when i lived in austin my rainwater brother and i drove the 7 hours to southern arkansas to visit my younger brother who was in the throes of alzheimers disease
we decided to drive up and spend the day with him
taking him out to eat at one of his favorite restaurants
also relieving at least for one day the need to provide a caregiver for that day
we spent all day with him and the evening with his family
after spending several hours with him i realized how advanced he was in his disease
he wasnt driving
he was doing some of his self care but not doing it well
he could not carry on a conversation with us that made sense
we found we had to protect him several times during the day so he would not harm himself
i think he knew who we were though
it was a somber day
an eye opening day
i felt myself saddened and overwhelmed with emotion on our long trip home
knowing
that in a few years that would be me
if you would have asked me back then where i would be today i would say that would have been me
today
but
so far so good
im actually better now then when i was when i was visiting him
why
those healthy things i listened in that blog that day
is probably why
and
hopefully being able to get the biogen aducanumab long term may make it get delayed even longer
it was sad to read my old blog
for
two years later he was gone
spending the last few weeks in hospice where was able to go peacefully with his family
thats what im hoping for when its my time
XXXX
08-28-2011
MY YOUNGER BROTHER
my rainwater brother and i will be visiting my younger brother
today
i havent written much about him in the past
he is progressing through a health problem that i did not want to
write about without permission from him and his family
i am glad am able to write about him now as he is part of this
alzheimers picture that i may have to deal with
he has alzheimers disease
he was diagnosed several years ago and has gradually progressed
with his disease
he is the mirror at which i see myself in the future
i just dont know how long that will be
im hoping that some of the things im doing will slow the process
down some for a period of time
what may help
controlling blood pressure and lipids
exercise
maintaining a normal weight
maintaining a normal diet and or a
mediterranean diet
being socially active
moderate alcohol intake
controlling diabetes
no smoking
staying mentally active
listening to music or playing a musical instrument
limiting stress
getting adequate sleep
taking aricept
maybe taking axona (smart powder) (alzheimers milkshake) ??
omega 3 fish oil
maybe turmeric acid (curcumin)
maybe vitamin d
although none of this will prevent the disease it may slow slow
slow slow it down some
so i can enjoy the next few years
here he is the face of alzheimers disease
my younger brother was the youngest of 5 boys
you know what his earlier life was like
he was always good at defending himself
(except for the time his historian brother hit him with the piece
off the plow and blooded his face and made him get a lot of stitches
-you can still see the scar-)
he survived his childhood eventually
he spent years as a fireman and retired in his forties
he then worked for several years as a deputy sheriff until his
retirement from that job
he had two drug dogs that traveled with him in remote areas of
southern arkansas
he and the dogs arrested a lot dealers
they were involved in the rescue of a child once who was lost in a
wooden area thanks to the ability of the dogs he had trained
he would get calls frequently to travel to help look for a lost person or
an escaped prisoner
the prisoners usually gave up when the dogs caught them
those who did not suffered if they tried to fight with the dogs
the dogs always won
after his retirement was when things began to unravel
i remember having him help me move my mom from her apartment to
the nursing home
he had difficulty getting the chairs through the door and got lost driving to
the nursing home
it was about this time he had an evaluation and was diagnosed with
alzheimers disease and was placed on aricept
the same medication im on and the same medication our mother was on
his disease has progressed now faster recently it seems
this is such a sad disease
here is a fireman deputy sheriff who built his own house once and who
could take a car motor apart and put it back together
and now
he has difficulties just doing his daily activities at home
he has two daughters and has 3 grand children who love him
his wife works full time and also has started the difficult job of
being a caretaker
the caretakers always get forgotten in all of this
they are lucky in that they live in a small community where people
can help and are usually willing to help
it seems to be part of the culture and nature there to do that
many people with this disease get isolated socially
its less likely to happen there as much as in other places
but it does happen though as
people are afraid of this disease and dont want to look it in the eyes
it is such a sad disease
it devastates the person and his family both emotionally and eventually
financially
one thing ive learned through all this is to seize the moment
the moment is today when we get to see him and spend the day with
his family
whether he knows me and my rainwater brother doesnt really matter
just that he knows that we were there today to visit him
seize the moment before it passes
we love you my younger brother who doesnt deserve this
terrible disease thrust on him and his family
XXXX
the organicgreen doctor
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