Feel Good Alzheimers Results

     I noted quite a few feel good stories about how to prevent Alzheimer's in the news tonight. A large Finnish study has concluded that diet, exercise, and cognitive stimulation may stave off the dreaded disease. Keeping up social contacts helps too. Folks with A.D. may experience decreasing agitation by being allowed to work in flower boxes or raised gardening beds. Losing sense of smell is bad, m'kay?

     That's nice, I guess.

     It's just that none of this is really news. Professionals who are actively involved with traumatic brain injury patients have been telling us for years to exercise, eat right, rest as needed, and do kiddie brain games which are freely available on the Internet. Having some sort of social life and gardening helps us too. Those t.b.i.ers who have lost their ability to smell may have temper out-bursts. The two areas of the brain involved in olfactory identification and emotional regulation are neighbors. 

     The Finnish study will be subject to peer review and have to be replicated of course. 

     My questions are many: Why focus exclusively on Alzheimer's? Why not include other non-reversible dementias? Why not include folks who have been diagnosed as having mild cognitive impairment? Why not include folks who have acquired or traumatic brain injuries? Were folks included who have the genetic make-up that dictates early-onset Alzheimer's? What kind of exercise and for how long at a time and how many days per week? What kind of diet? How about the role of rest? Sleeping disorders? 

 sapphoq healing traumatic brain injury says: I remember when hospice [around here at any rate] only took terminal cancer patients. People with A.I.D.S. were refused hospice services. Finally, someone got a clue and p.w.a.s were allowed into the death with dignity and free from pain fold. Nowadays, people with terminal neurological disorders-- including dementias-- are also able to get hospice if they meet the eligibility requirements.

     I envision a world where research will include other forms of dementia as well as A.D. Yes, a world where neurologists and research scientists will recognize the commonalities between the different groups of people they serve instead of focusing on our different labels. A world that will not allow quasi-religious bodies and organizations to shut down funding for research based upon their beliefs rather than the well-being of the rest of us.

     It's good to know where we fit. A well-run traumatic brain injury support group is a treasure. An e-board focusing on dementias as experienced by the folks who got it as well as their family and friends is a wonderful thing. Anytime people gather to create systems change, something powerful happens. Our agendas may be somewhat different by necessity. Let us not be blinded by that. All of us together is no longer a minority but a force to be reckoned with.  


some feel good articles:

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/aging/study-finds-possible-recipe-preventing-alzheimers-n155586

http://time.com/2982908/to-prevent-alzheimers-diet-and-exercise-are-effective-large-study-shows/

http://www.philly.com/philly/health/mental-health/HealthDay689450_20140714_Staying_Active_May_Help_Prevent_Dementia.html

http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/14/health/alzheimers-disease-conference/

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/488869/Puzzles-and-crosswords-could-be-best-way-to-beat-dementia

https://news.google.com/news/section?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&q=Alzheimer%27s%20disease&ict=clu_top&ar=1405388897

Poison Ivy

     I've been a hiker and backpacker for a number of years, both before and after the scrambling of my brain that occurred during my motor vehicle accident. My brain's name is Briella-- still brilliant but a bit sideways. Vision begins in the brain. Besides having double vision in one eye and now having face blindness [I would say "suffering from" only I don't feel like I am suffering from anything], I am apparently no longer able to recognize poison ivy.

     Most fortunately, some years ago I had a flat-coated retriever who was absolutely nuts about the stuff. Dogs are generally not allergic to poison ivy. He used to roll in it, dig it up, toss it around, eat it. Then I would break out in that certain rash. The first summer with him, I had poison ivy six times. I figure that dog is the reason why I have very mild reactions to the leaves of three now.

     I've been weeding in the garden. During the first few years of living with my t.b.i., I purchased several berry bushes and planted them. I don't remember what kind of berry bushes they were. This is a problem now. I do have a rather prolific vine thing growing in the plot where I plopped the berry bushes. It is currently full of white flowers. When I walk by it, I feel little itches on my skin. [There is a particular weed in my garden too that causes the little itches but which I know is not poison ivy]. I go inside and I scrub my arms and hands and then that's the end of it. 

     I've never eaten the berries off of the prolific vine because I cannot tell if the thing is a version of poison ivy or if it is some kind of raspberry or something. This week, I will hunt through my plant identification books in hopes of figuring out what the vine actually is. If is it poison ivy, I suppose I will put on long pants and a long shirt and thick gloves and yank the stuff out. If not, then I will probably want to sample the berries this year. And I will also have to investigate the berry plot. Maybe there are berry bushes growing in there and maybe the bushes died.

sapphoq healing tbi says: Now that I have some distance from my car accident, I suspect that the changes in my personality and my neurological functioning bother other people a great deal more than they bother me. I don't feel like a victim. I keep striving.
     Most days I can say with some confidence this: It's good to be alive yo!

The Donut Hole Experience

     Yes, I am angry. This "donut hole" crap needs to be dumped. Give us regular insurance with regular coverage at regular prices [just like everybody else; and NO, not ObummerCare]. I'd be happy to pay more for my insurance as long as I get the same coverage for my meds that I got last year before I was forced into Medicare. [Another long story and one you will not be reading about today].

     Where are the old people, senior citizens, and people with disabilities who are "too rich" to "qualify" for Medicaid protesting about this donut hole crap??? We should be revolting en masse. We should not be forced to apply for, I mean beg for, funds from various Big Pharma companies to help us out of the donut hole. We did not work most of our lives for this.

     We are not in the same class of people that like hand-outs. We don't want your stinking hand-outs. We want our medical insurance cards NOT to have the word MEDICARE stamped on them. 

     What you politicians, medical insurance companies, Medicare, and Big Pharma are doing to us is not acceptable.

     Business as usual is not okay.

cross-posted from radicalsapphoq:
If you have a traumatic brain injury [and/or other disabilities], be prepared to be royally screwed by your medical insurance. Particularly if you are on Medicare but not yet sixty-two and therefore not qualified to apply for your state pharmacy discount program. And particularly if you are married, have some money in savings for emergencies, and have worked most of your life. More so if you are taking psych drugs and asthma drugs.

The donut hole is coming for YOU.

In May or June. Not in October or November.

Having been told that you absolutely do not qualify for the "help" to pay for your meds necessary for your life and well-being, you understand that you are to magically come up with 4500 or 4800 dollars to pay for the meds during your donut hole experience [the amount that you must pay until your "catastrophic" medicine coverage will kick in].

Death panels? You know they are already here. They are called "medical insurance companies" and sometimes "Big Pharma."

You know that they want you to die.