Year's End

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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.   

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!

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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?

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!

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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!

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"!

Our new hospital

We had a chance to check out our new hospital here in Napanee on Tuesday.  I've been experiencing episodes of shortness of breath over the last several months.  I was going to refer to them as "short lived", however that sounded rather "terminal", so I'll just say they didn't last terribly long. On Tuesday the problem wasn't going away, even with a short walk outside in the cool temperatures.  Our hospital, which has undergone major renovations, is just behind our apartment.  After a short wait while enjoying the Olympics on the 37" TV screen, we were escourted into our emergency cubicle, where our nursing practitioner, Kathy, took charge.  Three hours later, after an ECG, chest xray, and blood work, it was determined I had an inflammation of my airways, and was prescribed a five day dosage of prednisone, corticosteroid inhaler, and salbutamol inhaler.  I was also instructed to see our family doctor and ask for a referral to the Respiratory Clinic in Kingston.  I guess 47 years of smoking might not have been such a good idea, eh?

Time flies when you're having Fun!

I can't think where the week has gone....it totally flew by.  Jim's Mom arrived on Wednesday to spend a few days.  His sister Carly came for a visit on Saturday, and Sunday we drove Mom back to Ottawa, and stopped in for a quick visit after with Ralph, Lisa and the kids.  
Mom and I spent several hours a day doing "Retail Therapy" and we would spend our evenings getting caught up on all the Olympic excitement.  I would sneak off to the bedroom for some "brain breaks" when needed, and my headphones worked well in the van for some 'quiet' in between stores. 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Today seems like a perfect day to enjoy Chinese buffet, don't you think?

We tried out our new walkie talkies in a large grocery store the other day.  That was great fun to wander around and browse to my heart's content, and not worry about losing Jim!  Now we never leave home without our Walkie Talkies!!!

Walmart Here I Come

My friend Kathy in MA sent me a set of walkie talkies, so I never have to worry about losing Jim while out shopping again! Isn't that such a neat idea?  These will come in very handy on our next adventure too!  Since Jim has never experienced the pleasures of traveling by train, we've booked a train trip to Ottawa for the March 6/7 weekend. We'll be staying with my brother Dave and his wife Margaret, and we'll have a chance to visit with other family while we're there.  Hmmm...I wonder how far these walkie talkies work?

Busy week

We've kept busy this week making our new home just the way we like it.  We added a small deepfreeze in the kitchen for when we see good sales on frozen goods, and got a nice desk for my computer and printer.  This week I think we might try the free bus that takes you to the shopping mall on Tuesdays and Fridays. I think I need to get very comfortable with this mode of transportation.  Yesterday when we stopped for gas, it took Jim a full minute to remember where the door handle was to get out of the van.  This is definitely not looking good! 

Memory Walk

Thanks to my friends and wonderful family, I was able to reach my goal of $1000 for our Memory Walk today.  Since our Walk is held in the local High School hallways, the frigid 10F temperatures weren't an issue. 

 

Don't you love the little Memory Walk Bear each walker was presented with?  And my little hand crafted Memory Walk flags were a real hit!

Just a day in the life of.....

I've had a busy, busy morning.  I got us registered for a new family doctor, have appointments made for a new dentist and optometrist within walking distance, and moved our pharmacy records over to the pharmacy next door.
In the midst of all that brain exercise, I missed the important message that I needed to use the powder room until it was too late, so then had to have a bath to get cleaned up.  Then horror of horrors, I accidentally squirted liquid hand soap on my toothbrush instead of the liquid toothpaste. (totally yucky!)
I'm now sitting quietly with a cup of coffee, and planning our trip to Kingston for Chinese Buffet!  I deserve it, don't you think? 

Slow Start

Looks like all my moving activities finally caught up with me.  I just couldn't get my brain functioning this morning.  For some reason my "sunny" world was looking very bleak.   I finally went back to bed and started over again at 10:30am.  

Only 3 days left for any of you who wish to support me in the Memory Walk  Click Here ...and thank you so much for your support.

Last evening Jim and I attended a local auction, to see if there was anything we couldn't life without.....there wasn't! lol  This evening I'm hoping we can go to the monthly Alzheimers Support Group which is held just a block away at the John M. Parrott Centre, the new long term care facility here.  I think its very important we try and keep an active lifestyle (and I can't afford to shop every day!)

Incredible Find

We're gradually making the finishing touches to our new apartment, including getting the pictures hung.  We were checking out the second hand shop, and discovered this gorgeous needlepoint picture for $5.00.  It is perfect over my bed, and Angel seems to approve.

 

First Chinese Buffet visit of 2010

We had to drive to Belleville today to return the modem from our former ISP.  This meant of course that I was able to enjoy a lovely Chinese buffet.  I was quite surprised that just a trip through the Dollar Store, and having our lunch left me feeling totally wiped out.  However, since we weren't in any big rush, we just parked in a quiet end of the parking lot at the Mall, put our headphones on, our seats back, and slept for an hour.  Then I was back to my normal self and ready to shop some more.  I do love retirement!

 

Back in service

We feel like we're really here now that we have our phone, internet and cable installed.  We're really taking it easy today....visiting neighbours while doing laundry, and getting our new internet set up.  Oh yes....I should mention.....our speed with our new Cogeco cable internet is running 14 mbps!  We always thought we were doing pretty good when we had 2mbps with DSL!  I'm really not sure how I'm going to manage 200kpbs for the summer months at our trailer!  

WE ARE MOVED

Our move went amazingly well.  Everything is in, unpacked, and put in its place.  I took many brain breaks and overall managed just fine. 

I even joined in at the Bingo Game in our common room last evening, however I only lasted 50 minutes.  Those balls make incredible noise when they're bouncing around in their stirring bin!  I guess my Bingo playing is now limited to the Pogo room (with the volume muted).  

Now we have a whole new neighbourhood to discover, and hopefully the weather will warm up soon and I can get out walking again.

Our Move

Things are going smoothly with our move.  We had downsized so much to fit into this one bedroom apartment, that I was able to pack almost everything yesterday.  We not only got it all moved to our new apartment, but I have everything unpacked, put away, and the boxes removed!  Today, our grandson Jordan is coming to help with the heavy stuff....and we'll be done.  

Unfortunately we won't have phone or internet until Thursday, but I have a whole new neighbourhood to explore.  One place that intrigues me is the Fifty Five PLUS Activity Centre, in the neighbouring building. 

On the move again!

Since I've developed hyperacusis, or sensitivity to sounds, I have been unable to sleep in the same room as Jim.  Jim snores whenever he's not using his CPAP machine.....and his CPAP machine isn't silent either! lol  So we had our name on the list to get into a two bedroom apartment in a senior building....and we just got the call this week that one is available for us.

We drove to Napanee yesterday to see it....and we love it, and will be moving there within the next two weeks.  Our new home is located exactly half way between my two favorite places....North China Buffet in Belleville and Panda Gardens in Kingston.....just a half hour drive.  And I swear this fact didn't enter into my mind when I said YES....we'll take it! tee hee 

We had planned on doing Chinese after viewing the apartment, but after all the excitement, I really needed a Brain Break! 

Home Again

Well that was an interesting morning.  My colonoscopy was performed in Day Surgery here in the Picton Hospital.  As I was being wheeled to the OR, we traveled through the maternity ward. When I saw the BIRTHING ROOM, I was very glad I was only having a colonoscopy!

The procedure itself went off without a hitch....for some reason I remained wide awake throughout, and watched the whole thing on the viewing screen.  The Dr. discovered one large polyp, and removed it with an instrument with a noose on the end!  He also confirmed I have diverticulitis.

So I'm happily enjoying my coffee and filling the empty cavity!

From the Throne

Any of you who have had to undergo an exploration of your nether regions will certainly understand why I am spending most of my day in the Powder Room, where I have installed a small table and my mini laptop.  Tomorrow I have a colonoscopy scheduled, so today I'm limited to drinking fluids along with the prescription packets which are designed to drain you from top to bottom, with varying degrees of force and urgency.

Besides playing lots of Pogo games for my brain exercise, I spent several hours watching videos about FTD  Click Here   and was most interested in how my symptoms seemed to correspond very closely to those presented in Semantic Dementia.  So of course I had to do more research on this subject, and came across one very informative website.  I have copied the website and the information onto a new page at my simplesite.com website  HERE

Pass the Velcro Please

We have been increasingly concerned regarding Jim's problems with his short term memory.  The final straw for me was when he forget where he left me in Walmart after he went to the powder room.  Fortunately for me I was able to intercept him on his way to the car. 

Yesterday Jim went to see our family doctor, who gave him the Montreal Cognitive Test (click here).  Jim scored 25 out of 30.  From everything I've read, if someone scores under 26 they are started immediately on the drugs.  However, our doctor wants to wait six months and test him again and see if he is any worse. 

So for my own peace of mind, I plan to stick like glue to Jim in any public place.  I'm still working on the details for using the powder room!

An alarming start to my day~

For several years I have struggled to identify sounds that I'm hearing.  My anxiety level rises dramatically until we have established what it is I'm hearing.  Jim is quite used to "What's that?  What's that?"  Once my mind is satisfied what the sound is, I can relax again.


Once a month our apartment has a fire alarm testing.  We are notified when it is going to occur.  When the alarm starts, you can actually push a button to silence the alarm in your unit, and then you only hear the loud 'honking' in the hallway.  


This morning when the alarm started, my heart started pounding as my brain tried to determine what the noise was.  By the time I had realized it wasn't a new ring on the phone, and got over to the wall to turn off the inside alarm, the damage had been done!  The anxiety level had sky rocketed, and half an hour later I'm still trying to get myself calmed down.


Next month, I plan to have my headphones on well before the alarm is set to go off....and I should breeze through it just fine!


 

MEMORY WALK

According to an article posted on the Alzheimer Ontario website yesterday, (here), "The rate at which Canadians develop Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia will grow from one every five minutes to one every two minutes if nothing changes." 
Very scary numbers!  I would imagine these statistics are as staggering all over the world!  Now is the time to make your donation to the alzheimer society in your area..... or, if you wish to support my WALK, CLICK HERE

"A gloomy spirit rots the bones; but a merry heart is like good medicine."

Jim and I had a wonderful weekend with my brother and sister and their families at my brother Dave's in Ottawa.  Our son Ralph and family were able to join us as well.  

I thoroughly enjoyed a game of canasta with six of us playing.  That was the first time I've played with actual people.  My previous canasta experience was with Robots on Pogo.


Besides providing Jim and I with our own quiet apartment that I could retire to, Dave and Margaret also had a table set up in a quiet room where we enjoyed our dinner away from all the children.  

This seemed to be the ideal set up for family gatherings.  I didn't experience the usual overload  that I've had before.  And I'm looking forward to my next Canasta Game with non-robots!

Happy 2010

I've made a New Year's Resolution.  From now on I'm going to be showered and dressed daily by 10:00 a.m.  I can't for the life of me think why I would want to do this though.  I guess that niggling guilty feeling creeps in each day when I'm still sitting here in my jammies enjoying life!  

I do have this theory though.  I think my brain works better when my body is unencumbered with tight fitting clothing that is trying to keep all the body parts in their proper places.  


Oh well....nearly 10am.....and time to keep my resolution  for one day at least!