FATE
i called it fate
she called it as a result of her strong religious beliefs
and an early morning prayer for help that morning
two weekends ago my wife she and i went to the school
to visit the garden fair
its the school where i helped put in the garden in the back
ground of the picture below
note i meet today with another school to help them plan
their school garden
my purpose is to help as many people garden organically
as possible especially kids and the schools
my other purpose is to spread the word about alzheimers disease
that morning we stopped by the garden to see the fair
on my way to doing a q&a with a large group of caregivers
on alzheimers disease
i struck a conversation with this lady standing by the rainwater
tank that was on display
ill talk all day about rainwater just like i will on alzheimers disease
and on organic gardens
she and her husband was interested in putting in a system so
i gave her my card with my email address and my blog address
and my twitter link
i told her to email if she had any questions
later as my wife she and i were in front of the garden
i wanted a picture of us so i saw this lady again
so i asked her would you take our picture sure she said
then
my wife she and i went on to the seminar which was successful
i think based on the response
this lady emailed me this week
that day when
she went out to her car to leave
as she sat in her car
thats when fate kicked in
she flipped over my card which says
this blog is about my journey with possible early alzheimers disease
please feel free to follow me along this path
i called it fate she called it an answer to her prayers
she said she got cold chills down her spine
she has agonized over this for months
her husband in his early 50s has seemed to develop memory loss
that is affecting his work and his life
she was at loss at what to do
as i emailed her back i decided to write my answer in this blog
so others in this situation may benefit from this blog today
first if you notice there is a problem or he notices there is a problem
or others notice there is a problem
then
there is a problem
dont ignore it
yes you can get early onset alzheimers although it represents less
than 10% of the cases
there is concern that since his mom had alzheimers disease that
this is what it could be
since he is young the same age my brother was when he was
diagnosed i recommend that he get an aggressive evaluation of
his memory loss
yes it can be a slow gradual onset that can be years in the making
the disease itself starts 20-30 years before the diagnosis is made
it is important that all other causes of memory loss be ruled out
like high blood pressure high cholesterol diabetes anxiety stress
depression sleep disorders like insomnia sleep apnea restless legs
etc low thyroid activity low vitamin b12 chronic infection
electrolyte problems liver disease medication side effects drugs
alcohol old head trauma etc
many of these things can be treated
go to this link and answer the questions on your husband
my guess is that he will score a 5 or greater which will be abnormal
copy this off and take with you when he goes to the doctor
remember even if his score in in the normal range he needs
an evaluation
make an appointment with his primary care doctor
go with him
go in the room with him
write out a list of medications and a list of things that you
have noticed
make a copy to hand to the doctor
when you make the appointment dont make it for anything
but for memory loss
a good workup will include meeting with you and him then
just you and then just him
here is a link to the clinical parameters for evaluation and treatment
for someone with memory loss
the gold standard in the state of texas for this evaluation
if you are not pleased or if you are put off by the doctor i will
send you the name of a neurologist to see for evaluation
remember you are looking for treatable causes
he should have
a good history and examination looking for causes
labs like cbc metabolic profile b12 foalate tsh-thryoid level ua
maybe hiv hep c syphilis tests
a good screening in clinic memory test like the mmse or moca
then based on what this all shows
he may need a neuropsychological test which will tell if there
is memory loss or not
he wont like that one
i do it every year in fact i have to do
one next week and i dread it
then he may need a mri scan of the brain looking for abnormal
things that would explain his memory loss like strokes old head
trauma cyst tumors brain shrinkage etc
then there are new tests that may or may not be done based on
the history
spinal tap for beta amyloid and tau or the amyvid pet scan
the younger the patient the more aggressive the workup
your husband meets that category
remember some people develop memory loss that becomes
stable and never changes the rest of their life
they can still have a meaningful life
many can continue working
what you need is an answer as what is the cause of all this
also remember
he knows he has a problem
he may be scared to know
i hope this is helpful
please free to contact me if you have a question
you may want to look at this blog on tests and links
wishing you the best
the organicgreen doctor
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
walking with a purpose
WALKING WITH A PURPOSE
this weekend all 500+ of us were walking for the same reason
to find a cure and treatment for this terrible disease
alzheimers disease
by mid century alzheimers disease will cost us $1,000,000,000,000 a year
here in the usa
money we raised this weekend goes into a pool that
supports the local chapters of the alzheimers association
you have at least one if not more in your state
the money is also given to researchers as they work to
find that elusive cure
this is our team that walked with us this weekend
well one was getting a neck massage in that tent in the
back ground and a few others had not arrived yet
we raised $2,700 to go into the pot
the walk itself raised over $55,000 for that pot
maybe some of this money will find itself to the right research
that will find the cure
or
will find itself to caregiver education or support that will help
you or your family when your time comes to get affected
by this terrible disease
yall will be glad its there when the time comes
be looking around for your local walk
www.alz.org/walk is the link to find your local one
in our group
my family that walked
my wife she and our son and his girlfriend
are affected since my father and mom had the disease
and my younger brother
and
as i have written before i may have it
mr b and i have done this walk four times now
his grandmother had alzheimers disease
thats why he walks
some of my habitat buddies walked with us
one of them his mom had alzheimers diease
the kid who is pointing to his face in the team picture
hes an aggie fan and had the face painter a member of our team
to paint aggie stuff on his face
sorry razorback fans
his aunt had the disease
a former coworker mr bs mom is involved with the team
since her mom had the disease when she passed
another walkers dad has dementia probably from parkinsons
another walkers dad was diagnosed in the last few years
so we all us walkers like many of you are affected by the disease
this is a lady whose husband died from alzheimers two years ago
her and her family have a large team that walk each year
she and i got recognized for being two of the top individual
fundraisers
but its the younger walkers who will be helped by the research
that finds the cure
maybe even one of them will be the one that finds the answer
thanks again to those who supported our team financially and
just as important emotionally with your kind words and support
future walks we will be doing my wife she and i
wtea travis county at camp mabry on sunday october 12
with the austin regional clinic team
wtea bell county at pepper creek trails in temple on
saturday november 1 with the organicgreendoctor team
wtea at the clinton library in little rock on november 8 with
the team #joe nash in the memory of my younger brother
the organicgreen doctor
this weekend all 500+ of us were walking for the same reason
to find a cure and treatment for this terrible disease
alzheimers disease
by mid century alzheimers disease will cost us $1,000,000,000,000 a year
here in the usa
money we raised this weekend goes into a pool that
supports the local chapters of the alzheimers association
you have at least one if not more in your state
the money is also given to researchers as they work to
find that elusive cure
this is our team that walked with us this weekend
well one was getting a neck massage in that tent in the
back ground and a few others had not arrived yet
we raised $2,700 to go into the pot
the walk itself raised over $55,000 for that pot
maybe some of this money will find itself to the right research
that will find the cure
or
will find itself to caregiver education or support that will help
you or your family when your time comes to get affected
by this terrible disease
yall will be glad its there when the time comes
be looking around for your local walk
www.alz.org/walk is the link to find your local one
in our group
my family that walked
my wife she and our son and his girlfriend
are affected since my father and mom had the disease
and my younger brother
and
as i have written before i may have it
mr b and i have done this walk four times now
his grandmother had alzheimers disease
thats why he walks
some of my habitat buddies walked with us
one of them his mom had alzheimers diease
the kid who is pointing to his face in the team picture
hes an aggie fan and had the face painter a member of our team
to paint aggie stuff on his face
sorry razorback fans
his aunt had the disease
a former coworker mr bs mom is involved with the team
since her mom had the disease when she passed
another walkers dad has dementia probably from parkinsons
another walkers dad was diagnosed in the last few years
so we all us walkers like many of you are affected by the disease
this is a lady whose husband died from alzheimers two years ago
her and her family have a large team that walk each year
she and i got recognized for being two of the top individual
fundraisers
but its the younger walkers who will be helped by the research
that finds the cure
maybe even one of them will be the one that finds the answer
thanks again to those who supported our team financially and
just as important emotionally with your kind words and support
future walks we will be doing my wife she and i
wtea travis county at camp mabry on sunday october 12
with the austin regional clinic team
wtea bell county at pepper creek trails in temple on
saturday november 1 with the organicgreendoctor team
wtea at the clinton library in little rock on november 8 with
the team #joe nash in the memory of my younger brother
the organicgreen doctor
Friday, September 26, 2014
disgusting
DISGUSTING
this is disgusting
it makes me nauseated
it makes me want to puke
it really pi$$e$ me off
heres the story
if you get diagnosed with alzheimers disease
the doctors usually will put you on a medication called
aricept (donepezil) to hopefully slow down the progression
of the symptoms for awhile
it does not stop the disease progression though
the earlier you start this in the disease the better it may work
then as the disease progresses on into the mid stages and
into the later stages
when it seems theres this point when things make that
fateful turn downward
then
many doctors will add a drug called namenda
it works slightly different from aricept and may
slow things down some for awhile
my opinion is that using these two meds like this is worth
trying
as its really the only thing we have that may help some
remember there is not a cure or treatment or the disease
yet
but thank goodness its coming
now here comes the disgusting part
and
shows how bad our legal medical government system is
it sheds an awful light on big pharma
yes its those old drug companies again screwing us over
aricept is generic now and is called donepezil
several companies make it
i personally pay $60 a year for it using my medicare d
drug plan
thank you mr george w for doing this plan
if you paid cash for it you would pay
$10+- for 30 pills
then in a few years after i have progressed the doctor
will add namenda to my regimen
lets see namenda comes not generic yet
a months worth at costco cash price is $149.50
whoa i hope george ws medicare d covers that
whats that you say the drug company called actavis is discontinuing
making it
but its not even gone generic yet
so you have to buy the drug called namenda xr
lets see that will be $300+ a month for that
so why would they quit making the cheaper stuff
oh i see so doctors now have to use the namenda xr
no other company can make the cheaper namenda
and
the drug company makes another extra $200 a month
off your parents or grandparents or you uncle or aunt
or your unlucky early onset alzheimers brother
that is so disgusting that we and our government let this
$#!) happen
what is that you say
what it is going to get worse
so the patent for the old form namenda goes off patent in 2015
then many different companies can make it
the price would intially drop 10% then later it will drop 90%
so
some demented person that has advanced could be treated for
$20+- a month
so by stopping making the namenda pill actavis is forcing
all these patients to go on namenda xr
which doesnt work any better than namenda
so when the namenda generic comes next year if it does
now all the patients will nicely be on namenda xr
doctors and patients commonly dont want to change
well ok when does that patent go off
oh my goodness
2029
by doing this actavis makes it much harder for a generic company
to come in and make the new generic
wonder if they have trouble sleeping at night
they rank up there with all those folks that call the elderly
trying to scam them
wait its the same thing isnt it
then sometimes the brand company like actavis
will actually buy out the new generic company so the price will
stay up even longer
so lets see thats $240 a year vs $3600
i have to stop writing now
i am so disgusted
i just puked all over my laptop
i have instructed my wife she
no brand namenda xr for me please
just let me slide down that slope without it
reminder
the
williamson county walk to end alzheimers
is tomorrow at the beautiful san gabriel park
in georgetown texas
walk starts at 900am
registration desk opens at 800am
temperature at walk time is to be 72 degrees
you can still donate and or join our team
organicgreendoctor
at this link
remember there is no charge to walk with us
just show up and sign the waiver form
see you tomorrow
if not send us good vibes in the am as we walk
to do our part to help end this awful disease
and
oh write you congresspersons governor and your attorney general
unless you live in texas since big pharma own these guys
the organicgreen doctor
this is disgusting
it makes me nauseated
it makes me want to puke
it really pi$$e$ me off
heres the story
if you get diagnosed with alzheimers disease
the doctors usually will put you on a medication called
aricept (donepezil) to hopefully slow down the progression
of the symptoms for awhile
it does not stop the disease progression though
the earlier you start this in the disease the better it may work
then as the disease progresses on into the mid stages and
into the later stages
when it seems theres this point when things make that
fateful turn downward
then
many doctors will add a drug called namenda
it works slightly different from aricept and may
slow things down some for awhile
my opinion is that using these two meds like this is worth
trying
as its really the only thing we have that may help some
remember there is not a cure or treatment or the disease
yet
but thank goodness its coming
now here comes the disgusting part
and
shows how bad our legal medical government system is
it sheds an awful light on big pharma
yes its those old drug companies again screwing us over
aricept is generic now and is called donepezil
several companies make it
i personally pay $60 a year for it using my medicare d
drug plan
thank you mr george w for doing this plan
if you paid cash for it you would pay
$10+- for 30 pills
then in a few years after i have progressed the doctor
will add namenda to my regimen
lets see namenda comes not generic yet
a months worth at costco cash price is $149.50
whoa i hope george ws medicare d covers that
whats that you say the drug company called actavis is discontinuing
making it
but its not even gone generic yet
so you have to buy the drug called namenda xr
lets see that will be $300+ a month for that
so why would they quit making the cheaper stuff
oh i see so doctors now have to use the namenda xr
no other company can make the cheaper namenda
and
the drug company makes another extra $200 a month
off your parents or grandparents or you uncle or aunt
or your unlucky early onset alzheimers brother
that is so disgusting that we and our government let this
$#!) happen
what is that you say
what it is going to get worse
so the patent for the old form namenda goes off patent in 2015
then many different companies can make it
the price would intially drop 10% then later it will drop 90%
so
some demented person that has advanced could be treated for
$20+- a month
so by stopping making the namenda pill actavis is forcing
all these patients to go on namenda xr
which doesnt work any better than namenda
so when the namenda generic comes next year if it does
now all the patients will nicely be on namenda xr
doctors and patients commonly dont want to change
well ok when does that patent go off
oh my goodness
2029
by doing this actavis makes it much harder for a generic company
to come in and make the new generic
wonder if they have trouble sleeping at night
they rank up there with all those folks that call the elderly
trying to scam them
wait its the same thing isnt it
then sometimes the brand company like actavis
will actually buy out the new generic company so the price will
stay up even longer
so lets see thats $240 a year vs $3600
i have to stop writing now
i am so disgusted
i just puked all over my laptop
i have instructed my wife she
no brand namenda xr for me please
just let me slide down that slope without it
reminder
the
williamson county walk to end alzheimers
is tomorrow at the beautiful san gabriel park
in georgetown texas
walk starts at 900am
registration desk opens at 800am
temperature at walk time is to be 72 degrees
you can still donate and or join our team
organicgreendoctor
at this link
remember there is no charge to walk with us
just show up and sign the waiver form
see you tomorrow
if not send us good vibes in the am as we walk
to do our part to help end this awful disease
and
oh write you congresspersons governor and your attorney general
unless you live in texas since big pharma own these guys
the organicgreen doctor
Thursday, September 25, 2014
infection is returning
INFECTION IS RETURNING
i read the stories about the ebola virus
and how it keeps growing in numbers in africa
wonder when it will jump continents
then the respiratory virus thats traveling across
the us affecting kids making some of them real sick
the other day i was sitting at my easy chair
peering out the window
staring i was just athinking
when
i realized as my mind was awhorling
you are getting that infection again
i was afraid this would happen
my wife she was concerned
she thought she had put a stop to its spread
but
no
she didnt
its infectious and contagious almost addictive it is
you see a friend is moving and is waiting on their new
house to be built so we are babysitting their plants they
have in pots and their shrubs and trees
well it looks like a garden store around here now
some he is allowing me to use at the habitat for humanity houses
save us $50 every time i plant one at at new site
so i dont mind
the problem is as i sit here
looking
he left me his rainwater tanks
to store here until they get moved in
i sit here watching them laying on their side
not being used
it was especially hard to look when we got rain
all i could think was i could be filling them up with rainwater
what if i sort of put back up straight
maybe if i set them on bricks
they would look better
heck if youre going to do that then you might as well
hook them up to the system
and hook them all together in a row
and
then hook a water hose to them
maybe use the water to water all those plants
yea thats what ill do
then i realized ive got reinfected
no runny nose or cough
ive be reinfected you see there is no immunity
to the rainwater collection virus
then he had these two small 50 gallon tanks
he said you want them i dont think well use them at
the new house
so i said yes
knowing that i would be giving them to the new habitat for
humanity homeowner
who wanted to collect rainwater
shes a nurse but i didnt dare tell her they were contagious
that rainwater collection virus
she was about to get infected
there is no cure
get infected
the organicgreen doctor
i read the stories about the ebola virus
and how it keeps growing in numbers in africa
wonder when it will jump continents
then the respiratory virus thats traveling across
the us affecting kids making some of them real sick
the other day i was sitting at my easy chair
peering out the window
staring i was just athinking
when
i realized as my mind was awhorling
you are getting that infection again
i was afraid this would happen
my wife she was concerned
she thought she had put a stop to its spread
but
no
she didnt
its infectious and contagious almost addictive it is
you see a friend is moving and is waiting on their new
house to be built so we are babysitting their plants they
have in pots and their shrubs and trees
well it looks like a garden store around here now
some he is allowing me to use at the habitat for humanity houses
save us $50 every time i plant one at at new site
so i dont mind
the problem is as i sit here
looking
he left me his rainwater tanks
to store here until they get moved in
i sit here watching them laying on their side
not being used
it was especially hard to look when we got rain
all i could think was i could be filling them up with rainwater
what if i sort of put back up straight
maybe if i set them on bricks
they would look better
heck if youre going to do that then you might as well
hook them up to the system
and hook them all together in a row
and
then hook a water hose to them
maybe use the water to water all those plants
yea thats what ill do
then i realized ive got reinfected
no runny nose or cough
ive be reinfected you see there is no immunity
to the rainwater collection virus
then he had these two small 50 gallon tanks
he said you want them i dont think well use them at
the new house
so i said yes
knowing that i would be giving them to the new habitat for
humanity homeowner
who wanted to collect rainwater
shes a nurse but i didnt dare tell her they were contagious
that rainwater collection virus
she was about to get infected
there is no cure
get infected
the organicgreen doctor
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
garden of fun
GARDEN OF FUN
this weekend my wife she and i went to a schools garden fair
there were kids all over the place
giggling
laughing
digging in buckets of dirt
digging and holding earthworms
doing demostrations eg one kiddo has bees at his house
and raises lots of honey
this garden was built for the kids to enjoy
that they seem to be doing
and
to get an appreciation for where food comes from
plant a spinach watch it grow and the kid loves spinach
the same with broccoli lettuce tomato carrot beets etc
last year i got a message from a mom who was spearheading
the project
a former patient who wanted some input on building the
garden beds
that opened the door for me
hey ill help you guys build the beds since ive done that a lot
and
you know thats up there with my top priorities in life
is to get people to do their own organic gardens
teach a kid to do this and they have it with them forever
note the winner of my organic square foot garden from my
silent auction donated the garden to the recent habitat
house owner
it should be finished being installed today and will be
planted in two weeks for the fall planting
organic of course
i decided to do the garden like the schools garden
with concrete blocks since it will be indestructible
it can also be disassembled easily and moved
so my wife she and i roamed around
talked to folks
sampled some of the food cooked at the fair
looked closely at the beds to see how they were holding up
talked to the lady behind all this
the brains behind their success
good job mc
all kids should have this exposure to organic gardening
raising food
eating what they grow
maybe tasting a little of the dirt for good measure
getting their hands dirty
growing worms
making compost
developing an appreciation for farming and learning
to enjoy vegetables
a life long lesson will be learned from all this
memories that will be permanent even years later
the organicgreen doctor
this weekend my wife she and i went to a schools garden fair
there were kids all over the place
giggling
laughing
digging in buckets of dirt
digging and holding earthworms
doing demostrations eg one kiddo has bees at his house
and raises lots of honey
this garden was built for the kids to enjoy
that they seem to be doing
and
to get an appreciation for where food comes from
plant a spinach watch it grow and the kid loves spinach
the same with broccoli lettuce tomato carrot beets etc
last year i got a message from a mom who was spearheading
the project
a former patient who wanted some input on building the
garden beds
that opened the door for me
hey ill help you guys build the beds since ive done that a lot
and
you know thats up there with my top priorities in life
is to get people to do their own organic gardens
teach a kid to do this and they have it with them forever
note the winner of my organic square foot garden from my
silent auction donated the garden to the recent habitat
house owner
it should be finished being installed today and will be
planted in two weeks for the fall planting
organic of course
i decided to do the garden like the schools garden
with concrete blocks since it will be indestructible
it can also be disassembled easily and moved
so my wife she and i roamed around
talked to folks
sampled some of the food cooked at the fair
looked closely at the beds to see how they were holding up
talked to the lady behind all this
the brains behind their success
good job mc
all kids should have this exposure to organic gardening
raising food
eating what they grow
maybe tasting a little of the dirt for good measure
getting their hands dirty
growing worms
making compost
developing an appreciation for farming and learning
to enjoy vegetables
a life long lesson will be learned from all this
memories that will be permanent even years later
the organicgreen doctor
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
spearman
SPEARMAN
sometimes when you read a newspaper report
you just laugh
and
say that guys stupid
so this guy was driving around in a car
the report never said what he was doing
but
the police were suspicious
ok he was black
they ran his plates
it was a stolen vehicle reported recently
they start the siren and lights
and chase him
he abandons the car and takes off running
through the neighborhood
into this house he went
mistake number two he made that night
inside the house was this guy who was asleep
into the bedroom the intruder went
now this guy
practices a medieval form of fighting
hes a member of a group that does this
called the society of medieval anarchists
he also be-ith a fan of game of thrones
bad choice
that intruder did make thus i say
he hit the intruder
looking at the picture it was the left eye
then
he took up his spear
like a medieval knight without armor of course
he approached the intruder in his fighting stance
as he was taught to do
stabbed the guy
the intruder
stop please i cant get out
the door was locked
a merciful fellow the spearman twas
a christian man not wanting to kill a man
he let the intruder go out the door
with a swollen black eye and a stab wound added
on for good measure
running through the house like a wounded deer
he doth say
later the cops caught him
in his car that stolen car
that the intruder himself reported as stolen
stupid is a stupid does
hear ye hear ye
the spearman is our hero
the organicgreen doctor
sometimes when you read a newspaper report
you just laugh
and
say that guys stupid
so this guy was driving around in a car
the report never said what he was doing
but
the police were suspicious
ok he was black
they ran his plates
it was a stolen vehicle reported recently
they start the siren and lights
and chase him
he abandons the car and takes off running
through the neighborhood
into this house he went
mistake number two he made that night
inside the house was this guy who was asleep
into the bedroom the intruder went
now this guy
practices a medieval form of fighting
hes a member of a group that does this
called the society of medieval anarchists
he also be-ith a fan of game of thrones
bad choice
that intruder did make thus i say
he hit the intruder
looking at the picture it was the left eye
then
he took up his spear
like a medieval knight without armor of course
he approached the intruder in his fighting stance
as he was taught to do
stabbed the guy
the intruder
stop please i cant get out
the door was locked
a merciful fellow the spearman twas
a christian man not wanting to kill a man
he let the intruder go out the door
with a swollen black eye and a stab wound added
on for good measure
running through the house like a wounded deer
he doth say
later the cops caught him
in his car that stolen car
that the intruder himself reported as stolen
stupid is a stupid does
hear ye hear ye
the spearman is our hero
the organicgreen doctor
Monday, September 22, 2014
the weekend that was
THE WEEKEND THAT WAS
you know we have to have a purpose in life
it just makes each day something to look forward to
it may be important to only you that purpose
but you must have a purpose
i have that purpose
well i have several ones
but
this weekend my purpose was fulfilled
my goal is to talk about and to educate
as many people as i can
about alzheimers disease
just ask me and ill start talking to you about
alzheimers disease
lets get this disease out in the open
for all of us to talk about
those who are affected personally via themselves
or family members or friends or neighbors
need to open up and start talking about it
its also therapeutic in a way
so thats what i did this weekend
did my therapy
i was asked several weeks ago to do a seminar for the
austin area agency on aging
sharing the podium with a primary caregiver
we would both answer questions from the audience
from our two perspectives
hers as a primary caregiver
mine as a physician
a family member whose mom dad and brother had the disease
and
a patient who may have the disease
ck the primary caregiver should write a book
and talk more to others on how to be a primary caregiver
taking care of yourself while you take care of your loved one
using the resources that are available
she used a wheel she drew with herself and her faith being
in the middle
then the spokes went out to her friends her church her financial
planner etc
when she needed help she reached out to the appropriate spoke
to help her
so many caregivers dont do this
the questions that were asked never stopped coming
nor did the answers
heck ill talk all day on alzheimers unless you tell me to stop
its so personal you know
they only made me choke up once
when i was asked about being diagnosed and stopping practicing
ive told the story several times
but that day it seemed hard
they did seem to be able to push some sensitive buttons that
are always looming back there in the back of the brain
just sitting there
so i went to therapy this weekend
it was good for me
i hope it was good for them
find a purpose
we all need one
donate or join our team
organicgreendoctor
for the williamson county walk to end alzheimers
saturday september 27, 2014
the organicgreen doctor
you know we have to have a purpose in life
it just makes each day something to look forward to
it may be important to only you that purpose
but you must have a purpose
i have that purpose
well i have several ones
but
this weekend my purpose was fulfilled
my goal is to talk about and to educate
as many people as i can
about alzheimers disease
just ask me and ill start talking to you about
alzheimers disease
lets get this disease out in the open
for all of us to talk about
those who are affected personally via themselves
or family members or friends or neighbors
need to open up and start talking about it
its also therapeutic in a way
so thats what i did this weekend
did my therapy
i was asked several weeks ago to do a seminar for the
austin area agency on aging
sharing the podium with a primary caregiver
we would both answer questions from the audience
from our two perspectives
hers as a primary caregiver
mine as a physician
a family member whose mom dad and brother had the disease
and
a patient who may have the disease
ck the primary caregiver should write a book
and talk more to others on how to be a primary caregiver
taking care of yourself while you take care of your loved one
using the resources that are available
she used a wheel she drew with herself and her faith being
in the middle
then the spokes went out to her friends her church her financial
planner etc
when she needed help she reached out to the appropriate spoke
to help her
so many caregivers dont do this
the questions that were asked never stopped coming
nor did the answers
heck ill talk all day on alzheimers unless you tell me to stop
its so personal you know
they only made me choke up once
when i was asked about being diagnosed and stopping practicing
ive told the story several times
but that day it seemed hard
they did seem to be able to push some sensitive buttons that
are always looming back there in the back of the brain
just sitting there
so i went to therapy this weekend
it was good for me
i hope it was good for them
find a purpose
we all need one
donate or join our team
organicgreendoctor
for the williamson county walk to end alzheimers
saturday september 27, 2014
the organicgreen doctor
Saturday, September 20, 2014
tests and links
TESTS AND LINKS
for those who were at the caregiver conference today
in austin called
striking a balance 2014-13th annual caregivers conference
i write on alzheimers disease every friday
along the way i try to let you know what im thinking and feeling
about all this
i also write on other topics the other days
i dont use punctuation or capitalizations
thats just my thing
if you are online look at the top of the blog
there are a newsletter a newspaper article and a video on my story
with alzheimers
just click on them and read and watch the video
then just below that is a link to facebook to follow my organicgreendoctor
facebook page
there i post my blog every day and also post other things like my travels
my other volunteer things i do with the alzheimers association my
alzheimers presentations habitat with humanity williamson county
meals on wheels williamson county and organic green living stuff
then on the right side of the blog is a link to my facebook so you can
follow me and a link to twitter
also on the right side you can sign up to have the blog sent automatically
to your email each day
i also recently just started on instagram under organicgreendoctor
on the right side at the top of the blog you can click there to follow
me on instagram
here are some important links and references i referred to in my presentation
here are the in office mental status tests that may be done
mini-cog-click here for link
mmse-mini mental state exam-click here for link
moca-montreal cognitive assessment-click here for link
here is the link to the 5 online memory tests for alzheimers and dementia
alzheimers reading room
here is the link to the 21 question alzheimers questionnaire
to assess a loved ones status
fill it out score it and take with you to their appointment
here are some recommended links
www.alz.org
www.alz.org/texascapital
www.dshs.state.tx.us/alzheimers
a pdf file can be viewed on best clinical best practices for treatment
of alzheimers patients
these are the guidelines for evaluation and treatment recommended
to doctors and other providers
look at it and see if your loved one has had the recommended
evaluations and treatments that are the new starndard of care
for alzheimers patients
alzheimers disease center universty of texas southwestern
a great location for information on joining clinical trials and
having a loved one evaluated
this is where i go for my research studies and to see my neurologist
the organicgreen doctor
for those who were at the caregiver conference today
in austin called
striking a balance 2014-13th annual caregivers conference
i write on alzheimers disease every friday
along the way i try to let you know what im thinking and feeling
about all this
i also write on other topics the other days
i dont use punctuation or capitalizations
thats just my thing
if you are online look at the top of the blog
there are a newsletter a newspaper article and a video on my story
with alzheimers
just click on them and read and watch the video
then just below that is a link to facebook to follow my organicgreendoctor
facebook page
there i post my blog every day and also post other things like my travels
my other volunteer things i do with the alzheimers association my
alzheimers presentations habitat with humanity williamson county
meals on wheels williamson county and organic green living stuff
then on the right side of the blog is a link to my facebook so you can
follow me and a link to twitter
also on the right side you can sign up to have the blog sent automatically
to your email each day
i also recently just started on instagram under organicgreendoctor
on the right side at the top of the blog you can click there to follow
me on instagram
here are some important links and references i referred to in my presentation
here are the in office mental status tests that may be done
mini-cog-click here for link
mmse-mini mental state exam-click here for link
moca-montreal cognitive assessment-click here for link
here is the link to the 5 online memory tests for alzheimers and dementia
alzheimers reading room
here is the link to the 21 question alzheimers questionnaire
to assess a loved ones status
fill it out score it and take with you to their appointment
here are some recommended links
www.alz.org
www.alz.org/texascapital
www.dshs.state.tx.us/alzheimers
a pdf file can be viewed on best clinical best practices for treatment
of alzheimers patients
these are the guidelines for evaluation and treatment recommended
to doctors and other providers
look at it and see if your loved one has had the recommended
evaluations and treatments that are the new starndard of care
for alzheimers patients
alzheimers disease center universty of texas southwestern
a great location for information on joining clinical trials and
having a loved one evaluated
this is where i go for my research studies and to see my neurologist
the organicgreen doctor
Friday, September 19, 2014
control the result
CONTROL THE RESULT
you have some control over the outcome
whether or not you get alzheimers
its the 6th and some recent studies suggest its the 3rd leading
cause of death in the united states
yes i wrote you have some control over the outcome
whether or not you get alzheimers
this report on
world alzheimers report 2014 on dementia and risk reduction
can be reviewed at this link
here is an article on a summary of the report
basically
here is togd summary
well ive written this many times
you have control on whether you get dementia and or
how bad it is if you get it
somethings like genetics family tendencies environmental
exposures you cant control
like ddt exposure like carrying the apoe4 gene like your age eg
see that kid in the picture above
put your kid your grand kid your nephew or niece in that picture
do this for them also
so you can control
-your blood pressure especially starting in mid life
its interesting that this time is when the bad stuff
beta amyloid accumulation and tau destruction starts in the brain
again please dont worry about potential side effects of meds
they cant be worse than a stroke heart attack or the most dreaded
disease alzheimers disease
-your diabetes in mid to late life
folks the chances of getting alzheimers if its not controlled
is 50%
that an impressive number
diet and exercise and medicine
even the old diabetic drug metformin may help slow things down
-dont smoke dont start stop if you do
-your cholesterol easily done now a days with medications and
diet and exercise
if you have ever dealt with the family member or friend with
alzheimers the side effects of the cholesterol meds arent that
important
-those things that make a healthy heart make a healthy brain
-exercise
-healthy diet like the mediterranean diet
-your weight as normal as possible
-mentally active all the way through your life
-get as much education as you can
the goal is to enter your late life with a healthy robust brain
with lot of brain cells to withstand the on slot of this terrible
disease
-stay socially active
-control stress anxiety depression
-get adequate sleep
-enjoy your music
also take notice that these things also help in the fight against
stroke heart attack cancer diabetes
so yes you have some control
start now while you are young
although its never too late to start
then finally
we need your help fighting for a cure and treatment
its the nih and the alzheimers association who lead in
providing the research monies for this fight
WALK TO END ALZHEIMERS WIILLIAMSON COUNTY
in georgetown texas on saturday at 900am september 27, 2014
is now one week away
the walk is less than a thousand dollars from its goal
you may donate and or join my team at this link
organicgreendoctor
you can donate to the team or click on an individual to donate to them
we are at 41% of our goal of $3000
we need $1780 more over the next week
remember there is no charge for the walks
you can also show up for any of them register there and walk
our organicgreendocotor online silent auction ends on
sunday night at 930pm on september 21, 2014
if a bid comes in at the last 3 minutes the auction gets extended
for 3 minutes allowing for counter bids
this will go on for 30 minutes
so go to
www.32auctions.com/ogd
to make a bid
note the quilts may be good items for those who live a long distance
from here
the shipping for them will be free
we reap what we sow
the organicgreen doctor
you have some control over the outcome
whether or not you get alzheimers
its the 6th and some recent studies suggest its the 3rd leading
cause of death in the united states
yes i wrote you have some control over the outcome
whether or not you get alzheimers
this report on
world alzheimers report 2014 on dementia and risk reduction
can be reviewed at this link
here is an article on a summary of the report
basically
here is togd summary
well ive written this many times
you have control on whether you get dementia and or
how bad it is if you get it
somethings like genetics family tendencies environmental
exposures you cant control
like ddt exposure like carrying the apoe4 gene like your age eg
see that kid in the picture above
put your kid your grand kid your nephew or niece in that picture
do this for them also
so you can control
-your blood pressure especially starting in mid life
its interesting that this time is when the bad stuff
beta amyloid accumulation and tau destruction starts in the brain
again please dont worry about potential side effects of meds
they cant be worse than a stroke heart attack or the most dreaded
disease alzheimers disease
-your diabetes in mid to late life
folks the chances of getting alzheimers if its not controlled
is 50%
that an impressive number
diet and exercise and medicine
even the old diabetic drug metformin may help slow things down
-dont smoke dont start stop if you do
-your cholesterol easily done now a days with medications and
diet and exercise
if you have ever dealt with the family member or friend with
alzheimers the side effects of the cholesterol meds arent that
important
-those things that make a healthy heart make a healthy brain
-exercise
-healthy diet like the mediterranean diet
-your weight as normal as possible
-mentally active all the way through your life
-get as much education as you can
the goal is to enter your late life with a healthy robust brain
with lot of brain cells to withstand the on slot of this terrible
disease
-stay socially active
-control stress anxiety depression
-get adequate sleep
-enjoy your music
also take notice that these things also help in the fight against
stroke heart attack cancer diabetes
so yes you have some control
start now while you are young
although its never too late to start
then finally
we need your help fighting for a cure and treatment
its the nih and the alzheimers association who lead in
providing the research monies for this fight
WALK TO END ALZHEIMERS WIILLIAMSON COUNTY
in georgetown texas on saturday at 900am september 27, 2014
is now one week away
the walk is less than a thousand dollars from its goal
you may donate and or join my team at this link
organicgreendoctor
you can donate to the team or click on an individual to donate to them
we are at 41% of our goal of $3000
we need $1780 more over the next week
remember there is no charge for the walks
you can also show up for any of them register there and walk
our organicgreendocotor online silent auction ends on
sunday night at 930pm on september 21, 2014
if a bid comes in at the last 3 minutes the auction gets extended
for 3 minutes allowing for counter bids
this will go on for 30 minutes
so go to
www.32auctions.com/ogd
to make a bid
note the quilts may be good items for those who live a long distance
from here
the shipping for them will be free
we reap what we sow
the organicgreen doctor
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
unflex account
UNFLEX ACCOUNT
the flex account was designed to allow you to take money
out of your pay check tax free
to use for medical expenses or daycare expenses
the higher your tax bracket the higher the amount you save
so if you max it out at $2500
your bracket is 30%
you save $750 in taxes
your bracket is 20%
you save $500
if your bracket is 10%
you save $250
it seems worthwhile to me to do it
so
last year we put back $1800
based on our estimated medical and dental expenses
so
we saved at 20% tax bracket
$360 in taxes
so this should be a no brainer thing to do
straight forward it should be
we use a flex card thats hooked to a mastercard
just slide it through and make the payment
for services rendered
its all done electronically
quick easy simple
right
wrong
how do they make a lot of money those flex guys
they hope you dont figure out how the system works
so at the end of year if you have money left
and
if you dont use it they get to keep it
and
apparently thats what a lot of people do
but not me no the ogd does not leave that money on
the table
(heres a secret way to win against them
i did it because they made me mad
when i knew i was leaving my practice
i used up all my flex money for the year from my
flex account even though i only paid two months
on it
it was for $1500
they had to eat all that money
take that you jerks
yes its legal to do that)
i made the mistake of calling then once
man they are rude
even said some bad words as i laid the phone down
didnt know i had not disconnected the phone
i think they make it difficult to work the system
they deny claims it seems randomly
like they always deny our dental claim
no i send to them
we dont have dental insurance
since we come out ahead by not having it
and using our flex card to pay our dental bill
that is if you would ever pay the dang bill
like you are suppose to
then ive noticed that as it gets closer to the end of the year
they seem to do more denying claims
hoping i guess that you want refile
well they dont know me i guess
so i had $95 left in the account
and only 2 weeks left to use it up
with no expected medical bills left to pay
so
i scrounged around looked on the internet again
what can i deduct
there it was
medical mileage to and from the dentist doctor hospital
pharmacy physical therapy etc
so since i go to dallas twice a year
thats 180 miles x 2 x $0.235/mile = $82.8 i could deduct
for that trip
so i added on two trips to the doctor last year
to get my $95+
i always throw in extra since they try to get out of paying for
one of them
so i faxed it in
denied
so i redid it and faxed it in
denied
went on their website and found this form for challenging a denial
denied
so i was getting mad now
theres no way i was calling them again
so i found another form and faxed it in
claim approved it said
checks in the mail
so i won at least i feel like i won
but i shoudnt have to work so hard to win
now dont yall let those guys keep your money
the organicgreen doctor
the flex account was designed to allow you to take money
out of your pay check tax free
to use for medical expenses or daycare expenses
the higher your tax bracket the higher the amount you save
so if you max it out at $2500
your bracket is 30%
you save $750 in taxes
your bracket is 20%
you save $500
if your bracket is 10%
you save $250
it seems worthwhile to me to do it
so
last year we put back $1800
based on our estimated medical and dental expenses
so
we saved at 20% tax bracket
$360 in taxes
so this should be a no brainer thing to do
straight forward it should be
we use a flex card thats hooked to a mastercard
just slide it through and make the payment
for services rendered
its all done electronically
quick easy simple
right
wrong
how do they make a lot of money those flex guys
they hope you dont figure out how the system works
so at the end of year if you have money left
and
if you dont use it they get to keep it
and
apparently thats what a lot of people do
but not me no the ogd does not leave that money on
the table
(heres a secret way to win against them
i did it because they made me mad
when i knew i was leaving my practice
i used up all my flex money for the year from my
flex account even though i only paid two months
on it
it was for $1500
they had to eat all that money
take that you jerks
yes its legal to do that)
i made the mistake of calling then once
man they are rude
even said some bad words as i laid the phone down
didnt know i had not disconnected the phone
i think they make it difficult to work the system
they deny claims it seems randomly
like they always deny our dental claim
no i send to them
we dont have dental insurance
since we come out ahead by not having it
and using our flex card to pay our dental bill
that is if you would ever pay the dang bill
like you are suppose to
then ive noticed that as it gets closer to the end of the year
they seem to do more denying claims
hoping i guess that you want refile
well they dont know me i guess
so i had $95 left in the account
and only 2 weeks left to use it up
with no expected medical bills left to pay
so
i scrounged around looked on the internet again
what can i deduct
there it was
medical mileage to and from the dentist doctor hospital
pharmacy physical therapy etc
so since i go to dallas twice a year
thats 180 miles x 2 x $0.235/mile = $82.8 i could deduct
for that trip
so i added on two trips to the doctor last year
to get my $95+
i always throw in extra since they try to get out of paying for
one of them
so i faxed it in
denied
so i redid it and faxed it in
denied
went on their website and found this form for challenging a denial
denied
so i was getting mad now
theres no way i was calling them again
so i found another form and faxed it in
claim approved it said
checks in the mail
so i won at least i feel like i won
but i shoudnt have to work so hard to win
now dont yall let those guys keep your money
the organicgreen doctor
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
herbal medicine
HERBAL MEDICINE
i take aricept (donepezil) for possible alzheimers disease
and have been on it for almost 4 years
the thinking is that by starting it early in the disease process
it will have its greater effect
the later you start it the less effective it is
there is so much damage done upstairs that nothing helps much
as it progresses
and
sad to say never will either even when they get a cure or treatment
the aricept causes a decrease in an enzyme called acetycholinesterase
which causes a rise in the chemical acetylcholine
which sits in the nerve cell connections in the brain and
elsewhere
the aricept then causes an increase in acetylcholine
which makes the brain cells work better
even the damaged one work better
so aricept is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor
this causes the side effects we see with this medicine
sleep problems leg cramps vivid dreams dizziness blurred vision
hyperalertness after taking restless sleep stomach issues
now i would say the worst side effect i have is the sleep one
my wife says im restless when i sleep
i wimper some time
heck i even hit the bedside table once and bruised my hand
when i was fighting off an attacker one night
in my dreams that was
i lose about two hours sometimes three each night
because of this side effect
eg last night i went to bed at 900pm and was wide awake
at 230am
i get up have my two cups of coffee
then later in the morning around 600am i take my aricept
on a full stomach
the coffee and the aricept keeps me perky and alert
until about 100pm then i start getting real tired and sleepy
thank goodness i am retired and get lay down for a nap
usually a 2 hour one so i can gain back those two hours i lost
the night before
i have even stopped my aricept for a period of time and my
sleep pattern returns back to its normal 7 hours
i feel good and need a short nap in the afternoon
now i have been known for years and years for
falling asleep on people when they came to visit
so i cant blame that on the aricept
ive tried a lot of prescription meds
the ones i gave folks when i was in practice for sleep
that all seem to have the opposite effect on me
real restless and cant sleep like i drank a ton of coffee
ive not taken ambien and the newer ones since there
are concerns about its safety
i personally at my stage am not worried about drug addiction
i even tried some edible marijuana which made me feel
like the prescription sleeping aids
benadryl works well at a low dose although it leaves
me tired the next day
and
it counteracts the effects of the aricept so the two arent
supposed to be used together
so each day i get 10 articles on alzheimers disease to my email
there was one about an indian herbal root that was used in
alzheimers research that may help in alzheimers disease
in rat studies the amount of that bad stuff beta amyloid in
the brain goes down
and the rats did better on memory tests when they took the
herbal medicine
i always wondered how they tested their memory
i know they cant draw a clock or spell world backwards or
count from 100 by substracting 7
so i went to the national standard website and read about it
it is also used for anxiety and calming folks down
and
its used for sleep
and
it also acts just like aricept does
as a acetylcholinesterase inhibitor
could this be the answer
so i went to the herbal vitamin store
now im not going to give the name of the herb
since i as a doctor read up on it and was well aware of the
potential side effects
it causes the blood pressure to go down and im on meds for that
it could potentiate the effects of the aricept
i dont want folks going out and just buying this stuff and
using it
so the night before as i layed down to read my book
i got my glass of water and took my first pill
started to read my book
then the next i know its 7 hours later
i woke up feeling real groggy
so i made my coffee and after drinking my first cup
it was all gone and i felt great
all day i did
however
theres always a however
i had the most disturbing dream ive had since i have been
on aricept
then at nap time it was even more disturbing
so i skipped the pill the next night
but the dreams were still disturbing
then i didnt take any more pill and the disturbingness of the
dreams have gradually faded a lot
heck last night a lot of relatives came to visit us
we lived at my moms and dads house
they all flew in on a helicopter piloted by my younger brothers
son in law
yes my younger brother who died recently from alzheimers
disease and my mom who died also with it was in my dreams
my brother an avid outdoorsman was helping to negotiate
a small but flooded river in a motorboat
now that one wasnt disturbing
it was good to see him again with his smile
he seemed the same as before he was diagnosed
the same with my mom
so i guess the point im making
is just because something is a herb doesnt make it not
have potential side effects
and can and probably will interfere with your prescription
medications
nationalstandard.com
so discuss it with your doctor
they probably want know most of the side effects though
so go to the
national standard website
https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements.aspx
and
look for what the herbs potential side effects are
me
im going back to my good ole vivid nondisturbing dreams
and
will continue to nap each afternoon to regain my
lost hours of sleep
the organicgreen doctor
i take aricept (donepezil) for possible alzheimers disease
and have been on it for almost 4 years
the thinking is that by starting it early in the disease process
it will have its greater effect
the later you start it the less effective it is
there is so much damage done upstairs that nothing helps much
as it progresses
and
sad to say never will either even when they get a cure or treatment
the aricept causes a decrease in an enzyme called acetycholinesterase
which causes a rise in the chemical acetylcholine
which sits in the nerve cell connections in the brain and
elsewhere
the aricept then causes an increase in acetylcholine
which makes the brain cells work better
even the damaged one work better
so aricept is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor
this causes the side effects we see with this medicine
sleep problems leg cramps vivid dreams dizziness blurred vision
hyperalertness after taking restless sleep stomach issues
now i would say the worst side effect i have is the sleep one
my wife says im restless when i sleep
i wimper some time
heck i even hit the bedside table once and bruised my hand
when i was fighting off an attacker one night
in my dreams that was
i lose about two hours sometimes three each night
because of this side effect
eg last night i went to bed at 900pm and was wide awake
at 230am
i get up have my two cups of coffee
then later in the morning around 600am i take my aricept
on a full stomach
the coffee and the aricept keeps me perky and alert
until about 100pm then i start getting real tired and sleepy
thank goodness i am retired and get lay down for a nap
usually a 2 hour one so i can gain back those two hours i lost
the night before
i have even stopped my aricept for a period of time and my
sleep pattern returns back to its normal 7 hours
i feel good and need a short nap in the afternoon
now i have been known for years and years for
falling asleep on people when they came to visit
so i cant blame that on the aricept
ive tried a lot of prescription meds
the ones i gave folks when i was in practice for sleep
that all seem to have the opposite effect on me
real restless and cant sleep like i drank a ton of coffee
ive not taken ambien and the newer ones since there
are concerns about its safety
i personally at my stage am not worried about drug addiction
i even tried some edible marijuana which made me feel
like the prescription sleeping aids
benadryl works well at a low dose although it leaves
me tired the next day
and
it counteracts the effects of the aricept so the two arent
supposed to be used together
so each day i get 10 articles on alzheimers disease to my email
there was one about an indian herbal root that was used in
alzheimers research that may help in alzheimers disease
in rat studies the amount of that bad stuff beta amyloid in
the brain goes down
and the rats did better on memory tests when they took the
herbal medicine
i always wondered how they tested their memory
i know they cant draw a clock or spell world backwards or
count from 100 by substracting 7
so i went to the national standard website and read about it
it is also used for anxiety and calming folks down
and
its used for sleep
and
it also acts just like aricept does
as a acetylcholinesterase inhibitor
could this be the answer
so i went to the herbal vitamin store
now im not going to give the name of the herb
since i as a doctor read up on it and was well aware of the
potential side effects
it causes the blood pressure to go down and im on meds for that
it could potentiate the effects of the aricept
i dont want folks going out and just buying this stuff and
using it
so the night before as i layed down to read my book
i got my glass of water and took my first pill
started to read my book
then the next i know its 7 hours later
i woke up feeling real groggy
so i made my coffee and after drinking my first cup
it was all gone and i felt great
all day i did
however
theres always a however
i had the most disturbing dream ive had since i have been
on aricept
then at nap time it was even more disturbing
so i skipped the pill the next night
but the dreams were still disturbing
then i didnt take any more pill and the disturbingness of the
dreams have gradually faded a lot
heck last night a lot of relatives came to visit us
we lived at my moms and dads house
they all flew in on a helicopter piloted by my younger brothers
son in law
yes my younger brother who died recently from alzheimers
disease and my mom who died also with it was in my dreams
my brother an avid outdoorsman was helping to negotiate
a small but flooded river in a motorboat
now that one wasnt disturbing
it was good to see him again with his smile
he seemed the same as before he was diagnosed
the same with my mom
so i guess the point im making
is just because something is a herb doesnt make it not
have potential side effects
and can and probably will interfere with your prescription
medications
nationalstandard.com
so discuss it with your doctor
they probably want know most of the side effects though
so go to the
national standard website
https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements.aspx
and
look for what the herbs potential side effects are
me
im going back to my good ole vivid nondisturbing dreams
and
will continue to nap each afternoon to regain my
lost hours of sleep
the organicgreen doctor