alzheimers news-what would they say

ALZHEIMERS NEWS-WHAT WOULD THEY SAY

recently i ran across this article on
what would an alzheimers patient say to you
if you were caring for them as we approach the new year

for some reason as i read it it resonated with me

recently for multiple reasons i went off my aricept (donepezil)
one was a severe case of nausea that lasted for several days
i just couldnt tolerate taking the donepezil
it just made it worse

i know i know
ive written and have said so in my talks
dont let your loved ones go off their aricept (donepezil)
why
if they stay off too long
the benefit you gain from taking it gets lost
restarting it again
they dont return to the level of memory they were at
ie
they are worse

that warning rang in my head for two weeks
until i restarted it

so what did i notice

i started noticing subtle things that got a little worse
after a couple of weeks
i definitely was noticing i was missing things
not recalling conversations
it was a little disconcerting to me

what i wonder would i be like right now if i wasnt
ever put on the aricept (donepezil) 6 years ago
would i be worse off
i think i would

then
i returned back on the aricept (donepezil)
there they were again
just like 6 years ago
all those side effects
the vertigo like feeling all day
the blurred vision with movements of the head
trouble focusing
nausea much worse than usual
leg cramps
fatigue
sleep disturbances worse than usual
more vivid dreams

then
all of this got better
it took about 2 more weeks for this to happen
now
i seem to be leveled off in regards to the side effects
back to where i was a month ago
my memory seems slightly better than it was a few weeks
ago
but
as documented on memory tests
its below where it should be for my age

so
for me this transition off the meds
then back on
well
it was a scary one sort of
i realize what may be under all the effects of this medicine
that it is making a difference
and
im not ever going to stop it again
no matter what

so i realize that for me
this study i am trying to get on
the aducanumab study
its almost imperative i get on it
since there is not a better option for me and others like me
out there
that we can access right now

now there are a lot of potential things in the works
but
i am afraid like others that our train has left the tracks
for getting benefit from those

our hope lies in this one

i should know soon whether i get to move forward
if accepted i should receive my first of 48 monthly infusions
within six weeks

now back to that article
here is the link

if you are caring for someone with memory loss
or
will be in the future
then
read this
and
remember what they want you to know
as you care for them

the organicgreen doctor

country n news-winter gardening

COUNTRY N NEWS-WINTER GARDENING

last may
the school i have helped some with their gardening
was getting its garden cleaned up for the summer
any plants left in the garden wouldnt get watered
or cared for
so if you wanted a plant you could dig it up
so
after the students parents and other teachers got what
they wanted
what was left was two peppers
one a jalapeno
the other a bell pepper

so
i dug em up
dumped em into a 5 gallon bucket with holes in the bottom
i then placed em on the patio with 5 other 5 gallon buckets
growing different plants like tomatoes swiss chard kale
peppers

now
this bell pepper liked it there
so all summer and fall
it grew bell peppers
but
well
these were different looking
at first i thought they had stayed on the vine too long
and
had rotted

nope
they were just chocolate bell peppers
no
they dont taste like chocolate
i just pretend they do
they are just dark brown in color

when the cold spell hit recently
i moved my peppers into my small greenhouse for the winter
it gets the south sun
and
has a heater in it set on 50 degrees

well
that chocolate bell pepper
loves that greenhouse
as does a juliet tomato

these will be adorning a salad soon
in the country n kitchen

thanks to the phe school for donating the plant

later as i was walking around our property
my wife she said
you know the jonquils are blooming

so i went over to see for myself
not in december i said to myself

yep she was right huh

egg update
the added light in the early morning
plus
adding 4 new laying chickens
seem to have stimulated the older chickens
to get going
i guess they didnt want those youngens to
outdo those old ladies
our egg production has increased dramatically this last week

the organicgreen doctor

it was painful to watch

IT WAS PAINFUL TO WATCH
later
someone asked me
what do you think

all i could say was
it was painful real painful to watch

my wife she and i only go to one movie theater
to watch movies
its called the alamo drafthouse

why
you can go there
sit in nice seats
eat a nice meal
have a glass of wine
and
not have anyone disturb you

since
if someone does
as they say right before the movie comes on
we will kick your ass out
they mean it

now as we watched the movie
well folks were noisy
sobbing
i was one of them
then
there was this occasionally nervous laughter
but
mostly sobbing

yes it was painful to watch


the movie
manchester by the sea

my wife she had seen it at a festival
got to listen to the director and writer talk after the movie
even shook his hand and hugged him
after seeing the movie
i would have hugged him too

it was painful to watch
oh i said that once already didnt i

well it was true

as i watched
the pain just oozed from the screen
it was hard to watch
mainly because of all those tears in my eyes
that made it hard to focus

all i could think was
you have to walk in ones shoes to understand them

also
painful some real painful memories came flooding
into my brain

the death of my mom and her painful to us final course
the death of my younger brother
his death seemed so unfair
the death of my first patient
the death of my first pediatric patient who i had got so
close to over a short period of time
the flood of the memory of seeing his story on tv one night
several years later
the death of my first infant that i had cared for her mom in
the pregnancy
the death of a young close friend

all these things came flooding back into my brain

i guess thats why this movie grabs folks so hard when
they see it

these are the movies that should be made
everyone should go see it
its sort of cathartic in a way
my experiences werent as bad as his i think

this is a movie you should go see

this is a movie you will not want to go and see twice

i dont think i could do it again

it was just so painful to watch

the organicgreen doctor

dear ms b-a christmas story

DEAR MS B-A CHRISTMAS STORY

now ms b
i saw you in those pictures with all those toys
well there were pieces of toys
all i could think of is
i sure hope momma and daddy dont make you pick up
all those pieces every day
plus
all i could think of is
getting up some early morning
walking sleepy headed barefooted to the coffee pot
stepping on a tcup a lego
ouch is not what i would say
but
i sure can tell you enjoyed all those toys
actually things like leggos are good for you
to play with
but
bad for daddys feet

now ms b
i knew what i really wanted for christmas
no i got my two front teeth last year
those implant thangs

i started to sneak off
and
just buy what i really wanted for christmas
but
the place we get them
well its an hour away
the traffic is horrendous to get there
there is lots lots of construction
i guess i decided i would rather do without
than
fight through that maize to get there

so the day before christmas
gma was going to sneak my christmas presents home
while i was driving my meals on wheels route
but
it was canceled so i zipped home
and
there in the kitchen was this big old red box
with holes on the side

now
being a country boy at heart
i knew exactly what was in that box

your gma
she done come through again
reading my mind what i really wanted for christmas

well what we really wanted was to spend christmas with you
but
if i couldnt do that
then
below is what i wanted for christmas

you see ours had gotten old
i think they were all menopausal
ready for the ...
no we wont go there

so
as i saw these
i knew i was going to have a good christmas
like you had

come visit and you can feed them
eat their eggs

you see ms b
your gma and i are easy to please
for christmas

the organicgreen doctor

alzheimers news-good for heart good for brain

ALZHEIMERS NEWS-GOOD FOR HEART GOOD FOR BRAIN

when i was diagnosed six years ago
well it is about 6 years ago
when i was diagnosed
i never returned to practice
after that fateful neurology appointment
giving me my diagnosis
and
that prescription for aricept (donnepezil)
the drug used to treat alzheimers patients when they
were first diagnosed

at the time i was using diet and exercise
to control my blood pressure and my cholesterol
but
it really wasnt getting the two where they needed to be
close real close
but
as i read more and more about maintaining all those healthy things
one was to do for slowing down alzheimers
it was obvious to me
that i need to be more aggressive in controlling
my blood pressure
my cholesterol

so i finally gave in
i eventually got on an arb angiotensin receptor blocker blood pressure pill
that research showed to be the better one for using
in folks at risk for alzheimers disease
its working keeping my blood pressure where it needs to be

then
i began attacking my cholesterol
since reading more on the apoe 4 gene that i have
i realize that a high cholesterol was part of that genes effect
so
i was placed on an aggressive statin treatment for my cholesterol
my insurance chose generic lipitor for me
since they always know whats best for patients
right
but in a recent study done looking at the statins
it worked as well if not better than the others
but the difference wasnt much between the different statins
the risk of alzheimers in white males was decreased
by 17% by atorvastatin the generic lipitor

all this adds to the saying
whats good for the heart is good for the brain

in a study done overseas in europe
there was a 40% decrease in alzheimers risk in the population
by a lifetime of doing all those healthy things we are
suppose to be doing every day

so
my plan is
stay on my atorvastatin
say on my arb blood pressure med
keep taking all my reversal of cognitive decline supplements
continue eating and living healthy
protecting my
heart
and
my brain

and you
what are you doing for your brain

the organicgreen doctor

country n news-sweet

COUNTRY N NEWS-SWEET

sweet
thats the best word i can think of to describe
the taste
the flavor
of this red juicy fruit

this is the lastest we have ever been able to eat
them from the garden

this all started back in july
it was hotter than hell
the student hs helped me prep the garden and plant them

i covered them with a solar screen during the hot times
of the summer
through july august into late september
they spent time under that solar screen
then
before we harvested them in november
they spent time under thick row cover
to keep them warm when those freezing nights
down to the upper twenties happened

now a few got nipped on the edges of the garden
but down deep in the vines there were a lot of
larger green tomatoes

i had chose to not stake my tomatoes
but to leave them lying on the ground
all in a wad
so they would be less likely to freeze

i kept them watered this whole time
with a drip system of rainwater from my rainwater tanks
located up the yard which is about a 3 foot drop in elevation
dripping slowly on the surface
then
as the roots got deeper i watered them in 5 gallon buckets
with holes in the bottom and holes in a circle about
10 inches deep
these buckets were buried between each tomato
so each had its own bucket
so the water and liquid fertilizer molasses seaweed mix
could be slowly dripped deep to these roots

then
in november we harvested them
wrapped them in newspaper
pulling them out a few at at time when they become ripe
as we needed them

then
now 3 days before christmas
a record for us
my wife she harvested all of them from the box of
newspaper wrapped ripe red tomatoes
cut them into slices
put them in containers
for their final journey from that garden space
to our palates

yesterday
i took these from one of several containers we have
now in the frig
grabbed a handful
put them on a plate
sprinkled them lightly with salt
then
slowly
took each piece
placed it in my mouth
on my tongue
sucked out all the juices
swallowed them
then chewed
and
swallowed what was left

you know like a true
tomato sommelier

im sorry
but
these are the best tasting tomatoes
we have ever grown

sorry
we dont plan to share these

the organicgreen doctor

its quirky

ITS QUIRKY
most of us have heard this word before
you know like
he is kinda quirky

we know what that means
hes ok just well different
maybe not right all the way

cnn.com

well
quirky
thats what i call our electoral system

ive really not thought about it that much
since the electoral thing just sort of happens
and
is barely mentioned in the press
or
by others

well
enter the different 2016
we heard a lot about our electoral system
too much
i must add

let see
so we all vote for president
for the person who we think will do the best job
if our person wins we are happy

well
it seems we arent really voting for that person
we are voting for an electoral person
who could be a mayor a taxi driver a teacher a preacher
a doctor a pharmacist an electrician a plumber etc

then
this person we voted for
not the person we really want to be president
they are suppose to vote for the person that we wanted
in the first place

well it seems its
wink wink
they can vote who they dang well please

now
that seems like a fair system to me

it seems the founders who thought up this system
didnt really feel like us common folk knew how to
vote for the president
that should be done by these
electors

so this year
what a mess
2 republican electors didnt vote for trump
4 democratic electors didnt vote for clinton
so all those thousands who were voting for trump or clinton
well their vote really didnt count
did it
they were really voting for bernie or ron paul
or kasich
well whoever the electoral person wanted to vote for

if i had been an electoral person
thats who i would have voted for
donald

no not that one
donald duck
a no nonsense get it done type

so
thats why i call our electoral system
quirky
it somehow not right

so
when you or i go to vote for the president
well
that should be it
whoever wins wins

i think its time we get this quirkiness
out of our presidential election
its archaic at best

the organicgreen voter

dear ms b-its really your first

DEAR MS B-ITS REALLY YOUR FIRST

now ms b
you were around last christmas
but
well it wasnt the same

you werent running around
grabbing
touching
feeling
looking all wide eye
last year

well
im sure you enjoyed it
in your carrier way
but
this year
its sort of explosive
all those lights those colors those packages

we brought you a box of goodies
when we came to visit a few weeks ago
you enjoyed pulling the stuff out of the box
but
what did you enjoy the most

now kids sometimes like simple things more than
things that are expensive
and
things we think they want

well what did you do
well
you were like a cat
in and out of the big box
playing in it
letting us push you around the room in that
big ole box
with your laugh
your big bright wide open eyes
loving every minute of it

then
you would get out and push that box
around and around the house

such simple fun
such simple joy

is there a lesson for us to learn here
simple may be better

youd rather i think play with pots and pans
and
plastic lids and plastic tubs
than any of your toys
add to that that big ole box
you are one happy little girl

my type of person
simple things
simple fun

may you have a merry first real christmas this week

love

the organicgreen granddaddy

alzheimers news-am i in

ALZHEIMERS NEWS-AM I IN

this last friday
as my wife she and i were driving up to dallas
to the alzheimers center to begin this journey
hopefully
to get a new treatment for alzheimers disease
that may slow it down or if we are all lucky
stop it in its tracks

i did a lot of contemplating as i drove north
thinking back over the last 6 years
when
we made this same journey to the center
then
i was simply volunteering to be in the normal control group
of the large alzheimers study
alzheimers disease neuroimaging initiative phase 2

i was simply going up
to do my part to further our knowledge of what happens
in alzheimers
and
at the same time start a monitoring process for myself
since
it runs so strongly in our family

friday
as i sat in the same damn chair that i sat in
6 years ago when all this happened
i looked out the window
well the blinds were closed

in my reoccurring dream i have about this
there is a large tree growing up to the 4th floor outside
this window
in my dream it is a sycamore tree
i think because my grandparents one who had dementia
had a huge sycamore tree in their yard
and
i use to climb on it as a kid

all that really is there is just the windows of a building

but as i sat down to take the memory test friday
the same tester was giving the test that gave me the first one
i said you know in my dreams there is a big tree out there
she smiled that sweet smile of hers

now 6 years ago
i was broadsided by failing my memory test
ive done the thing so many times now
i know the parts i cant do very well
interesting is
some of the parts i have gotten better at
some i dont do as well

now
this study is called the aducanumab study
by the company biogen
of all the drugs out there right now
it has the most promising chance of being successful

i have had my eye on this study now for several years
well
i have fought hard to get into it
knowing that this could be my last chance to
plug into one of these new drugs
if i wait too much longer
i may to late for them to do any good
so
i know its now or never for me

now i continue to do all the healthy things i should be
doing
the same ones that all of you who read this should be doing
control blood pressure cholesterol weight
do exercise eat right get sleep avoid stress etc

all those no matter what i will keep doing
oh if you are genetically kin to me you should be aggressively
doing the same
since this drug is really meant for those of you
who have no symptoms but are going to get alzheimers

yes i was a little bit nervous
its like a terminal cancer patient
getting this glimmer of hope
from a new research drug
that will slow down the cancer or cure it

this is what this study means to me

so here we go

we arrived there at 930am and left there at 200pm
with no downtime

first
we met with the screening nurse
who went over the lengthy protocol with us
who went over my medical history with us
who took my vital signs weight etc

then
second
they drew some blood
well a lot of blood
i think i counted 10 vials of blood
its 2/3 of a can of soda
now i didnt faint
but
i need to eat a lot of iron foods for awhile to build
my blood back up
its almost like donating a unit of blood

they are testing cbc chemistries ua all kinds of biomarkers
genetic tests dna and rna studies etc
even saving some for perpetuity
in case its needed for more research some day

i realize i have my blood stored all over the place
across the usa

then
third
since i didnt pass out
i was able to proceed to the next testing
the much dreaded memory testing
it took about an hour
i did parts of the mmse memory test
some components of the moca test
and
a new test thats used specifically for this study

to get in this study
i have to be in the upper part of the mmse
but
must have difficulty with parts of the short term memory part
that correlates with mild cognitive impairment amnestic type
the stage right before alzheimers disease

knowing what i know from taking these things
i passed the mmse and will qualify based on how i felt i did
i had difficulty with the parts of the test that is correlating
with what i have noticed in my day to day life
which is what they are looking for

so far after these three things i feel like i am qualifying
for the study

then
fourth
i underwent answering questions on my memory
by a alzheimers center interviewer
comparing what my wife she has told them
to what i say

first question
do you have memory issues
the answer
yes
granted its subtle probably not recognizable to most
folks who know me

then
fifth
i underwent a lengthy neurological history and examination
by the main investigator at the alzheimers center for
this aducanumab study
he was good at picking out the parts of my history and exam
that correlates with my memory loss

so
at the end of the day
how do i feel about my chances of getting past this step
i feel like i met the criteria
unless something is hidden in the labs somewhere

all this information is sent to the biogen folks
to review
they make the final decision

if they say ok
then
i have an mri of the brain
if i pass that one
i have a amyvid pet scan for the bad beta amyloid
the test that is missing from all that i have had done

the one
that i feel will give me my final answer
the one
that will provide me with what i need to plan
the rest of my life

fingers crossed

the organicgreen doctor

alzheimers news-todays the day

ALZHEIMERS NEWS-TODAYS THE DAY

two weeks ago the alzheimers vaccine study on solanezumab came out
the results werent promising
however there was a 15% improvement noted in those folks
with mild alzheimers disease
this vaccine an antibody against beta amyloid doesnt go after the
plaques that form from beta amyloid in the brain
my drug does though
also
it appears that for this stuff or any new alzheimers drug to be
effective
it has to be used in folks like me with minimal disease
or
those folks like some of you that have prodromal alzheimers
ie
you just dont have symptoms yet but the disease process is
going on and has been for several years

once you get full blown alzheimers disease it may be too late
for a treatment

the solanezumab study called a4 results will be out in a few years
its on prodromal folks

if any of  you saw the 60 minutes show on alzheimers disease
that was a story of using one of these drugs called crenezumab
in a large extended family of folks in colombia who will get
alzheimers since they carry the dominant alzheimers gene

this one works more like the one thats being used in the study
i have been trying to get in

well
todays that day
i passed hurtle number one
i got past the nurse screener
i have been accepted to enter the prescreening part of their study
on
aducanumab

this one i think is the most promising of all the drugs so far

npr article on aducanumab

this last week at a large alzheimers conference in san diego
the data from its phase 1 study was discussed

in folks with minimal symptoms
like me
not only did the beta amyloid get removed from the brain plaques
and the cs fluid around the brain
but
folks memory stayed the same or got better
the placebo folks who didnt get the drug
their memories deteriorated

there is a memory test commonly used in doctors offices
called the mmse
you get a score of 0-30
placebo folks deteriorated almost 2 points
treated folks didnt change or declined much slower
based on which dose of the drug they got

so for me i would accept no change or mild decline

the alternative to doing nothing
well
thats not good
its real bad

so today i get started on several more hurtles

today
my wife she and i make the trip to dallas
to the alzheimers center at ut southwestern
to start my journey
one i have been hoping for for 6 years now

it starts with an interview with the research nurse
asking me and my wife she lots of questions
all 1000+ of us in this national study go through the same thing

then
this visit or maybe the next visit if i pass this one
i get a lot of blood drawn
240 ml or 8 oz

then
i undergo that torture test
called neuropsych testing
which includes the mmse and other memory tests that the study is using

then
i undergo a neurological history and examination by the
studys primary investigator
a neurologist

then
this data is sent off to biogen the maker of the aducanumab drug
to decide if i go further in the study

if declined i will have an amyvid pet scan done privately
and
will move on with my life
looking for a another promising treatment
as
the clocks ticking on me

if i am accepted
i move to a spinal tap for beta amyloid and the tau protein
mri
genetic testing

if i am accepted based on these results
then i get the final test
the amyvid or amyloid pet scan
it will tell if i have the amyloid accumulated in the brain
if positive
im in
and
that means i know i have alzheimers disease for sure
well as sure as one can know without an autopsy of the brain

then
i will start infusions monthly
of a placebo ie water
or
the real deal

i have a 67% chance of getting the real deal
i have a 33% chance of getting the placebo

sorry i want the real deal
but
if i dont after 18 months or so they will switch me over to the real deal
for a total of 4 1/2 years of infusions

i do realize since i have the apoe 4/apoe4 gene
i have an almost 40% chance of having significant side effects
mainly headaches if i get the higher dose of the
drug
luckily few people have had to stop the study from these side effects

if it works
its all worth it

the real deal please

the organicgreen doctor

country n news-a new garden

COUNTRY N NEWS-A NEW GARDEN

a few weeks ago i planted my salad greens
a mixture of lettuces
that produces a mix like that lettuce mix you buy
in the grocery store

its a multicolor multishaped mixture of lettuces
also just next to this i had planted and seeded spinach
two different types

so
when the lettuce spinach gets large enough to eat
i get my garden scissors out
and
mow them down to about 2 inches

this week i got one of those plastic bags they give you
at the store
filled it full of lettuce spinach swiss chard kale
thats enough salad stuff to last us about 2 weeks or so

whats left is a bed of stubs thats about 2 inches long
soon though
new leaves will develop and grow
so
in about 2-3 weeks
we will do this again
mow down to 2 inches the lettuces and spinach
but usually not the kale or swiss chard
we do those a leaf at a time
sometimes we let those two grow into large leaves
to use in a pot of greens

so for just the cost of a pack of lettuce seeds
you can have lettuce all winter long until the
spring when it gets too hot

if bare spots develop i just reseed the bare areas

at our latest habitat house that we built
the homeowner wanted a veggie garden
so
i found all these concrete blocks from former work sites
used the soil left over from making her bed in front
of her house for her shrubs
i added compost and cottonseed meal

this is what the garden looks like
we planted it yesterday for her

she has now growing
broccoli swiss chard kales three types spinach lettuce
garlic 1015 onions
we seeded carrots spinach and lettuce also

thats enough veggie stuff to provide greens and salad
stuff for her new house this winter

all she had to do is provide water

next spring
she can plant a spring crop of stuff
like peppers tomatoes egg plant beans etc

welcome to your new house i told her

the organicgreen doctor

balance

BALANCE

cnn.com

i think its better for our country
when one of the parties
has the presidency
and
one of the houses of congress
but
not all three

definitely not have the presidency
and
neither of the houses of congress
thats called stagnation
nothing gonna get done

now
when one of the party has all three
then you can get total dominance by that party

however
like with obamas first term
they controlled all three
however
although they did manage to get things done
there was still an anchor
on that big ship
that kept it slowed down

that anchor was
they didnt have the 60 votes to run things through the senate
that anchor sort of kept things
well honest if you will
kept the ship slowed down some

now he has control of congress and the presidency
starting in january
however
like obama said in an interview this week
the government is like a big ole aircraft carrier
not a speed boat
its not easy to slow it down and turn it around

yes there will be this anchor that slows it down
well keeps one side from going too far
which is never good for us

that anchor is the senate
it will be 52-48 if the votes follow party lines

so
in congress if you want to get something done
you
well you have to compromise to get those 60 votes

its interesting if your are in control
you dont like that 60 vote thing
but
if you lose the election
well
you are for it

all i can say is thank goodness for that anchor
someone somewhere knew what they were doing

yes
there is a good chance some of his nominees wont make
it through congress because of this anchor

you cant have all foxes guarding all of the henhouses
like
the former governor of texas as head of a department
that he couldnt remember the name of in the debates
a department he wanted to eliminate
energy

he may be the number one fox thats appointed

when you look at the constitution
well if you read it
those writers were pretty smart guys
putting in all those controls on government
that has stood the test of time

anchors away

the organicgreen doctor

dear ms b-its good for you

DEAR MS B-ITS GOOD FOR YOU

 

this picture above
well it says it all
that stuff in that little shovel we gave you
thats good ole compost
the lifeblood of gardening

it doesnt matter where you live
add compost to your garden soil
it activates all the good germs in the soil
as well as adding all the nutrients a plant needs

so
ms b
off we went to the garden center
you riding in the cart
smelling all those flowers on the plants
as you walked the aisles
touching
smelling
all those veggies and flowers

i could see it in your eyes
you wanted them at your house

so
back to your house
your raised garden bed
it was time for winter planting

first you pull up all the plants that have ran
their course
they are  done for
all that you and your family dont like

then
we add compost
whats that you dont like to get dirty
or
muddy
or
wet

you seem to be a little squeamish there
when we started
but
i sprayed your feet with water
got them muddy
got your hands dirty

you wanted all that wiped off
well
you got fussy
this wasnt something you wanted to do

then
its like a light came on in your little head
you
reached deep into that bag of compost
threw it on the garden

more more you signed and said
you wanted more

so
i handed you the little shovel
into the bag you went
shoveling shovel full of compost
onto the garden
then again and again

then
i opened the bag of cottonseed meal
we would use as a fertilizer
into the bag your little hand went
without any encouragement

i knew then you were there

then
we used our hands and your little rake
to rake all this compost and fertilizer into the soil

then
we dug holes
dropped in the plants
watered them in with your little watering pot
wetting your shoes as you went

none of that seemed to matter
getting muddy and wet and well dirty
you were having fun
digging raking planting watering
a big smile came across your face

more more
you signed and said

yes ms b
there will be more and more
of this in your future
i can guarantee that

its good for you
now dont tell mom and dad
but
i saw you taste that compost
good probiotics there

more more
we your gma and i want more

the organicgreen granddaddy

taped election

TAPED ELECTION
no
he was wrong
it was not a rigged election
but
it was a taped election

now
you see
i am a duct tape aficionado

one of my proudest possessions is
this duct tape chair
my wife she bought it for just a few bucks at a swap meet
it was all torn and raggedy
so
she brought it home

i instantly saw the chair of my dream
my duct tape chair
i used over 2 rolls of black duct tape on it

i have requested
that when i die
that i get buried sitting up in that chair
with
a smile permanently fixed on my face


here i taped up my old beat up wheelbarrow
with duct tape
that was months ago
its still working fine


then
here is donald duck all taped up to a wall
i know some folks i would love to do this to

so there was all this talk about a rigged election
first he said it
then
second her side said it

now my thoughts are this election is over
lets quit all this rigged talks stuff
except
of course
the russian influence thing needs
to be completely checked out
thankfully both sides in congress think so also
finally something they can agree on

so
one of the problems with recounting the votes
in wisconsin
now
quit whining over recounting things
let them recount all they want
the results will be the same

in wisconsin
one county cant be recounted though
well
precinct 1
had a problem
the zipper was broken on the container
so
in an macgyver moment
an official reach down
grabbed a roll of duct tape
taped the edge of the container
to protect the votes

what a great use of a multiuse product
so
i looked in my book
101 uses for duct tape
nope
taping the zipper side of an election box
wasnt in there

nope
the wisconsin election
wasnt rigged
it was duct taped

maybe we could put some over some politicians
and
some commentators mouths while we are at it

you cant get much better protection for an election
than using duct tape

the organicgreen doctor

alzheimers news-bummer well maybe not

ALZHEIMERS NEWS-BUMMER WELL MAYBE NOT

last thursday
thats thanksgiving morning
i was sitting on the front porch where we were staying in nola
thats new orleans
i was drinking my strong morning coffee
since it may slow down alzheimers some
sitting in the morning sun on the cool morning
watching neighborhood folks walking by
some with their dogs
good morning i said
they return the same greeting
warm feeling inside and out i had
then
i started reading my news feed on my cellphone
there it was
solanezumab results are in

i got clammy sweaty i was
my heart rate jumped some
i knew what these results meant for those
with alzheimers disease and those who will get the disease
life changing

there was the word that seemed to hit me in the face
disappointing
the results showed that the drug use in mild alzheimers patients
was disappointing

i felt like i had been slapped upside the head

all the joy i had being in nola
went down the drain
i sat there for a long time
a long time
even let my coffee get cold


then
i felt real anxious anxiety it was
so
i went for a walk by myself in the neighborhood
nearby was a large cemetery
that stays locked at night
but lucky for me i guess the gate was open
so
inside i went
i just felt like i needed to be there
i slowly walked past the above the ground graves
looking at the dates
looking at when the person was born
when they died
wondering what they died from
some died young
some died old
some probably from trauma
some from probably infections
i wondered how many of them had dementia
had alzheimers disease
was it as bad back then

it when i think of it was strange that i was attracted to
that cemetery since i had toured it before

then
i gradually meandered my way back to our place
where we were staying
i felt melancholic all day

then
the next day i got a bad stomach bug
i think the drugs i took for the severe nausea masked
my melancholy
then
after a couple of days the melancholy gradually wore off
thanks
somewhat
as i read more and more about the drug study
and other similar ones
that are ongoing
one of them i am waiting to enter soon

there are 3 drugs called alzheimers vaccines
thats what i call them
they are antibodies against the bad amyloid that is thought to
cause alzheimers disease
they go into the brain and remove the beta amyloid
if it works the persons memory gets better

solanezumab
made by lilly
the first to publish results officially on december 8th
it will show when given to folks with mild alzheimers disease
it didnt work

the more i have read from alzheimers experts
i realize like them that the drug was given too late in the disease

its like giving lipitor a statin to someone with a stroke or
a heart attack
well it aint going to help them
but if given months to years earlier they wouldnt have a stroke or
heart attack
so
the thinking with these alzheimers vaccines

if its given before symptoms start
or
maybe given when
symptoms are minimal like the statin used in stroke prevention
then it might prevent alzheimers disease or at least slow it down

so
solanezumab is being used in a study  called the a4 study
in folks who have no memory loss but who have
a positive amyvid pet scan for the bad beta amyloid in the brain
those results should be out in five or less years

crenezumab
made by genetech
its a similar drug that works the same
but is slightly different
it if you didnt see it was featured on
60 minutes last week
if you are remotely interested in a cure for alzheimers disease
click here to link the video and story 
read and weep
i know my she and i both did

basically in the colombia study the drug is given to folks who have the dominant gene
for alzheimers disease but do not have symptoms yet
they all will get alzheimers disease
they will get the drug for 5 years then the results will be published
if it works it will delay or stop alzheimers from occurring

aducanumab
made by biogene
thats my drug
thats the drug study i have been trying to get in
it works similar but slightly different from the other two

it will be given as a monthly infusion for 4.5 years
to folks like me with minimal symptoms but with
positive memory tests   positive spinal tap results   positive apoe4 gene results
then
finally a positive amyvid pet scan
the scan that shows if you have the bad stuff beta amyloid
ie you are going to get full blown alzheimers
then
you will be given the drug monthly over the above time period
or
get the placebo

i passed the first test
a screening of my medical records my memory tests my apoe4 labs
my spinal tap results shows that i may qualify for the study

then
yesterday i was officially notified that i now will be started in
the screening process for the study
next
my wife she and i go back to dallas to the alzheimers research center
at ut southwestern
to get reinterviewed
to get memory tests required by the study
to get examined by the neurologist running the study there
to get a unit of blood for testing
so
if i pass those tests
then
its a spinal tap
an mri scan
then
if i pass those tests
then
its the anticipated amyvid pet scan
if its positive
which means i have alzheimers disease
then i am in

i would then start infusions monthly of an intravenous infusion of
antibodies against the bad beta amyloid for up to 4.5 years

i will get the drugs or i will like in the crenuzamab study
get the placebo
if i get the placebo in a couple of years i will then be given
the real deal the real drug or up to 2.5  years
by then
they may seek approval for it to be on the market
if it works

this drug in preliminary studies in phase 1 showed
not like the others
showed the bad beta amyloid was removed
and
showed on memory tests that folks memory got better

so i am hoping this stuff works

so my melancholy has been lifted this week
as some hope appears to be that this stuff may work

i have spent every day since last week
thinking a lot about what is happening and is going to happen to me

since i was diagnosed i have lost several people i know
to cancer stroke heart attacks accidents other neurology disease
but
i am still standing living my life as i want to
they
sadly
arent with us anymore

for that that i am still here with mostly intact memory
i am thankful

the organicgreen doctor