my story revisited #155-find a purpose

MY STORY REVISITED #155-FIND A PURPOSE

the conference that weekend was full of caregivers and patients
our seminar was filled to the brim with folks
they asked lots of questions
afterwards i spent a long time in the hallway outside the seminar answering more questions
many folk i met that day still follow my blog and occasionally reach out to me

this weekend my panel i am on at the usc facility will be for a slightly different audience
the audience will be mostly medical folks like doctors nurse practitioners physician assistants nurses social workers and administrators
of course some of them will be or are caregivers 

my panel will be couples where one of them have alzheimers disease
i will be on the panel with the couples
my wife she prefers to be in the audience
we will tell our stories and will answer questions from the audience

the conference will be on early diagnosis of alzheimers disease
which i am a big advocate for 
plus
i am the poster child for early diagnosis
and
what benefits there are in getting diagnosed early

i have my #23 aducanumab infusion in 10 days
i am excited to have gotten another 13 months extension of my infusions so ill get about 20 more before this study is done
those results will show how effective the aduhelm really is

the company biogen should have waited until these studies were completed before they tried to get approval for its use
that would have avoided a lot of the problems they encountered getting folks to use this drug
_________
09-22-2014
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
__________


 

you can join and or donate to our organicgreendoctor walk team for the santa barbara walk to end alzheimers on saturday november 5th


here is the link to the conference
i will be on an alzheimers panel for alzheimers los angeles on saturday october 29th
the audience will be medical professionals

the organicgreen doctor