New Words

I recently got a new edition of the Dictionary of the Future compiled and edited by Faith Popcorn and Adam Hanft. It made me feel very old and out of date. As the name suggests, it is focused on new words coming into use as new technologies and customs become popular and prevalent in our society. I think the new words are coming thicker and faster now than they did in the past. Life moves at a faster pace, due in large part, to the rapidity of technological innovations.

History is losing it significance as we move farther from it. I hear a lot of mumbling about the lack of skill in methods our grandparents excelled in, like building and farming; even cooking and sewing are a lost art. The need is still present, but it's easier to hire an expert than to do it yourself.

Wisdom or Holy Spirit?

Have you ever been challenged by this question? I made a decision, and now I question my choice. Was it really a wise choice? Am I just troubled because I feel guilty?

I made the decision based on my needs, partly because I'm 80 and partly because I am diabetic. I moved to an area when my youngest daughter lives and she suggested I would be better off here than where I was living. She thought I was doing too much housework and providing care for my disabled daughter at the expense of my own needs. I guess I was. As soon as I moved I needed gall bladder surgery. I would have stalled or denied had I stayed where I was.

My guilt comes from the difficulties my disabled daughter is having. Money, personal care, and loneliness plague her now, and I miss the chance to remedy the situation. The attempt to provide her help with bathing, cooking, and cleaning chores would probably be beyond my ability since I have had 2 strokes since I came here. Now my balance is compromised, I have not fallen, but I stumble a lot and feel very insecure.

I am praying for help from God. I need to be sure she is safe and getting the care she needs. She gets nursing services from a home help agency and her daughter is there to help her with daily care. I suppose I should be satisfied that her needs are being met. I still pray every day for God to intervene and give her comfort and solace.

Now I pray for me to be secure in God's love and relieved of guilt that I am not taking care of things. Maybe if I can get over the idea that I have to fix everything, I will be able to receive His assurance. At least that's what I'm praying will happen.

How I Got Old

When I was 50,  I talked about old age
but I could still run,
and I had a new job.

When I was 60, I retired
But I could still take care of my husband
and I had a new grand child.

When I was 70 the diabetes got worse,
But I could still drive,
And I loved to write poetry.

When I was 80, I had a stroke
but I still lived alone,
and I denied that my memory was getting sketchy.

Now, I am facing 90, and I stagger when I walk,
but God still loves me,
and I'm invited to the wedding of His Son 

Sleepless Everywhere

I recognize many benefits and advantages to getting older. I have few responsibilities for anyone else. I don't have to work anymore. I don't have to clean up after other people. I am my own person. Of course, there are some negatives here, too. I am alone. I don't drive anymore, so I am also stranded. All of these have both negative and positive aspects. The feature that seems to attend aging that bugs me most is sleeplessness.

I can't go to sleep easily anymore. I have decided this may be due to my level of activity. I don't do anything to make me tired anymore. House work, shopping, cleaning, cooking, all those chores that seem so boring provided the energy out-lay that made me value going to bed at night. Knowing that makes it sound like it would be an easy fix: Just work or walk or do something.

It's not that easy. Even walking when there is no where to go is pointless. I have a small apartment. Working in it gets even the vacuuming done quickly. I don't have anyone to cook for so that one is done too easily, too.

I have resorted to the over the counter meds for sleep. Bad news guys. If I take the pills and go to bed at a reasonable time, say 11:00p.m. I'll probable sleep 2 or 2 1/2 hours, Then I wake up and can't go back to sleep till the sun comes up.

The final result of this frustrating regime is constant sleepiness. I could beg the doctor for the Valium or other medication that would really knock me out, but I don't really want to become a drug addict.
I have spoken with other people who are my age, and I find this is rather common. Maybe we could form a support group. We might save all our telephoning for after midnight. At least we could make could use of our time. I have started writing letters when I can't sleep. Makes sense to me. If I can't sleep, at least I have company.

How To Prevent Loneliness and Depression

Strategy # 1

When I get really bored, I read articles from scientific journals. These guys work hard and they face a lot of problems. Give them your support. The one I read this morning was a study on loneliness, isolation and depression in elderly people conducted in Delhi.

I'm not quite sure there are enough common factors to assume the study is applicable to an old woman living in McAllen, Texas, but. what the heck, I'll go with it. The outcome of the study indicated that loneliness and depression increased the likelihood of mortality in the elderly.

Surprise!

Strategy # 2

The study did not give many remedies for this situation. I'll suggest a few. Learn to enjoy the Baseball box scores. Read more comic books. Take up ballroom dancing. You'll always have a partner. Learn doubles tennis: You'll have a partner and someone to play against. So far, I've only offered strategies to prevent reading scientific journals. Of course, some of them will also prevent you from being lonely, but only in select situations.

The bottom line is learn to entertain yourself. Find the books that thrill you even if you've read them before. Play games that are still fun when you loose. Do things it's more fun to do alone, like fly a kite. Read the deeply engrossing things like The Song of Solomon that hold truths you can't explain to anybody else, but you get to turn over and over in your mind to enjoy the different facets.

Strategy # 3

You can also learn to anticipate Heaven. Learn the language of Heaven. Learn to love. Heaven will be populated with love. Revelations is a good start. First, love the people you love; next, love the people you don't love. It takes some effort; work at it. Finally, you have to love the people you don't know, but you love them anyway.

The loving part is the most fun and the most productive.  And you'll never be lonely.

Give Your Brain a Work Out

I hear a lot of ways people, doctors sometimes, offer to avoid AD(Alzheimer's Disease), but I'm not sure any of them really work. One piece of advice is just common sense: 
1. Take care of yourself. Don't get any other disease because it can be the trigger that prompts AD to begin affecting your brain.

2. Another common sense way to avoid AD is continue your active life style. Walk or work out because that insures good blood flow to the brain.

3. Eat well. It insures good nutrition to the brain. Take vitamins if you have to but make sure your brain gets all the essential nutrition.

4. Do hard work with your brain. Work difficult math problems. Learn a new language.Work crossword puzzles--hard ones. 

5. Listen to classical music.

6. Read things that are difficult to understand. You might want to keep a dictionary close. Look up the hard words.

Use your brain. The way to make your body strong is to work it. The same thing goes for your brain. The way to keep it in shape is to work it. All these things I've advised are things that will make new connections in your neurons. It's the number of connections that make you smarter, not the number of neurons. 

Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia?

What is Normal Dementia?

Alzheimer's Disease is a well known and well documented problem of older people. What is the difference between AD and normal dementia?

There is no such thing as normal Dementia. There are some areas of brain activity that reduce or slow down with advanced aging, but Dementia is not normal. Dementia, like Alzheimer's Disease, is a disease. Dementia is not a milder form of Alzheimer's Disease. Indeed, in more advanced stages it is quite as debilitating as AD. Some level of forgetfulness is normal even for a young person, but there are tests to determine if the memory loss is indicative of illness. Strokes sometimes cause similar problems, but with strokes the diagnosis is easier.

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease consists of several symptoms found in a common that usually begin with memory loss, root-finding difficulties, inability to solve problems, and lack of assurance in making decisions. The patients may exhibit dressing apraxia, that is inability to know what pieces of clothing goes on first, or what to wear to bed or to breakfast.

Memory is the first problem many people notice with dementia. Other problems include problems with language, problem solving, and following instructions.

Movement Disorders

Parkinson's Disease is a form of dementia that is caused by the body's inability to produce dopamine. L-dopa is often prescribed for this problem. It begins with movement problems and causes problems with walking, hand movements and voice disruption. Other brain functions may be retained for a long time.

Huntington's Chorea is a disease that has these symptoms. It is inherited and often common in a family as the victims get older. Most of the patient's intellect is preserved until advanced stages. In advance stages the patient may not be able to restrain movement. Writhing and twisting of arms and legs may be constant making it impossible to lie on a bed or sleep normally.

Diagnosis

Sometimes symptoms may present as a side effect of medication. It is wise to make sure the symptoms are not related to medication. The saddest thing about side effects is that the medication was intended to help the patient and instead of helping, it is causing other problems.

With any of these problems, it is best to get a good diagnosis in the beginning. Make sure you know what you are treating.