merry christmas, happy new year, happy holidays

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY NEW YEAR, HAPPY HOLIDAYS
to the readers of this blog
i would like to wish you

a merry christmas

a happy new year


a happy holidays


the organicgreen doctor

last day

LAST DAY

so far so good
were still here today

today is the two year anniversary of my diagnosis of
mild cognitive impairment amnestic type thats thought
to be due to alzheimers disease

at the time it felt like the end of the world but it wasnt
then either

in two years there has been little change
im still on aricept (donepezil) since this may be alzheimers
and its the only treatment available to slow the symptoms

that and taking care of my health with diet exercise staying
mentally active maintaining  adequate sleep when i can
maintaining a normal blood pressure maintaining a normal
cholesterol and staying active generally

im still able to do all the things i enjoy except of course
practicing medicine

i do this daily blog and communicate with folks from across
the united states and the world

my wife and i have traveled a lot the last two years
visiting california several times utah arizona new mexico
colorado arkansas memphis tennessee nashville tennessee and
nicaragua

i stay active at my country n maintaining my ten acres
and doing my organic green garden

i volunteer once or twice a week building habitat for humanity
houses and volunteer delivering meals on wheels to seniors
one day a week

i also have given talks on alzheimers (feel free to ask for one
if you know a group that whats to hear one) and have some
planned this next year

i also contribute frequently to the alzheimers association
discussion groups online answering peoples questions or
giving them advise as one with the disease one who has
family members with the disease and one who has
treated the disease as a physician

i also have had three teams in the walk to end alzheimers here
in this area and am on the committees that organize the walks

we hope to add another team in southern arkansas for its
first walk next year as our family has been hit hard with
this terrible disease

i am a study subject in the largest and most important alzheimers
research study that has and is being done called the
alzheimers disease neuroimaging initiative (adni) study
(click here to read about it)

because of this study i have been able to receive all the newest
studies that are currently being done to diagnose this disease
genetic studies blood biomakers volumetric mris fdg glucose
metablolism pet scans beta amyloid pet scans spinal fluid analysis
for beta amyloid and tau protein and neuropsychological tests

all of which allow me to know where im at with this disease

i have been able to stay in contact with many of my former
patients via this blog email facebook and twitter

so yes im busy and contented

here is the blog i wrote the day i was diagnosed
i read it occasionally with a teary eye
it helps me stay grounded

LAST DAY-THANKS 

'this is my last day to work as a physician

i always considered myself lucky to have been able to

do in life what i wanted to do since i was a middle schooler

in high school i was able to work in a local hospital in the

summer on weekends and during holidays

our family was poor so not only did i get financial benefit from

working but i also was exposed to a lot in the hospital setting

it made me know that i wanted to be a family physician

during college i worked as a emergency room technician

on weekends, weeknights, and holidays

this also gave me financial support but also exposed me to

different doctors and different emergency situations

i was accepted to medical school but never wavered on what

kind of doctor i wanted to be

a family physician

i was accepted to a family practice residency

after completing my residency i owed the federal government

three years to work at an approved federal undeserved area

i was able to create with some help a site in  the small

town near where i grew up       i  worked there for three years

although traumatic at times it was a learning experience that i

carried through out my career

after fulfilling my three year obligation and after sustaining a

large financial hit from my involvement with the local clinic

i was recruited to the area where i am working now

thanks to my medical school friend for helping me out in

my time of need

i have worked for 25 years as a family physician

i always wanted to be one

now it is time i have to quit not because i want to but

because a genetic health problem has risen its nasty head

and because of this i will have to discontinue what i like to do

i do not ever dread going to work every day

i feel like i have now just gotten good at what i do

i realize that patients dont necessarily need all of the new

medications we have, the new tests we can do or need

the newest treatments available

they do better if you just listen to them, pat them on the

shoulder, be kind to them and be their advocate when

they need it

i have honed my skills in taking care of kids over my career so

that many of the kids have felt comfortable seeing me and look

forward to seeing me to get a sticker or sucker, hear my

duck voice, or have me joke with them

that part i will miss a lot

thanks to all my patients in the past for allowing me to fulfill

my dream of being a family physician

i hope i have done you a good job

thanks to my wife she for putting up with me during

my quest for my career

know shes found hers now

love yall

the organicgreen doctor'

the organicgreen doctor