground: “There is an alternative discourse, one of hope. We try to show this isn’t just about challenge and loss. There’s also the feeling that “I’ve grown because of this. I'm an evolving person. I have the right to be treated as a valuable citizen.”
Most of the attendees, who come with family members and caregivers, are in the early stages of the disease and even though they find the day – from 10 to 3 p.m. – overwhelming, they come away inspired, reassured and even entertained.
Something about these two women lifted my soul: I suppose because, as a writer, I am aware of what effort it takes, even in a so-called healthy mind, to string words together to form a narrative, to tell your story in a way that is convincing and powerful enough so others will connect, let alone benefit.
Ms. McKinlay says she will talk about every aspect of her life, and the changes she and Jim have made to accommodate her disease. For instance, they used to love bicycling but when it became too much for her, her husband got a tandem bicycle so “I could sit back and enjoy the ride.” They’ve stopped even that now, but, she says, “I’ve discovered each day is a joy. You have to laugh at yourself.”
She then offered advice that's good for everyone who is getting older, never mind whether they have Alzheimer’s: “Just make everything work as long as you can.”

Published on Thursday, Mar. 24, 2011 2:45PM EDT

A day in the life of......

2011-03-20T17:38:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I really hate being me! I decided to cook some rice for supper tonight. I got out the rice cooker and measured out the water and rice then plugged it in. Twenty minutes later I went to check on its progress, and the pot was barely warm. I searched on the internet to see if I could find how long these rice cookers take. Then a light went off in my head....wait....was that the rice cooker, or was it a small crock pot I also keep in the bottom cupboard? Yep....slow cooker!!! I should have realized my error when I didn't see the measuring cup and instruction book that I keep inside the rice cooker, you would think eh? Jim says we could label them .... "No Rice" on the crock pot, and "Not Slow" on the rice cooker!

Changing Melody Forum

2011-03-19T19:48:00.000-04:00

I'm into the last week before the Changing Melody Forum in Toronto. Besides the CBC interview, I've also done a phone interview for the Toronto Star, and Monday do another interview with the Globe and Mail. Maybe I should double up on the vinpocetine to make sure I don't have any brain glitches this week!

No Changes

2011-03-18T12:57:00.000-04:00

I can't say I've noticed any improvements with vinpocetine as yet. It certainly didn't make any difference at our son's birthday party. The activities and noise really got to me after a couple of hours. I'll keep taking them in case it just takes a wee while longer to sort out the mess in my head.

Day Four/Five/Six of Vinpocetine

2011-03-06T17:05:00.000-05:00

Well on Day Four I made it through a 3 hour interview for a documentary for CBC with hardly a brain glitch at all. Day Five we travelled to Ottawa to help Jim's Mom celebrate her 87th birthday, and then spent the evening playing Canasta with my siblings and their spouses with no problems. Today was a day of traveling on snow and ice covered highways to get home again, and I managed to keep it together just fine. Mind you I had my eyes closed a good deal of the way! So far I'm thinking vinpocetine may indeed be helping to keep things less scattered in my head. I will definitely keep on taking it, and keep you posted.

Day Three of Vinpocetine

2011-03-03T15:54:00.000-05:00

I guess two days of vinpocetine is not doing the trick. We went to Walmart and bought a few things, and left our shopping behind at the check-out counter. It was nearly an hour later after some more shopping that I was thinking about our Walmart purchases and realized the bag was no where to be seen. We were thinking how nice it is that we live in a small town, and going back to Walmart was only a five minute detour on our way home! So far there is no improvement that I can see....but we're in the early days yet!

Day Two of Vinpocetine

2011-03-02T09:48:00.000-05:00

I was awake for awhile during the night and I was sure my frontal lobes felt like they were filling with blood! I probably have an overactive imagination, but it sure did feel like that! I asked Jim if he had noticed any difference, and he replied that no, he was a stupid as ever! I asked if I could quote him on that and he said that he would probably forget he'd said it was OK! tee hee

Day One of Vinpocetine

2011-03-01T16:32:00.000-05:00

After visiting all the local pharmacies yesterday we had no luck finding vinpocetine. This morning I started searching via phone to Belleville and Kingston and finally found one single bottle at the Green Door vitamin store in Kingston. 15 mg capsules...90 in a bottle for $27.99. So Jim and I each took one with our Chinese buffet, and will take a second one with our dinner tonight. The Nutrition House in Kingston phoned me back to say they could order them in and the price should be around $12 for a bottle of 90 of the 15 mg capsules. I wonder if they are cheaper by the case lot.....I could start selling them to all my friends and relatives with foggy brains!

Vinpocetine Fights Dementia

2011-02-27T13:37:00.000-05:00

If you’re suffering from a fuzzy brain, you may want to know about vinpocetine. This semi-synthetic substance is a derivative of vincamine, an alkaloid of the periwinkle plant. It has been used in Europe, Japan and Mexico for the treatment of cerebrovascular and cognitive disorders. Here in the US, vinpocetine is a dietary supplement that is sometimes called a nootropic, meaning cognition enhancer.

Vinpocetine has been widely used in the treatment of different blood-brain (known as cerebrovascular) diseases and dementias. The chronic decrease of blood flow to the brain plays an important role in the development of certain types of dementia. As the consequence of complex set of actions, vinpocetine has been found to play a significant role in improving these conditions.

What’s new: Recently, Hungarian researchers found that vinpocetine may help improve cognitive functioning. They set out to investigate the characteristics of blood flow in those with mild cognitive impairment. Then they examined those patterns and cognitive functions while the subjects took vinpocetine for 12 weeks. Using psychometric tests, they found a significant improvement of cognitive functions after the 12-week vinpocetine therapy. In addition, the general condition of patients improved significantly according to both the investigator’s and the patients’ opinion. The researchers concluded that the vinpocetine improved the reserve capacity of the cerebellum and the blood vessels that supply it and that it favorably influenced the cognitive status and general condition of patients with chronic decrease of blood flow through their brains. As a result, they recommended the use of vinpocetine for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment. What this means: This study adds to the scientific evidence that vinpocetine may increase brain blood flow and metabolism, and work as a cognition enhancer, neuroprotectant and antioxidant. Previous studies have been small-scale clinical trials that use that use PET scans and verify that vinopocetine, when taken orally, does pass through the blood-brain barrier and increases blood flow to the brain. This definitely sounds like something I wish to try!

Still Here, I think

2011-02-21T17:05:00.000-05:00

Life is certainly rolling on by. Winter is just about gone, and we're happily looking forward to spring. I'm keeping very busy at our apartment. We're doing some spring cleaning now in our common room and organizing the cupboards. I find between my brain games and the apartment activities I don't have much spare brain power to write in my journal. I can only spend about half an hour at a time in the common room before the various conversations around me just become a blur, and I know its time for a quick brain break. It took me fifteen minutes of resetting my password to get in here this time, so I must do it more often before I forget how to do it again!

Relax your brain

2011-02-04T09:01:00.000-05:00

My friend Marcus just posted this on another website.

Do you have a couple of minutes to spare? If so, here's something productive you can do with that time: nothing.

A young student and website developer named Alex Tew has created a site called "do nothing for 2 minutes" (donothingfor2minutes.com). The site opens on a view of a sunset over the ocean and the gentle sound of waves.
...
When you arrive at the site, a counter starts counting backwards from two minutes to zero. That may not sound challenging, but if you touch your mouse or keyboard before two minutes pass, this message pops up: FAIL.

I guess even relaxation has its pressures!

Alex told the website Tech Crunch: "There is evidence that our brains are being re-wired by the internet, because we get a little dopamine kick every time we check our e-mail or Twitter or Facebook and there's a new update. So we're all developing a bit of ADD."

I'm not sure that visiting donothingfor2minutes.com will actually help lengthen your attention span, but it is relaxing if you can avoid the FAIL notice.

To Your Good Health,

Relax Your Brain

Great new website

2011-01-20T10:16:00.000-05:00

I was invited to join a facebook group called Memory People. This is a group for people with dementia, family and caregivers. You need to email Rich Phelps who started the group for permission to join. His email address is: phelps2645@gmail.com

Rick Phelps is truly amazing. He is an EOAD (Early-Onset Alzheimer Disease) patient but instead of fading away with this disease Rick has done something different, very different. Rick has decided to make a video a day to show how this disease effects him and help bring EOAD and Alzheimer's awareness and education to people. He is making a daily video on YouTube. You can access his videos from Rick's website

Happy New Year

2011-01-11T11:46:00.000-05:00

I have a feeling 2011 is going to be an excellent year. We got off to a good start by actually being awake at the stroke of midnight and welcoming in the New Year. I like to sleep in until about 9am these days, and sometimes go back for a nap in the afternoon. That still leaves me plenty of time to enjoy our shopping and apartment activities. Throw in a few doctor appointments here and there, a Chinese Buffet now and then, and life is pretty full.

Year's End

2010-12-30T13:47:00.000-05:00

My year nearly went out with a big bang. Somehow I stumbled over my feet, and my walker and I went crashing sideways to the floor just inside my apartment. I blame it on my Foamtread slippers, which have now found a new home with a friend who doesn't have rugs that they can catch on. I remember thinking as the floor rushed up to meet me..."This is really going to hurt"! And it did, but fortunately for me, nothing broke. A few bruises and stiffness haven't slowed me down at all, and I now have a New Years Eve Gathering planned for all the residents down in our Common Room.
Talk to you all next year!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T14:39:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and a late Happy Hanukkah to all my friends and relatives.

This month has totally skated by as if on speedskates. Several times I've begun to write a new entry, but when recollecting my thoughts, I think of something else I need to attend to, and off I go again before I can post to my journal. Our turkey dinner here at the apartment was a huge success with 27 attending, and the catered meal is still the talk of the building. Jim and I had an early Christmas dinner with his family in Ottawa, and tomorrow is Christmas with two of our sons in Newcastle. In my spare time I'm down in the common room working on the jigsaw and chatting with neighbours. Our common room is slowly becoming a meeting place and lots of friendships are being made.

I would like to wish you all much love and happiness throughout this happy season, and I'll be back next year!

Happy Thanksgiving America

2010-11-26T09:37:00.000-05:00

The days are flying by. It's hard to believe its only 28 days 'till Christmas. I've been keeping busy organizing pot luck dinners, 50/50 draws, and bingo here at our apartment. I've arranged for our Christmas Dinner to be catered here on December 20th....so everyone will have turkey for Christmas! I've even started up a Walking Club at 2pm every day. So far we can walk outside around our building, but when the ice arrives, we will have to walk our hallways!
Our Christmas tree is up, and our shopping is done, except for some small items for gift baskets. I take many brain breaks to keep my head uncluttered, and I have lists for everything....so all is well!

The Facts

2010-11-04T15:09:00.003-04:00

According to www.thealzheimerspouse.com, the #1 site on the Internet for support and information for spouses of Alzheimer patients, the most common misconceptions about Alzheimer’s Disease are:

It is a normal part of aging.

It is a disease of the elderly.

It is a disease of forgetting.

There are medications to cure it.

There are survivors of the disease.

All of these facts are false.

The facts are:

Alzheimer’s Disease is NOT a normal part of aging. It is a brain disease that affects all areas of brain functioning – cognitive ability; comprehension; language; mobility; speaking; memory; all bodily functions.

It is not an “old person’s disease”. Many cases are diagnosed as young as 35 -50, and increasingly, people are being diagnosed in their 60’s.

Medications stabilize the symptoms in some patients for up to two years, but they do not cure it or stop it.

There are no survivors. The disease is 100% fatal.

Fall is rolling by

2010-10-27T10:59:00.000-04:00

I haven't had much to report lately. I'm still trying to get used to the remerol. It has addressed the anxiety and emotional outbursts very well, however I'm still trying to figure out the sleep pattern that accompanies this drug. Some nights I sleep like a baby, and have no leg pains whatsoever, while other nights I lie awake all night long, with the usual burning legs. Hopefully I'll get this figured out soon. I'm keeping busy otherwise, organizing events here at our Seniors apartment as well as volunteering at the Seniors Outreach Center next door.

Canadian Thanksgiving

2010-10-09T14:13:00.000-04:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all our Canadian family and friends. Jim and I are very busy today preparing our contributions to the turkey dinner in Ottawa tomorrow. My brother Dave and his wife are having a family gathering at their place. The weatherman is promising us a lovely autumn day to enjoy the family festivities indoors and out. My mouth is absolutely watering when I think of all the great food that we're going to enjoy.

Even our local rabbit squirrel is getting into the festivities, as he chows down on some peanuts on our patio.

What is that?

2010-10-04T08:42:00.002-04:00

A friend sent me this link. This is a little clip everyone should get a chance to watch, and remember.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNK6h1dfy2o

I'm taking 1/2 dosage of my remeron for now at the suggestion of our family doctor. I'm at least able to stay awake for most of the day with this dosage and not be a total zombie.

2010-09-30T10:50:00.000-04:00

I'm just back from spending 4 days at our son Ralph's near Ottawa, doing 'grandma' duties. Ralph was away for the week, and Lisa worked 2 day shifts at the hospital, so I had to be the before and after school grandma. I managed just fine, except their house has stairs! I had totally forgotten why I never do stairs...but the burning legs soon reminded me! It has been awhile since I've done any Dr. Seuss reading, but it soon came back to me.....and I even got to help stitch a blanket and pillow for a mouse bed. Jim manged fine at home without me. He did mention that now we only have one doily on our dry sink, because when he was vacuuming one disappeared into the vacuum wand. Another trip to the Dollar Store is in order!

2010-09-24T10:46:00.000-04:00

I have once again been asked to be a guest speaker, this time at the International A Changing Melody Forum which is held in conjunction with the Alzheimers Disease International Conference in March of 2011 in Toronto. Obviously I'm thrilled to pieces, but I'll be telling you more about it as time goes on I'm sure.
Our son Ralph stopped in for a quick visit yesterday with a special delivery item....a new Nintendo DSI...to replace my stolen one! lol This is the new and improved version, complete with a camera. So beware, I may not be exercising my brain, but trying to get a good picture of you!

My 50 thousand mile check-up

2010-09-22T22:05:00.000-04:00

We are just back from an appointment with my neurologist Dr. Black at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. She has now put me on Mirtazapine or Remeron to see if that helps with my anxiety issues. Unfortunately I didn't do so well on my MMSE testing this time. I'm down to 24 this time round. This probably explains why I'm struggling with my pogo games lately. Oh well....as Dr. Black says...I'm holding my own!

Processing Problems Again

2010-09-15T08:42:00.000-04:00

I was very excited to be attending my first "Cooking with Chef Cortwright" yesterday at the 55+ Activity Center next door. Cortwright is the chef who prepares the Meals on Wheels for the Napanee area. He demonstrated how to prepare various dishes including Beef Wellington, stuffed tomatoes, baked zuccinni, breaded cod fillets, microwaved potatoes and liver and onions. Then we all enjoyed a plate full of all the prepared foods, and it was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately after 3 hours of sitting in the kitchen with the big fan roaring, the walk-in freezer and the two large fridge motors running, and listening to his running commentary, my brain had reached the saturation point and I was anxious to get home to my quiet space.
I had thought I might join the beginners exercise group, but I discovered they play music and it's an incredibly noisy environment. I plan to check out the yoga class in two weeks, and see how that goes. I have discovered though that I can volunteer once a month and help fold the 2500 newsletters with no problem!

OK...I must remember NOT to lose weight!

2010-09-08T16:52:00.000-04:00

Weight Loss May Release Pollutants into Bloodstream

(Source: WebMD Health News) - There may actually be an unhealthy downside to losing weight.
A new study published in the Internal Journal of Obesity finds that blood levels of substances known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were higher in people who had lost weight compared to people who maintained or gained weight.
Persistent organic pollutants are stored in fat tissues in the body. But when the amount of fat is decreased – as through weight loss - they may be released into the bloodstream, where they may enter vital organs, such as the heart and brain. POPs have been linked to a wide range of illnesses, including type 2 Diabetes, cancer, dementia and heart disease.
Go to full story: webmd.com

Our Murphy Bed

2010-09-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

Do you remember seeing a Murphy Bed in some of the old films? Here's a little clip to refresh your memory.
I got this bee in my bonnet that we needed one, and I actually found a used one for sale near Ottawa. Jim just finished installing it. Ours looks like a maple entertainment center when closed. Now we're all ready for company!

Just Me

2010-08-28T07:54:00.000-04:00

I was doing more research on why I’m struggling these days with spiders and bugs of all kinds. I found this neat information. The part of the mind that controls anxiety has, to all intents and purposes, lost all sense of proportion, and screams `danger!' when the situation is not threatening in any rational way. No matter how harmless the feared creature may be, for a severely phobic person the fear reaction is every bit as real as if the cause was a major threat. People with phobias usually realize all too well that their reaction is irrational, but this makes no difference to its effect. This of course also explains my difficulties when we’re driving. My brain keeps screaming danger and Jim and I end up nervous wrecks. So I’ll just continue to lie down while traveling on my nice airbed, and stay indoors away from all bugs.

I'm Doomed

2010-08-24T10:42:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it? Someone actually stole my Nintendo DS and my Brain Age Game II right out of our Van. Now Jim always locks the van, but either he forgot to lock it or some smart alex jimmied the lock. When we got into the van yesterday afternoon we noticed our registration and insurance papers on the floor, and wondered how that had happened. Then Jim noticed the spare key for the van that we kept in the center console, just sitting there. The cell phone was still plugged into the inverter, however my lovely Nintendo DS which I also kept plugged in, was gone. I love doing the brain exercises while we travel, as well as taking it into any doctor appointments to wile away the waiting time. So now I'm spending my days watching Kijiji.com for a really good deal! And I hope whoever stole it is getting some brain exercise!!!

Off my Birthday High

2010-08-23T09:29:00.000-04:00

After much consideration, Jim and I have decided we're at the wrong end of our lifespan to even think of adding a puppy to our lives. We both love dogs, and really miss not having one. However, it dawned on me that these days I'm struggling with day to day issues and meeting the needs of two cats. A puppy would have many more needs and we don't think I could cope. I know this adorable little guy is going to find a really good home in four weeks. This has been a really tough decision for us to make. I've been bugging Jim for two years to get us another dog!!! We miss having a dog around so much. So I guess I'll just have to offer to take my neighbour's dogs for walks!!!

Fun week

2010-08-22T12:32:00.001-04:00

This has been a fun filled week. Our son Dave from Nova Scotia is here driving transport...our son Gene from Vancouver flew in on Thursday, and son Ralph from Ottawa rented a cottage on an island nearby, where we all spent lovely hours visiting and boating. Yesterday the whole family spent the day at son Sandy's in Newcastle, including my stepson John and family from Peterborough. The only one missing was son Lane in Maple Ridge, BC, who couldn't make it this year. We had our annual Birthday Bash, for Ralph and myself, and John's wife Donna. Our sons gave me a TomTom GPS, so I'll never get lost...and John and family gave me a Jack Russell/Shitzu puppy...which I'll receive in four more weeks! I am so spoiled!!! ANY IDEAS FOR A PUPPY NAME? (He's a little boy!)

Wonderful news

2010-08-14T09:15:00.000-04:00

We had some great news this week. After all the testing, the specialist in Kingston said I don't have emphysema, but I do have adult onset asthma. Considering I smoked for 47 years, I'm very lucky to have ended up with a very treatable condition. In fact the doctor asked if I would be interested in joining a study they have planned of long time smokers like myself who beat the odds of developing a serious lung condition.

I really have to chuckle to myself though. Here I have what I thought was a young person's disease, asthma, and an old person's disease, dementia. Go figure eh?

Puttering along

2010-08-07T13:52:00.000-04:00

Our summer days are gently drifting by. I'm enjoying many walks in the early mornings and late evenings. Jim's Mom spent a lovely week with us, and we've had a couple of trips to Ottawa visiting relatives. My airbed in the van works extremely well on these long trips, and Jim quite enjoys his stress free driving with me relaxing in the back. Our apartment has a lovely patio, and it has become a favorite gathering spot with our friends here.

Heebie-Jeebies

2010-07-28T08:16:00.000-04:00

I had to look up that expression after Jim was saying that's what I get when we go to the trailer. Heebie-jeebies is used to describe a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, depression or illness. I have no idea why this is happening to me after all our years of camping, but I'm now safely ensconced in our apartment and things seem to be getting back to normal for me. I've been back to the trailer on several occasions for a few hours while Jim tends to his lawns and gardens, but I'm so relieved when I'm safely back in my little nook.

Hot, hot days!

2010-07-13T09:49:00.000-04:00

We've endured some incredibly hot days this past week, and I'm not handling them very well. When the inside temperature of the trailer hit 93F with the air conditioner on, we decided it was time to move our poor cats and me home until things have cooled down significantly. I'm keeping an eye on the long range forecast, but so far I'm quite happy here in the apartment! Jim and I enjoyed another great train adventure up to Ottawa on the weekend and a lovely visit with my siblings and their spouses. We had fun using our Magic Jack phone on our computer on the train with VIA Rail's free WiFi.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

2010-07-06T09:55:00.000-04:00

I was saying to Jim the other day that it's too bad we couldn't afford an old camper van or motorhome so that when my brain got scrambled while traveling, that I could just go lie down and let it get back to normal. Jim has been finding it increasingly stressful traveling with me, as my anxiety level rises, and I start clutching at doors, dashboards, and even the air. We came up with the perfect solution, and something we could easily afford. A single size airbed and little curtains. We made the 3 hour trip to Ottawa on the weekend, and were delighted how well it worked for both of us. With my headphones on and the curtains closed, my brain can drift around and sort itself out just fine.

Happy Canada Day

2010-07-01T12:49:00.000-04:00

And of course I want to wish my American friends a Happy Independence Day on the 4th. My morning has been spent trying to fix a technical glitch. For two days now I've been getting failure notices that various servers were blocking emails sent from my KOS server, because of a high volume of spam. Now how on earth can I keep in touch with my many friends if my emails are being refused? I have now spent the better part of four hours trying to get all my contacts into my yahoo email account. Most of you know what a totally exasperating task this can be. Believe me, you do not want to try to do this with a demented brain!!!

Busy morning

2010-06-28T11:12:00.000-04:00

I've had a fun morning, preparing myself (Jim's a vegetarian) 18 hamburgers. I cooked up all the burgers, and then put each one into a thin bun, along with relish and ketchup. Each burger then went into a zip-lock sandwich bag, and into a larger zip-loc bag and into the freezer. When I want a burger for my meal, I just pop one into the microwave for one minute, then add my lettuce, tomatoes, and onions into my piping hot bun. I love those thin buns ... they're large enough to hold your burger without overwhelming it, so you can concentrate on what's inside.

Shades of the future?

2010-06-23T07:32:00.002-04:00

For the past month I’ve been very busy implementing our new phone system using Magic Jack, which runs through our computer, thus enabling us to say goodbye to the high prices of regular phone service. Yesterday, for some unexplained reason, I experienced a period of total confusion, and I had no idea what Magic Jack was when Jim mentioned it. And I started to read him an email from his sister which he said I had read to him five minutes earlier. Since we had planned a trip to our apartment to pick up a few things, we decided to stop at the hospital on our way, just to make sure I hadn’t experienced a small stroke. The doctor decided it was just a natural progression of my disease, and was going to contact my neurologist to let her know. I’m not sure I agree with the doctor's diagnosis, and feel I may have had an Transient ischemic attack, but what do I know! Anyways, I’m back to my normal self today….which is good!

2010-06-21T12:55:00.000-04:00

I'm a day late with my wishes to all the Dads, but I did have good intentions. Our son Sandy and family arrived for Father's Day lunch. The weather was perfect for enjoying ourselves on the deck. We also had an enjoyable few days with Jim's Mom visiting here. She got to experience our splendid view and trailer living before we returned her to her home near Ottawa. We're discovering on these longer road trips that I'm handling them much better sitting in the back of the van, wearing my headphones. Much less stress and feeling of panic for me, and undoubtedly for Jim, I'm sure!

B12 and short term memory loss

2010-06-14T09:14:00.000-04:00

I wanted to pass along this information, since so many of my friends are telling me they are experiencing short term memory loss.

B12 deficiency can result in memory loss, and can usually be corrected by a regular intake of Vitamin B12. The recommended dosage of B12 is 1000 to 2000 mcg of the sublingual form every morning. (That's the one that goes under your tongue!)

Now don't forget to pick some up today!!!!

B12 and Depression

2010-06-12T18:16:00.000-04:00

I've been really struggling for the past month or so with my emotions. I finally decided I needed to do some research today to see if I could find anything to help. Of course I came across lots of information about B12 and depression. One website even had the following information: "While most doctors would never consider such a possibility, studies have documented local cerebral deficiencies of B12 (using cerebrospinal fluid levels as a measure) in people with alzheimers, and people with brain atrophy." So the dosage that seemed to be recommended was at least 2000mcg per day. I checked my medication list which I have on my computer, and it said I was taking 2000mcg daily. Then I checked my pill box, and discovered that somehow over the past few months, I've changed and am only taking 125mcg a day. I imagine I saw a good sale on B12, and forgot that I needed the higher dosage. So hopefully my tears will dry up and blow away!

TAG Day

2010-06-06T10:10:00.000-04:00

Friday was Tag Day in Picton to raise awareness of alzheimers and raise money for the local Alzheimers society chapter. Volunteers are placed strategically at many store front locations with Alzheimers Awareness Tags and boxes for donations. As we came out of our grocery store I stopped to make a donation. The volunteer, who works at a nursing home, said what a terrible disease it was. I agreed, telling her I had been diagnosed four years ago, but was doing incredibly well. Later as I was thinking about that conversation, I was thinking that maybe I'm one of the lucky ones. If I had been diagnosed with cancer four years ago, would I still be here enjoying each day?
Today I am wrapped up in a cozy blanket in my recliner, watching huge waves crashing on the shoreline. I'm also wearing my headphones to dull the roar of the rain thundering on our tin roof, and two electric heater fans blowing! We could have gone back to our apartment, but this is rather neat!

My Urgencies

2010-05-31T07:14:00.000-04:00

We had a lovely visit at Jim's Moms near Ottawa on Saturday. The company, the weather and the traffic were all near perfect. My brain even behaved itself almost perfectly! I enjoyed a quiet day yesterday, and tried not to bug Jim too much. I am struggling with this uncontrollable urgency to get things done at our summer home. Jim has been plugging away at our "To Do" list, in between his grass cutting and bike riding. These are all time consuming jobs like wash and wax the trailer, clean the awning, install new baseboards, fix the rotten back door, and install new weather seal on the tips outs. Unfortunately all these tasks require Jim's expertise, and all I can do is sit and worry about them. Oh well, maybe we'll win the lottery and I can hire a handyman for a week. In the meantime, I think I'll tackle painting the deck....this should keep me out of Jim's hair for a bit! Now...what interesting color would I like to paint it this year?

Broken Processor

2010-05-23T18:12:00.000-04:00

I really do wonder how the brain processes information, and why some days I struggle with what seems like brain overload. I find some days I have to wear my headphones and have most of the blinds drawn, just to cut down on the amount of input I'm experiencing. We don't have a radio or TV on, so there is the just the sounds of nature, and the voices drifting in from neighbours sitting out enjoying the lovely day. I guess I'll just enjoy my little window on my world, in my quiet space, and worry about my processor another day.

My World....out our patio door

More Changes

2010-05-16T12:03:00.000-04:00

I've enjoyed my camping experiences since I was a very young girl, when Dad borrowed an old tent and we had our first camping adventure. Over the years I graduated from tents, to tent trailers, to camper van, to small trailers, then bigger trailers and we've been enjoying our old 40 footer with two tip outs now for nine years. This year I'm really struggling with getting my brain to accept that when camping you share your space with many creepy crawlies. We've had several day visits this year, but on Friday we came and spent the night. By late Saturday afternoon my anxiety level was riding on High, and we decided to head for home, where I shed my clothes and hopped into the shower to try and get feeling clean again (I wasn't actually dirty!) We're back at the trailer today, and we'll just play it by ear....and see if my brain pops back into its greased groove.

Mother's Day Memoirs

2010-05-10T09:33:00.000-04:00

Our daughter in law's Mom invited our family to join in the Mother's Day festivities at their home near Wellington, ON. yesterday. So with us two Moms, there were eight of our kids and their families, with a total of around 35 people, not to mention the four dogs. I did have to don my headphones at one point, but on the whole, I managed very well. Our sons gave me a Nintendo DS Personal Trainer - Walking....so I can keep track of how active and healthy a lifestyle I have. It's going to take me a few more days of studying to figure out how to read the results, but in the meantime I'm WALKING!

2010-05-08T08:23:00.000-04:00

We went to Kingston Hospital on Thursday for my pulmonary testing and then the appointment at the COPD clinic. The good news is I passed all the breathing tests with flying colors. She said there is no indication of the emphysema I was diagnosed with last August. She has sent me home with a test kit to test my breathing 3 times a day, just to make sure there are no other issues we should be addressing. So that is very good news. Now...the not so good news....they of course took my height and weight. I've shrunk, in height only!!! 5'3" instead of 5'6". This can be easily remedied though. We have this fantastic inversion table, and I'll be hopping on that several times a day to "uncrunch" my vertebrae. Now the 15 pounds I've gained since I quit smoking is going to be a little more difficult to tackle! I'll have to increase my number of walks a day and tape my mouth shut between meals I guess! Did someone say "No more Chinese Buffets?" ....naw!!!

Happy May Day

2010-05-03T08:03:00.000-04:00

Jim's Mom came for a week's visit again. We had a fun time showing her the sights, with lots of shopping and walks. They both wore the speaker headsets when watching TV, so I had my quiet times then, so I managed quite well.
May 1st was opening day at Johnsons RV Park. We did spend the day there with Jim cutting grass and me getting things set up inside. We had fully intended to spend the night, however I had forgotten to pack the blankets, so we came home to sleep. I'm really struggling again with the decision making about what we need to take with us, and when. In the perfect world, I would have both homes fully equipped with everything we need, and we could just flit between our two homes with no worries. Maybe I'll just go into my cocoon until Jim has us all moved!

STILL ALICE

2010-04-23T10:29:00.000-04:00

Oh my.....everyone needs to read this book.....STILL ALICE by Lisa Genova. I laughed and I cried, and I'm still tingling! You can check it out at this website: http://stillalice.com/

I actually met Lisa Genova in the chatroom several years ago...and we enjoyed many lovely chats. Now I should mention that several years ago I was advised to make a photo book, so that when I could no longer speak, I could point to a picture of what I was wanting. So I had this really neat photo book on my computer, called Mary's Things. It had pictures of rooms in the house, including the toilet, clothes I liked to wear, places I liked to visit. I even had pictures of my favorite food, along with the recipe to make it. However, after reading STILL ALICE, it dawned on me that at some point I may not remember how to use my computer to point at the various pictures. So I purchased a 3-ring binder and some plastic inserts, and I'll now start cutting out the various pictures I need for my new Mary's Things book. Oh yes...my new binder has Butterflies all over it...and you'll understand the significance of that after you've read STILL ALICE!

Brain Meltdown - Again

2010-04-19T14:43:00.000-04:00

I guess my busy life has caught up with me again. None of the filters in my brain are working. The drapes are closed to keep the room dark and my headphones are on to deaden the sounds. (Too bad they won't silence the tinnitus too.) I can't even try to carry on a conversation, and I certainly can't do any brain exercises. Trying to think makes my brain feel like its shuddering.
Jim was saying the last few days I've been very high strung, and that should have been a sign to us of what was happening.
So....I'm heading back for my third nap of the day...and rest my brain!

Changes

2010-04-16T10:55:00.000-04:00

After the Changing Melody Forum, a woman was discussing her husband with me. She said one of the things that’s particularly bothersome is his inability to control his swearing. She said it’s particularly bad because he used to be in the Navy, so he has a fairly extensive vocabulary.

With the start of Alzheimer's disease two major factors are going to increase the likelihood that the person will swear or use other forbidden words when they become stressed or frustrated. First of all they lack impulse control. If they think it, they will say it or do it. They can no longer control an impulse. That part of their brain is damaged.

I’m using swear words I wasn’t even aware I knew! All I can think is I should probably be buying large quantities of Duct Tape!

Only women would understand

2010-04-14T08:06:00.000-04:00

Over the past few days, vague memories keep popping into my head of people who spoke to me after the Changing Melody. In particular, a young lady who I think may have been part of the Planning Committe, came and hugged me and asked if she could be my daughter, since I only have five sons. For the life of me I can't imagine why I didn't abduct her right right then and there and bring her home with me. I had been lamenting earlier to my sister and sister in law, that I had no one to pluck the errant hairs and whiskers that seem to plague us women once we reach our senior years. So far I'm still able to recognize and dispose of these unsightly tricks of nature, but the pictures I'm envisioning of myself when I'm no longer able, are not pretty!

Thank You

2010-04-11T07:09:00.000-04:00

All the special hugs, prayers and wishes from you all indeed did the trick yesterday. After sharing "My Changing Melody" with everyone at the Changing Melody Forum, I got a standing ovation. I was totally amazed. For the rest of the day people came up to me, hugging me or shaking my hand, and thanking me. Of course by this time my brain was rather full and overflowing, and I have no idea if the right words came out of my mouth or not! It was indeed a very special day, with a bunch of very special people.

My Changing Melody

2010-04-07T11:17:00.000-04:00

I was asked last fall if I would consider being one of the keynote speakers at this Forum, which is to be held this coming Saturday in Kingston. You can click on this link and see what it's about. Changing Melody

Hopefully some of my insights will be helpful to others on this journey. I really have my fingers crossed that Saturday is a good brain day!

HAPPY EASTER OR PASSOVER

2010-04-04T07:56:00.000-04:00

The weatherman has certainly given us a treat this weekend. In between visiting with various sons, including a surprise visit from son Dave from Nova Scotia, we've been enjoying some time at our trailer. Johnsons RV Park isn't officially opened until May 1st, but the owners don't mind us wandering in and enjoying the first tastes of summer. Jim was even able to sneak in his first kayak ride of the season. I'm afraid our mice visitors took up residence, so we had a few hours of cleaning up their various nests. Jim's favorite pair of slippers made a perfect nest, and have been relegated to the dustbin. We're going to head back out this morning so Jim can get some of the spring raking done, and we'll be back home in time for more company this afternoon. I'm finding the hour drive back and forth is letting me "recharge" my brain, and I'm managing all the visiting really well.

Back to Square One

2010-03-29T18:32:00.000-04:00

After five nights of burning legs and muscle spasms, we've decided not to try any more of the Pool Therapy. These are the same leg issues I experience if I've gone anywhere without my walker, done any exercise as in riding my bike, or enjoyed a whirlpool tub. Since the whirlpool tub isn't using any muscles it really points to nerve stimulation. This leads us back to peripheral neuropathy which is the term for damage to nerves of the peripheral nervous system. Common symptoms are muscle weakness, cramps, and spasms. Loss of balance and coordination may also occur. So we're back to Square One...and we'll keep looking for help, or a painless way to get to Square Two!

Blogged Brain

2010-03-27T07:16:00.000-04:00

I spent two hours taking advantage of a new option here yesterday....adding pages. You will notice on the left, under HOME, there are more pages you can click onto. This is very similar to my old website at SimpleSite, and a great new feature. It's unreal how much brain power it uses up just to do that simple task....left me quite useless for the rest of the day. That's OK.....we have a new day, and I'll see if I can't find some more interesting stuff to work on!

Pool Therapy

2010-03-24T21:09:00.000-04:00

Spring has Sprung on our Patio. I love my plastic flowers from
the Dollar Store.
We went to Kingston today where I enjoyed an hour of Pool Therapy at St. Marys of the Lake Hospital. The pool was lovely and warm, and the instructor gave 14 of us a fantastic workout. I used some muscles I'd forgotten I had! I found it a whole lot of input to my brain, and by times I would forget what we were supposed to be doing. Fortunately it was soon time to change to the next set of exercises, and I'd be good for a few more minutes. If I don't end up with burning legs all night, I'm going to do this once a week for the next month, and see if I have less balance problems.

Great News

2010-03-22T11:06:00.000-04:00

Just got a call from the doctors office. They have the results back from the stress test, and there is no indication of any coronary artery disease!!!!
So my warranty has been extended, and I can just keep on motoring!

Slow Week

2010-03-22T08:59:00.000-04:00

No results back from stress test yet.....no news is good news, right? Ralph and family came for a lovely visit on Thursday, and Jim and I went yesterday to visit his mommy in Ottawa.
Jim is so innovative. Realizing that a lot of the time I can't handle the noise from the TV, he has installed two headsets, one for each of us. The TV is set on Mute, but whoever wants to watch TV can wear their headset with their own volume control. This means I can sit quietly doing my own thing, while Jim is enjoying TV. And since I have a hearing problem, I can wear mine at a level I can enjoy, without blasting Jim out of the room. I love gadgets that make life easier!

Stress Test

2010-03-16T18:18:00.000-04:00

I've just finished the two day stress test. It was quite a different type of testing....I could eat breakfast, but then fast until 1pm, when I went to the hospital, and they injected a dye into my arm. Then I could go eat lunch, and return after an hour. A machine then took twenty minutes to circle my chest, taking sixteen pictures. Today was the same, except first they injected a drug that made my heart think it was running on a treadmill. Then they injected the dye, we went and ate lunch, and came back for another sixteen pictures. Now we wait to hear from our doctor to see if there is any problems. I guess the worst part of the two days was no coffee at all. (Poor Jim!)

Daylight Savings

2010-03-14T13:23:00.001-04:00

I got this in my email this morning! My thoughts exactly! tee hee

We had put our names on the Seniors Housing List in Ottawa a couple of years ago, and actually got a phone call on Friday that they have an apartment available for us. It is in the building right next door to my sister June, within walking distance of my brother Dave, and a half hour drive to our son Ralph. My first instinct was to yell YES, we'll take it....but then I thought better of it, considering it is just a one bedroom apartment. So now we have to send the doctor's certificate stating we require a two bedroom apartment to Ottawa, and go back on the waiting list.
Tomorrow we're off to Belleville for my myocardial perfusion test, or stress test. Since I have some breathing problems, instead of the tread mill, they use a drug to make my heart think its working hard. hmmmmmm I'll keep you posted on that experience!

Decisions...decisions....yikes

2010-03-11T11:34:00.000-05:00

I’ve mentioned before the problems I sometimes experience with decision making. This morning is a great example. I got the egg from the fridge for my breakfast. Now what would I like to add to that to make a yummy breakfast? Oh yes, there is a container with some leftover mashed potato/sweet potato mixture, and one lonely little cod fillet. So I got the little mini fry pan out, cracked the egg into it, and added the fish and potatoes. Oops…the mini fry pan looked too small, so I got out the larger fry pan, and dumped it into that. Nope…now the frypan is too large. OK…dump it all into a large mug and microwave it! Yep…that worked! Now look at all the dishes I had to wash up, just because of my inability to make a decision!

Scrambled Brain

2010-03-10T11:19:00.000-05:00

It's day three after our lovely weekend adventure, and I'm still trying to get my head together. I feel like the picture...all the blocks haven't quite gotten back onto their proper shelves. Yesterday I wandered down to the common room and visited with a neighbour but left after about five minutes. I struggled with every sentence, stuttering as I tried to grab the right words out of the jumble. So I'll just remain in my cozy corner of the living room, enjoying my quiet space until the blocks get settled.

Our Mini Adventure

2010-03-08T18:04:00.000-05:00

Jim and I thoroughly enjoyed our train trip to Ottawa this weekend. Wait...is that me waving out the window! lol

We had lots of visiting with our families, and of course ate way too much delicious food. Jim quite enjoyed the hassle free mode of travel, and wondered why it has taken me thirty years to convince him to try train travel! Now I'm saving up all my Loonies and Toonies to try a longer trip to Nova Scotia to visit son Dave, and then BC to visit sons Lane and Gene!

Am I getting forgetful?

2010-03-03T15:51:00.000-05:00

We went to Kingston today to get our train tickets for our trip to Ottawa on Saturday, and to make sure we knew where we could park our car for the weekend. We were delighted to discover that since we have a Handicapped Sticker for our vehicle, our parking will be free....a savings of about $10. We headed over to the Bulk Food Store, and were pleased to see that today was 10% off for Seniors! Of course, by the time we were ready to cash out, both of us had forgotten we needed to tell the cashier we were seniors...so missed saving about $2.50. We had to do our Chinese Buffet of course....and there again, the staff didn't give us our Senior's discount!!! So I've decided I need to wear this button on my forehead whenever I go shopping!!!

Visit with our family doctor

2010-03-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

We're just back from Picton, and seeing our family doctor. He is now referring me to the Respiratory Clinic in Kingston for more testing and where I'll also learn some breathing exercises. He's also referring me to the Belleville hospital for a myocardial perfusion scan, which is a nuclear medicine procedure that illustrates the function of the heart muscle.

Unfortunately, I still wasn't able to convince him to start Jim on the medications for alzheimers. He still wants to wait six months and do the testing again. This makes me so totally frustrated. Jim's short term memory is so bad. Everything I read says how important it is to get on the meds early. Our doctor says you can't believe everything you read!

OH YES....one other thing!

2010-02-27T07:48:00.001-05:00

When they did the electrocardiogram at Emergency on Tuesday, they said there were no current issues, but there was evidence of a previous myocardial infarction. That one really surprised us! So we have an appointment on Tuesday with our family doctor, and will get referrals made to the proper specialists to have things investigated further.
In my research I keep coming across autonomic neuropathy and silent heart attack. Now its already been determined that I have peripheral neuropathy which affects my legs. Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN), or nerve damage to the cardiovascular system, begins silently without symptoms of chest pain or discomfort (angina), and often remain undetected until serious myocardial infarction (death of the heart muscle due to lack of oxygen) has occurred. Consequently, these "silent heart attacks" often pass without the individual seeking any medical attention. Once symptoms do appear, the mortality rate is up to 50% within five years. This is why early diagnosis is so important. Hopefully we have an "early diagnosis"!