5.2.13
Happy Thursday and second day of the fifth month of the thirteenth year of the 21st century.
I think I got that right.
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It is Demented Thursday. I haven't seen my grandma today because my aunt took her to her usual appointment. However, I did want to share some dementia prevention with you. This has taken off as one of my top blog post topics for my readers - thanks for the love. I also think it is kinda sad because it mimics a common denominator for so many of us....neurological disease.
I have had some fun telephone calls from my grandma lately. Last week she called to tell me my mother was stealing her medications. (Because everyone knows that Aricept has a high street value...I really don't know but I would think not --- I have heard of cinnamon abuse but not granny's Alzheimer's med abuse). This is typical of an alz patient to think people are doing things against them constantly. It can really make you angry but you have to remember the personality you knew for so long has well...so longed out of the picture. Sometimes she calls and when I answer she acts like it was I who dialed her up. Those are really fun times. Conversations tend to go like this:
Me: Hello?
Her: Hello?
Me: Hey mom-o.
Her: Oh hey (insert wrong name here).
Me: How are you?
Her: Bad. I'm just bad. I don't feel good at all. (Normal response)
Me: Oh no, that's no good. You should lay down and get some rest. Do you need something? I can come over.
Her: No, oh no. I'm fine it is just hard getting old. I'm old you know.
Me: Have you had a good day otherwise?
Her: No. I don't feel well. How are the babies?
Me: Good.
Her: Well I won't keep you. Thanks for calling.
Me: Anytime. Call me if you need me.
Her: Ok talk to you later.
(You forgot who called who too didn't you)
Yesterday, while we were on a dance photo adventure of sorts, she called my house and got the machine. My husband got the message before I did and when I got home he was smiling as he said - "Listen to that message." I immediately went to caller ID to see what to prepare myself for. It was my grandma's name and number so I braced myself for anything.
The message was about sixty seconds of her mixing up names, forgetting briefly, coming back into play and getting mad at herself. Sixty seconds of hearing a happy voice turn to a confused voice to an angry voice.
Don't we all have those days? Things just don't seem to go together or even come out the right way? I imagine alz/dementia to be those days consecutively and progressively getting a little worse as time goes on.
I'm more focused these days on keeping my mind sharp - or at least trying to sharpen what I feel has become a little dull due to the constant use of baby talk, kindergarten and first grade skill teaching, and discussing life matters with my shihtzu old man (dogs are awesome). You must admit that when you see someone suffer from alz/dementia you realize that the care tag on your genes must say "wash with like colors your doomed to be the same way" - - - maybe doomed is the wrong word but destined sounds like doomed with a princess dress on doesn't it?
Every day I practice these steps to help my brain stay strong -
1. I make lists. Check out this blog on why list making is critical. Click Here
2. I take a multi-vitamin. This is so critical to me. The importance of a once daily multi vitamin is incredible. Since our diets tend to suck we can help ourselves out by making sure we get at least a little of what we really need each day. For as little as $6 a bottle you can help yourself in huge ways. That one over the counter pill is going to impact so much - your beauty, brain, and brawn are all going to experience great things from that simple multivitamin. Yes, you need to lay off the Mickey Mac D's and you need to exercise daily but you can make an impressive small step by just taking your Flintstone, One-A-Day, Centrum, Nature's Way, Spring Valley, Equate, Target Brand, whatever multi vitamin. However, before your start ask your M.D. - especially if you are on other medication and or you have a health issue in place.
3. I exercise. Here is the cool part - it doesn't matter what form of exercise you choose - you're going to benefit your brain (and butt). Run or walk. Zumba or yoga. Lifting or karate. Swimming or soccer - it doesn't matter! Raise your heart rate, sweat, and do it to it. Here's a link that goes a bit more in depth.
4. Blueberries I eat them like a mouse eats anything in front of him. There are certain foods that have been identified to help out with mental aging and processing. These include walnuts, blueberries, and fatty fish. I am not a big walnut fan but I am a blueberry girl. The coolest part is they are about to be in season in North Carolina! They're already in your local store -devour them! And no muffins don't count.
You ARE what you EAT! Your cells reproduce off what we ingest and breathe. I do not want my cells reproducing off of junk - fillers/artificial ingredients/things that make rockets shoot to Jupiter. I want to keep myself in good health and shape and be able to remember when my babies were babies.
I love this site for info on your noggin. Check out what they say about the nutrition and mental health link.
5. I meditate. This is not to be translated as me closing my eyes saying: Dear God.... no that is prayer. Meditation (for me) is totally leaving the thinking zone and entering a zone where I am not doing anything. I am in pure darkness and I do not hear anything - nothing outside of my zone can catch my attention. My brain is cleared for ten minutes a day. It wasn't easy to get in that true meditation zone. I had to do it for a class a long time ago and never could seem to hit that whole zen area. Over the past few months however I can enter the meditation zone easier, faster, and feel so much better. Here's an example: if I am up and out the door by 5:10am and my favorite show comes on at 10pm and I know I cannot nap I will meditate for ten minutes and I'm good to go until midnight. That is freaky isn't it? Ok to me it is. Meditation is totally worth your time - all of us need to empty out the brain to refuel and refocus and reset the body. So many of you have sent me emails giving me hints about some struggles you have - so I challenge you to start meditating and practice letting go for just a few minutes every day. It really has helped melt stress and make me a more alert and active and better person.
#EndAlz
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I had asked in a previous post - When do you read Brownie World?
Jessica in Colorado emailed me to say she reads it when one of her coworkers gets on her nerves - she said Brownie World lets her focus elsewhere and forget the drama and not worry about losing her job. She said her boss also liked to read my Demented Thursday posts!
In my best SNL Miley Cyrus impersonation Purdy Cool!
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Be good to your brainy selves -
Brownie
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