A Donkey's Tale

(Merry Christmas! I wrote this back in the 90's and wanted to share it with you as my gift to you this holiday).

 

A Donkey's Tale

Hello, I am a donkey that helped make history a long time ago. You see, there was a man and a woman that loved each other very much. They were engaged to be married but something happened to them that blew all their plans apart. Joseph had been looking forward to his wedding day, celebrating with all his friends and family. Mary, his one and only love, had finally agreed to marry him. And she was happily going about her duties trying to get everything just right. But an unexpected visitor showed up in the middle of everything. (Don't you just hate it when company drops by and the house is a wreck?) But this visitor was an angel of the Lord and he told Mary that she was going to have a baby. (Just imagine having to tell that one to Mom and Dad!) But Mary didn't argue with him, which is unbelievable because women are given to argue, especially when they know they haven't done anything wrong. And the Angel had a busy schedule too, so he was glad also since he had yet to talk it over with Joseph. But he took no chances so he appeared in Joseph's dream and told him not to worry, that he should go to his new wife and support her in this ordeal. Joseph did what the angel told him to do even though he had some misgivings at first. 

But in order to give him time to get used to it all, Mary went to see her dear old cousin named Elisabeth and her husband, Zacharias. And guess who took her there? You guessed it, yours truly. Anyway, Elisabeth was pregnant too and she was really happy because she was "over the hill" and so was Zacharias. But when Mary walked in you should have seen what happened next. Elisabeths' tummy began to move in really funny directions because John was jumping up and down inside. John knew that his cousin was no ordinary baby. For he would someday get to baptize his cousin, the one and only Jesus. So all three of them got to rejoicing and celebrating the two new babies who would be born soon. Mary decided to stay about three months and catch up on all the news and gossip plus help out her cousin. Also Zacharias had lost his voice right before Elisabeth got pregnant. And it would probably be sometime (at least three months) before he got it back. (I bet Elisabeth was glad that she didn't have to listen to his nagging for a while.) So Mary returned to her hubby, Joseph, piggyback on me of course, and boy was he happy. I was too, for I got to rest a while again. It was a good thing too because little did I know that I would need all the strength I could get later on. 

Well, right before it was time for Mary to give birth this ruler Caesar Augustus decided he wanted to get a head count of everyone and that he wanted everyone to go back to their hometown to do it. The problem was that Joseph's hometown was 70 miles south of where we were at the time. So Joseph asked me if I would carry Mary for him (note: she sure was a lot heavier than before) since I had done such a good job earlier. I agreed as long as I didn't have to tote him too. He said don't worry; that he needed to walk since Mary's cooking had put a few pounds on him. So we take off from Nazareth and go to Bethlehem to be counted and pay our dues. Poor Joseph was having to put up with a pregnant woman and having to pay to have her along and they had as yet to enjoy any marital bliss because the Lord said NO until the baby was born. 

Well, we finally get to our destination but guess what? Someone forgot to call ahead to tell them we were coming. I mean the least they could've done was to call 1-800 -IMTIRED and book us a room (poolside of course). So here we are listening to the desk clerk tell us that the only place to rest was IN A BARN. I was hot and sweaty from all this and now not only do I have to carry them around, I have to share my bedroom too. Oh well it could be worse, I thought. (The barn could've been full, too). So we crashed out for a few days. But then one night I heard this awful crying and carrying on and when I looked up there was this bundled up body with two hands just a flailing and two eyes a crying and one gigantic mouth wide open emitting sounds like I never heard before. When I looked again it was Jesus wrapped in a blanket and laying in my plate, uh manger for you others that never have been in a barn. But he soon quieted down. 

And then it got really bright inside. At first I thought someone had turned the 3-way bulb up too high but then I realized it was this star in the East shining through the hole in the roof that someone had forgot to fix. No wonder it was so cold before that. I just thought someone had turned down the thermostat to 68 degrees to save energy. You know, I've never been in a hotel room that the air conditioner wasn't running wide open so that you became an ice cube when you walked through the door. 

Anyway, back to the story. My nose got to itching real bad and about that time this bunch of Shepherds showed up (they left their sheep outside, of course) and just as we got rid of them (I thought we never would get rid of them) these wise men showed up. They weren't so bad because they brought some stuff that we could use, like to go out and get baby bottles and stuff plus get us a hamburger or something like that to eat. 

But wait! This is the scary part. Those 3 wise men who showed up at our place had stopped at Herod's palace to get directions. (Makes sense, if you're hunting for the King of Kings, you would normally go to a royal palace to find him.) But the King got really mad when he heard who was born in his land, since he was a wimp who thought his title was on the line. He wanted the wise men to find the baby and come back and tell him, supposedly so he could see him too. But Herod was one bad dude and he actually wanted to kill him. So the angel of the Lord told the wise men to go another route and not to tell Herod nothing. They did as they were told (they were wise, not stupid-remember) and then the angel of the Lord showed up at our place and told us to skedaddle too. 

So Joseph put Mary and Jesus on my back and we took off again to another land to wait till Herod croaked. And so it was that I got to have my place in history along with a lot of other famous people, too. And thus was my contribution to the life of the one whom you all call: JESUS CHRIST

While I was away

Sooooooo........

It's been 2 months since I last sat down to write a blog. I am sure of you have been ready to call out the Posse to hunt me down. Rest assured that I'm doing just fine. Actually more than fine. I've just been really busy.

September 20, 2019 I started working on a project. It started in the UK back in the early 2000's and in 2011 it came to Minnesota in the form of the ACT on Alzheimer's program. In 2015 a national initiative was launched called Dementia Friendly America. This concept takes the idea that our communities can make themselves readily available to assist in independent living for people living with any form of dementia.
This past Monday our group met for the first time as the Anderson Area Dementia Task Force. We will be working to bring this to the Anderson South Carolina area, which will be the first county in South Carolina to be listed on the national initiative.
That has taken an enormous amount of my time almost every day, but now that the holidays are here it will be a bit easier for awhile. AND THAT IS A GOOD THING!
As of yesterday I have also accepted the position of Alzheimer's Ambassador to Jeff Duncan, US Representative for my district. So my plate is really getting full. But I don't mind. Like I've always said, the more you know, the better prepared you'll be. And I'm learning alot in all this!
I also just got back from Columbia SC where we attended the SC Alzheimer’s Research Conference and me and my wife had the pleasure to be panelists for the final session of the day. We were both excited to learn so much about what great developments are on the horizon for people like me who live each day with this disease.
In case you can't tell, I'm really pumped about what all lies ahead for me and I can't wait to keep you included on my journey.
Thank you all for the support you've shown and I hope you stay with me on this path that we're on!
Regards,
Keith

What if the Pizza Tower wasn't leaning?

IT'S NO SECRET! I LOVE PIZZA! You can tell from the pic that it loves me too!
Today I am continuing the Food Portion of my blog with my next recipe. Keto is the new way for me to cook now and like I've said before, it is a healthier way to eat also.
I'm going to be posting easy recipes to prepare for people who want to change their way of eating.
But I'm also going to post instructions for those who are "culinarily challenged" or who are living with Dementia but still want the freedom to participate in meal preparation.

Low Carb Pizza's is on the menu today.

Not just any crust will do. You'll need to use a Low Carb version of a crust. There are several out there on the market, but one of my favorite is this one:

I purchase mine at WalMart, but they are sold at other stores also. It doesn't have to be this brand, but make sure that the carbs per serving are low. How can you tell? Look at the ingredients on the package where the nutrition information is located. Find the Total Carbs then find the Fiber grams. Subtract the Fiber grams from the Total Carbs. For tortilla's you want to keep the total number below 6 if possible. There are many of them that have 20+ carbs, so make sure you do your homework. These tortillas have 16 grams of carbs, minus 11 grams of fiber, for a total of 5 net carbs. PERFECTO!

Next you will want to find the lowest amount of carbs in a pizza sauce. It is hard to find a low carb pizza sauce. Make sure again that you find one that has the lowest total net carbs. There are many recipes for making your own, or WalMart sells several that are lower (not as low as homemade, but easier to do than homemade).

Every pizza calls for Mozzarella cheese. No matter if you want to add any other toppings, Plenty of Mozza is the deal!

I made my pizzas with pepperoni. You can add whatever ingredients you want to have on your pizza. Every person likes different things. The one thing I do not recommend is to put Pineapple in your pizza is you want to do Keto as it is not recommended since it's loaded with natural sugars.

So here is what you need to make the pizzas that I had for supper last night:

1 serving

2 Low Carb Tortilla Wraps
Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni (again, you can add or substitute toppings as you would like)

You will need:
1/2 Cup Measuring Cup
Tablespoon
Non Stick Aluminum Foil
Metal Pan

1. Preheat Oven on High Broil
2. Place a section of Aluminum Foil on the Sheet Pan, nonstick side up if you're using that type.
3. Place 2 tortilla wraps on the aluminum foil if you have room. If not you'll have to do 1 at a time and repeat.
4. With the Tablespoon, place 2 servings of sauce on the wrap. Using the bottom side of the spoon, spread the sauce out to about 1/2" from the outer edge of the wrap.

This is what it should look like:

Then spread the cheese around on the sauce using your fingers to sprinkle it in circles

5. Add the toppings that you want. I added pepperoni following the pattern I had made on the crust. It took about 13 slices to cover the pizza.

6. NOTE! IF YOU HAVE DEMENTIA, GO GET YOUR LOVED ONE TO HELP!
Making sure you use oven mitts, place the sheet into the oven.

7. Set the timer for 5 MINUTES! No Longer!

8. If you took the Oven Mitts off, PUT THEM BACK ON! GO GET YOUR LOVED ONE AGAIN TO HELP OR DO THIS PART FOR YOU!

9. Take the tray out of the oven and set on the counter to cool for 2-3 minutes.

10. Cut the pizza's in half to better hold them in your hands.

11. Enjoy. These pizzas are just as good as any pizza from a restaurant, but about 1/4 of the carbs that you don't need. Remember, SUGAR IS THE ENEMY OF THE BRAIN! Carbs turn into sugar. Regular pizza is loaded with carbs!!!!!

I hope you enjoy these. Let me know how yours came out and what toppings you applied to your pizza. As always, Bon Appetit' and #EndAlz!

I dropped a Key on my Toe, and now there's KETO on my plate

I spoke last week about my desire to better myself by eating healthier. The more that I read about any form of Dementia the more I keep seeing the fact that sugar has an adverse effect on brain function.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating giving up sweets. Lord knows I have just as big of a sweet tooth as anyone else, I assure you.
We've found several sweeteners that allow you to enjoy the simple pleasures, yet they do not affect your blood glucose (sugar) like regular cane sugar does. Back when Diet Coke came out, I was overweight (I still am a bit) and wanted to find a way to cut back on calories so I started drinking them. I loved sodas so I drank quite a lot of them. It didn't take me but a couple of weeks to see that something was going on. Come to find out, I'm allergic to Aspartame and Saccharin. Dang it! Just when I thought I could behave (well, maybe) and do better for myself my best option went out the window.
Fast forward to 2016. I went to work for TechTronic Industries as an analyst in the Finance department. Part of the benefits for working there was a PhD Nutritionist at their beck and call to do classes on healthy eating. Books and all materials were paid for and no class fees, plus they were taught onsite, so no need to go somewhere extra after work. Sarah, our nutritionist, taught us about Keto and the benefits of a different way of eating. It is not a diet. It is truly a change of lifestyle. Our book was by a man called Mark Hyman that he titled Eat Fat, Get Thin and it changed everything that I had heard about eating. Me and Sheri needed to lose some weight so we gave it a try. In 3 months we had both lost a lot of inches and pounds, felt better than we've ever felt and were even back to exercising on a regular basis, as we now had the energy to do it.
But then we moved to be closer to my work, we bought a consignment shop and spent 9 weeks remodeling it. Needless to say at the end of the day we were exhausted and chose convenience over eating right. It didn't take long until we fell back into our habits of microwaved rice, pasta and potato dishes, along with desserts that were DEFINITELY on the NoNo list.
SO, fast forward again to 2019 and here we are going "Oh Crap" we need to get serious and stay serious this time.
But there is a curve ball thrown in this mix just to make it interesting. I love to cook. I always have as long as I can remember. (I have dementia, so no wise cracks about how long that is ......   :-)
Anywho, I cannot operate in the kitchen like I used to. Longer recipes with multiple steps and a list of ingredients that would fill a grocery cart are not in my weaponry now. I've been reduced to the old KISS principle .... Keep it Simple or I feel Stupid .... (thats my version of it).
Thankfully KETO eating is relatively simple. There are fewer ingredients and generally less steps to use to complete the process from start to finish.
Another problem I've had with switching up my eating habits. I LOVE to snack. Lance crackers, Nuts, Brownies and too many other desserts were a staple in the house for me.
HOLD THE PRESS! I HAVE GREAT NEWS!
On KETO I can still snack. YEP, you heard it right here from the horse's mouth. (buck teeth and all).
You just have to snack differently. And I'm finding that it is working with me.
My Second Announcement! I LOVE CHEESE!!!!! Doesn't matter what kind. I haven't met a cheese that I didn't like. Some are a little more pungent than others and have to be taken in smaller steps, but I'll even eat Liver Cheese on occasion. On KETO you can enjoy cheese. And there is a snack that can't be beat! KETO Cheese Crisps. And guess what? For those of you who are like me and are "culinarily (is that even a word) challenged" I have the perfect recipe and here it is:



KETO CHEESE CHIPS
makes 1 serving

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup of whatever grated cheese that you like. *You can do more than this, but it will "stove you up" if you overdo the cheese, so go easy on your system.
(yup, that's it)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit.
While it is preheating, take out a sheet pan and line it with parchment paper. Be careful as you tear the paper from the roll. Those little spines will still cut you if you're not careful.
Sprinkle (don't tinkle) the cheese in small heaps around the paper. (hey, I have dementia so I can crack the weird jokes, what's your excuse?!?)
SAFETY TIP! Put on your oven mitts!
Insert the tray into the middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure it is golden and not a Georgia clay mud dobber shade. Most stoves have an oven light that will let you play Hide and go Seek or Peepsy with it.
**If you took your oven mitts off while the food is cooking, put them back on. Carefully remove or get a loved one to remove the tray (make sure you let them use the mitts since you won't need them) from the stove and sit on a cooling rack somewhere safely on the counter.
Let them cool for about 5 minutes until safe to handle. ** Use a spatula to remove the chips from the tray so that you don't accidentally burn any of your much needed (or maybe unwanted if it droops a little bit much) flesh.
Next time we'll look more into Sweeteners and some desserts that you can make that are easy to eat.
Until then, keep fighting the good fight and remember, with your help we can #EndAlz because #AlzSux.

Krazy Kookin' Part 1 - Where's The Beef? Or Chicken? Or Pork?

I've always loved to cook. When my grandma would be in the kitchen cooking, as a young child I would be in the floor playing with any leftover pots and pans that weren't being used at the time.
It didn't take me long to realize there were benefits to helping cook, especially when the baking involved some type of batter. Brownie, Cookie Dough, Cake .... you name it and I would lick the spoon, the bowl and the beaters (as long as the mixer was turned off first of course)!😉

As I grew older I learned how to actually prepare food for a meal. My grandmother was an excellent cook who believed that "country" cookin' was the only way to go. Her cast iron skillets in multiple sizes were a staple in her arsenal for the kitchen.

I will have to admit that as I've gotten older, I have moved away from cast iron to nonstick but it doesn't mean that cast iron skillets are dead. If you season them right and maintain them periodically, they are still great to use. One of my problems with cast iron has been that my arthritis is getting pretty bad in my hands and fingers and the cast iron is so heavy, I've opted for lighter and easier to handle items when cooking. Either way you can't go wrong.

So yesterday I'm talking with our Alzheimer's Association Upstate Director of Development, Ms Aundi Hunter about my love of cooking and the challenges that are rearing their ugly head while we were headed to a luncheon. One of the main problems I'm having is trouble finishing a recipe that calls for too many steps or ingredients and/or that require multiple ways to measure.

I feel like I am a really great cook, and for a long time I did most of the cooking when we first were married. She was working long hours with a long drive to and from work, and my schedule allowed me to be at home a good bit of the time. Every evening I would have a hot meal in front of her either as she was walking in the door, or just a few moments later.

In 2015 I was able to return to a full time job and so we had to start sharing the load for cooking. Then she was laid off and it was her turn to keep the food in perpetual motion. I really missed it because I was working 60+ hours a week and the weekends were the only time that I had to really prepare anything.

Not only do I love to cook but I love to grill. One caveat; it has to be charcoal. Gas is fine for the logs in the fireplace, but not on my food. Charcoal gives food a taste that can't be duplicated. Sure, you can add some Liquid Smoke to a recipe, but it still won't give it the same flavor.

Cooking on a stove, or grill for that matter has become a safety concern for me now though. I don't really mean to, but I'll forget to wear mittens/gloves when taking something out of the oven or off the grill. I have reached out and grabbed food on the grill to either turn or remove it without even using a utensil, just my bare hands. Then it confuses me as to why it hurts. Finally I'll realize what I've done and put the food back or down on a plate, trying to treat the burn in the immediate aftermath.

This has caused us to change our food preparation and cooking roles once again. 

I don't do very well with food preparation either, so if something requires a lot of slicing or other tools, Sheri has to do that work for me also. I have a mini food chopper and a food processor that I use extensively to do a lot of my prep work. I also have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer that I use instead of the hand mixer as trying to hold the bowl and move the mixer around inside of it is difficult to do with my concentration. I can think about doing one, but not both at the same time. Here lately it is more of her cooking, and less of me even being in the kitchen, though I like to still make some of the simpler dishes.

I've said all this to give you a background as to where this is going. I love Aundi to death but I was surprised to learn that she doesn't like to cook things that have a lot of ingredients (think more than 3) or a lot of steps (mix and put in the oven is about the max I believe) and even she said that an easier way to cook and prepare recipes would be appealing to her and she thinks others too. So starting this week I'll be writing some blogs about cooking with Dementia and also about how we eat, a style known as Keto and why we've chosen this way of eating.

I hope you enjoy my writings and that you or someone you know can be inspired by something that I post. Don't forget to follow this blog and share with your friends.

And most of all, let's work together to #EndAlz

Blown

This commentary and picture collages were published on the Facebook page for the Raffle that will be held for the Painting on 9/14/2019. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Tickets in the form of donations of $5 increments can be made HERE

In it's infancy, the painting is just the beginning of our lives. As a child we watch the master at work, knowing that they will create something magical, a piece that draws us toward the scene, unaware that by the time it is finished we may want to run the other way, retching as realization comes to us for the new reality that we are now in.

 

The clouds start to build on the horizon, bringing life to a vast sea of nothingness. A life is about to be formed and what seemed like it had no beginning, no end, no purpose is about to be birthed into a new world.

As the clouds start to build, we draw our eyes toward the bottom, awaiting for something to arise from the depths, and it does. There is land now, awaiting to provide nutrients to whatever finds it way and attaches itself with deep roots.

 

Behold! A Tree has sprung forth. A new life has begun. Branches reach higher and higher toward the sky, seeking the warmth of the sun that will be needed to grow the leaves for a tree that will do many things: Bring shade to the weary, provide safety for those who feel threatened, and help to build others up when it can no longer sustain it's own life, laying it's life down so that others can live.

 As the tree becomes full, it becomes a great symbol of life to all those around. Other beings gravitate and want to be near so that they can learn, yet feel the protection that the tree can afford. They do not take away from the life nor the nutrients of the tree, instead they enhance the tree, even providing a firm foundation in the ground below to keep it steady and strong.

 

 As the tree becomes full, it becomes a great symbol of life to all those around. Other beings gravitate and want to be near so that they can learn, yet feel the protection that the tree can afford. They do not take away from the life nor the nutrients of the tree, instead they enhance the tree, even providing a firm foundation in the ground below to keep it steady and strong.

As the tree ages it is no longer as vibrant as it once was. To most observers nothing has changed, maybe it has gotten even better as the scenery continues to develop all around it. The promise of what is to come becomes the garden that surrounds the tree.

Blue signifies the one who lives with Dementia/Alzheimer's
Yellow is the person who is helping to care for the Alzheimer's/Dementia person
Purple signifies a loss of a loved one/friend that finally succumbed to the disease.
Orange flowers are those who are not directly affected by Alzheimer's/Dementia, but care enough to take a stand and lift their voice in support.
One day the promise will hopefully be broken.

But as the supporters gather around the tree, the leaves begin to make their journey to their new destination, a place that is unknown to them or the others below. They do not leave because of desire, rather the wind that has kept them stirred and alive has now started to blow increasingly, ripping them from their moorings without warning, carrying the leaves on the breeze across the landscape.

As the leaves ride the winds, they begin to change, losing the vibrancy of their once proud bodies. Even the grasses are in transition as they are forced to bend to the weight of the wind. Some are able to stand firm, others start to tilt, yet others become a blur, indistinguishable to anyone or anything around them. Yet the Painter is still in control, making sure that no one is forgotten, no stone left unturned.

In the end, the Painter is still there, still tending to the scene, lending their signature, saying, "I'm here, I know, I understand, I created each of you, you are not forgotten, you will still be with me in the end."
One day the Painter will add a new flower that will overrun the garden, a White Flower, without Blemish, Pure, Cleansed, so that the other flowers can dwindle in number until finally only 1 color remains.

If Moral Fiber Existed in Our Society, Would It Still Be Keto Friendly?

Right now all I can say is "Cannibals Beware! If you fall in a vat of chocolate, you're going to find the tables are getting turned on you!"

I've read a lot about what research has suggested that we do when it comes to eating while dealing with any form of Dementia. It seems most experts are saying that along with exercise, eating less carbs (which convert into sugar and are totally useless for nutrition, just a quick burst of energy is the only good) and limiting your sugar intake will help the brain be able to function better.

Well, I'm from the South and we basically live on CARBS and SUGAR!!! Rice, potatoes, bread, not to mention every kind of pie, cake, cookie and any other imaginable dessert we can whip up and take to the latest church potluck. I'm sure you've heard of people who are a "Meat & Potatoes" kinda person. Au Gratin, Au Not Rotten; any way that I can fix a potato I'll dive into it like a madman on death row with 10 minutes left before "the walk." But, I digress.

I used to work for a company that had a Nutritionist with a PhD who would come and give us classes periodically. She preached the Keto way of eating. Notice I did not say "DIET" as that is a 4 Letter Word that has a really bad stigma attached to it. Diets get you nothing but heartache. To really obtain any type of change and not lose the benefits gained from it, you have to make a change in your lifestyle, and that includes your eating habits. After 58 years on this earth I can tell you that up until recently, my eating habits generally sucked. Period. I have a feeling that if I didn't exercise and ride my cycle as much as I did, my weight gain would have me on that A&E Show.

Anyway, she gave us a book called "Eat Fat, Get Thin" and we watched videos about the Keto way of eating. I had recently completed some bloodwork at my annual check up and my A1C was over 7 and my BMI was Severely Obese, not to mention the high blood pressure. I was already on pills for that and didn't want to add anything else so when she mentioned that these could be lowered my interest was piqued.

I followed the Keto plan for 3 months along with my wife. (It is almost impossible to do it alone in the family and succeed, the temptations will be too great.) Then came Thanksgiving and Christmas, a move to a new town, open a new storefront that we leased a month after closing on the house, and life spiraled too fast to stay vigilant.

Fast forward to this spring, my annual checkup and me finding out my A1C was 10. UGH. Plus the weight that I lost was back too. Tag that to the dementia and it was a recipe for disaster.

So about 2 months ago we started back on the Keto way of eating. All I can say is "Why Didn't I Do This Sooner?" I forgot how much better you feel on the plan. I go back next month to the doctor for my checkup and I can't wait to see the new blood test results. I REALLY hate meds. I know they are necessary, but I still don't like them, so I'm hoping to not only stave off any need to add more, but to eventually eliminate at least some of what I am on, except for the Aricept and Namenda, Keto does not eliminate the need for these.

As many of you know I am now serving on the Early Stage Advisory Group for the Alzheimer's Association and it is giving me a platform to speak about my journey with this disease. One thing I want to talk about in my speeches is the ability that we have to help ourselves daily in our actions. No doctor is needed to get us to eat healthy (or at least healthier) and to exercise. With the internet you really have no excuse. There are a multitude of websites that have video's and posts telling how to eat better, along with so many recipes. I'm finding dessert and bread recipes that are Keto friendly that are to die for! (those cannibals may wind up being safe after all.)

While I'm glad that we are pushing still for more and more funding for research, I do wish that we had a bigger platform for eating and exercise while dealing with any form of Dementia. Especially for those in the early stages, eating and exercise is easy and crucial. You might argue, "Well, this is eventually going to kill me anyway, so why should I try to do anything about it?" Well, the people who are surrounding you and loving up on you might want you to remain cognizant a little bit longer too! (unless you're stinkingly stingily rich and they only way they are going to get your money is for you to hurry up and croak! I sincerely hope there is no one reading this who is on either side of this coin.)

I want to be aware of my daily activities for as long as possible. I love my wife, I thoroughly enjoy our time together and I want to be able to remember our adventures for a very long time. That is why I believe we need to preach this new gospel to as many people as possible. As NBC says, "The More You Know" the better prepared you can be.

Yes, right now there is no cure. Right now there is only the outlook of a progressive disease that will eventually take my life. BUT!!!! Right now there is NOW! There is LIFE! There is ENJOYMENT!

And I plan to enjoy these things for a long time to come.

So if you or a loved one is battling this disease, please "Google" and find a healthy eating plan that you (and your household) can live with and get started today. Hate gyms? Do you have a sidewalk? Well, you know how to use that! Or find a mall or arena that hosts "walk" times/days if the weather is inclement.

Start now, make the decision to change now, and get off your butt and do it. Need some help or encouragement? Let me know. I'll be glad to direct you to any resources that I know about and share recipes (which I'm thinking about doing as a side to this blog).

Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to share this blog with your friends and/or leave me your thoughts in the comments section below.

And in the end, let's all make an effort to #EndAlz #AlzSux #HydroWarrior4Ever

I Am 1

I AM ONE of the MANY people who have been or will be affected by Alzheimer's during the course of my lifetime.
5.8 million people are living with Alzheimer's Dementia in the United States. This equates to 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 that are battling with this disease. It is believed that by the year 2050 the number of people over the age of 65 will grow to approximately 88 million people, which at the rate that we are currently seeing, could add another 3 million people to the rolls of dementia patients. These numbers only represent the number of people that we know about who have been diagnosed by a professional. Because Alzheimer’s dementia is often underdiagnosed — and if it is diagnosed, people are often unaware of their diagnosis — a large portion of Americans with Alzheimer’s may not know they have it.
The disease is not a regional or a state problem. Across the board it is believed that every state will see an average increase of at least 12% in the number of new cases just this year. In South Carolina where I'm from, 92 thousand people are living with this disease. In the next county over from where we live is the famous Death Valley, Memorial Stadium of the Clemson Tigers. This stadium is ranked 19th in the largest stadium's in North America. It is so large that the NFL Team Carolina Panthers used this stadium for their games during their initial years until their stadium could be built. The current capacity of Memorial Stadium is 82 1/2 thousand which would be an extreme overflow crowd if we put all of the Alz patients in it at one time. If South Carolina sees the number of Alzheimer's patients grow as projected, then we will top the 100 thousand mark, giving us enough people to fill any of the top stadiums in North America. Anyone who has attended a sporting event at a large stadium can surely fathom this magnitude of people.
I AM ONE of the MANY people that have taken care of a loved one that battled this disease. My Grandmother and her 4 sisters all died from this disease. My mom had diabetes and lost her eyesight while caring for my grandmother. 2 years later me, my wife and our children moved back to my hometown to help care for them both. At the same time we realized that something was different with Nana, as we lovingly called her. Several years later we found ourselves in the doctor's office trying to explain that we believed there was some sort of dementia problem. The Problem was that the doctor didn't want to acknowledge it. Nana was just starting in her 80's and it was only a part of life that she was going through, he said. My grandmother was one of the godliest women that I've ever known. She was a very proper lady, so when she started using foul language, going outside on the porch at night and squatting in front of God and everybody to go potty, we knew there was a problem. Still the doctor refused to acknowledge it. Finally she fell and broke a hip, needing hospitalization. It was there that an attending physician agreed that there was a problem, and she was placed in a nursing facility upon her discharge.
Studies have found that fewer than half of Medicare beneficiaries who have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or another dementia in their Medicare billing records (or their caregiver, if the beneficiary’s cognitive impairment prevented him or her from responding) report being told of the diagnosis. 
I believe one possibility is that doctors like to be able to heal people. That is why most of them go into the profession, to be part of the greater good of man by improving their quality of life. Diseases such as Cancer and Heart Disease used to be "hush" words in our society. These words weren't mentioned because it inevitably would bring about the imminent or prolonged death of the patient. Now we have treatment centers that boast of high rates of cure instead of mortality for both of these diseases.
Alzheimer's, as well as other Dementia's, have no cure. We have medicines that have shown some progress in helping some patients, but many others experience a steady decline until they succumb to the disease. As of now, there is no cure.
I AM ONE OF THE MANY people who was diagnosed before the age of 65, thereby giving me the added portion to my diagnosis of Early OnSet. 2 tenths of 1 percent of people in the US that have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's Dementia are under the age of 65, which still equates to over 200,000 people. I feel like I was fortunate enough to have an employer who did their best to work with me for another 9 months after my diagnosis and allowed me to continue my job as an Analyst in the Finance department. My job was to track shipments to customers and research the ones that were not received in fully. I had to figure out the possibilities of whether we had failed to ship at all, or caused a problem in the shipping that then created a problem in receiving, or possibly a failure on the customer's part in the receiving process. I then made attempts to collect where I felt their claim was invalid and did written reports on the claims that I felt were most likely as a result of something that my company did. Each week I made a presentation before the Presidents, VP's, CFO's and Senior Management of all of our divisions to update them on the gains, losses, and problems that could be corrected possibly. It was only after the point that it became evident that I would no longer be able to make any more concise and accurate reports that a mutual agreement was made that allowed me to go on disability. I feel that there may be many more people who are realizing that they cognitive functions are declining, but because of a misguided fear of being terminated, they have not either sought out a medical diagnosis or if they have, they haven't notified their employer of the problem. The Family Medical Leave Act and other policies that many companies have allow for these employees to be able to take time needed for medical treatment and/or obtain a reduced workload without fear of retribution from the employer. We HAVE to eliminate the stigma of this disease. This isn't only a disease for people in nursing homes, sitting in wheelchairs, eyes staring aimlessly or lying in beds, babbling senselessly until their life slips away.
People can still be active in society and lead very active lives, though admittedly some changes will inevitably come. My local chapter has programs that allow folks like me to get together and socialize, play games, make crafts, and go on "field trips" to places that are both stimulating and fun. Opportunities for the caregivers are provided also during other times of the month.
I WANT TO BE ONE OF THE MANY who will be the "first" survivors of Alzheimer's. Research is being done at an increasing rate and there have been some recent studies, that while still in their infancy, may hold a promise of this future one day. Not only cures, but vaccines are being sought to prevent any one from having to go through this terrible disease. The National Institute of Health, along with many other research facilities are doing their best to find a way to make this happen. The good news for you is that you don't have to be a doctor to help this cause become a reality one day. YOU can make a difference, and YOU can do it now. 
How can I make a difference you ask?
By standing up and lending your voice. Do you know someone or have experienced the heartbreak of taking care of a loved one that is/was battling this disease? Speak Up to your Friends/Loved Ones! There are plenty of resources that can help you to know how to deal with the disease, and how to be that friend that someone else who is going through this battle needs. 
Speak Up to your Legislators! Tell them you want to see more being done to not only battle this disease, but to assist those who are battling this disease. Sometimes the toll on the caregiver can be as great or worse than the toll on the patient.
Speak Up to the Alzheimer's Association by being a volunteer. The more people step in and give just a few hours a month, the more that people like me and my wife can be helped as we walk through this journey.
Lastly, Speak Up to those who are seeking out the cures and prevention for this disease by opening your wallets. It doesn't take a million dollars to make a difference, though if you feel it in you to give a large amount, this helps accelerate the mission even faster. Each and every dollar adds up.
But most of all, remember that in the end, our ultimate goal is to #EndAlz.