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.

Is It Time to Give Up Yet?

Red Neck Time Table

If you are 60 and you haven't grown up--you can quit trying. It's too late.

I disagree! At this time, you may still have 40 years or more to do something good if you shape up and pay attention to your responsibilities. Besides that, the longer our average life extension is the more opportunities the social scientists have to expand the scope of stage development. At this time, George Vaillant identifies a stage beginning in the eighties and nineties.  

More avenues to explore, more things to accomplish, more mountains to climb or, at least view, sounds like it would make for a more interesting and exciting old age. I certainly don't want to quit trying. Sometimes, I want to take it slower and smell the roses, so to speak, but I still want to work at it, to have a product to show for my effort.

If you, like me, have retired from the field of battle, no longer raising kids, going to work, or fighting traffic, don't just lie there. The world is waiting for your input and your joy. NO! It's not time to give up! It's time to relish, to love, to remember, let'em know you were here. It ain't over till it's over.

Happiness Is A Choice

The general perception of old age and getting old is negative.  Old people have diseases; they can't hear or see well; they live in the past; they don't understand the modern world; and they are lonely and isolated.

Some of these are true for some people, but they don't have to be true for you. It's your choice. If you can't see or hear well, you may need help in this area. Good glasses and a hearing aid might help.
Chronic diseases reduce your participation in life activities, but they don't necessarily have to destroy your joy in life. Diabetes is usually very manageable, as is COPD, Arthritis, and even some forms of Cancer. Chronic illness no longer an end to mobility and activity. It may limit your participation without totally immobilizing you.

The most important part of your life may be mental. Some mental diseases like Alzhiemers' Disease, Pick's Disease, and Senility may take you mental ability and leave your physical abilities relatively untouched. What ever your condition, prepare yourself to focus on the things you can do, and enjoy the abilities you retain.

Choose to be happy. Remember the moments and events that made you happy. Cherish those memories. You can't live in the past, but you can allow the past to bless your current life. Record those things in a diary. Make a photo array of them. Enjoy them, not to tell others, but just to know that love and joy are always available, even when it's a memory.

Generativity--The Best Way to Grow Old

What are the characteristics that help us enjoy our old age? George Valliant says that the best stage to fit us for old age is generativity with gratitude. Generativity is the stage usually associated with middle age. The time when a person wants to pass on the things he or she has found exciting or interesting. Teachers get this early and the rest of us start, maybe, with our own kids. Teaching a skill or a profession is a way of passing on the things you've learned.

I remember when my husband would start planting the garden in the spring. He usually had 2 or 3 of the kids at his heels. He would lay out the rows and assign one to put the onions in the holes or the seeds in the trench. I did it too, when I took some kites on a windy day and we went out to see what we could fly.

Generativity is available in every activity. It's better if it is a life affirming task. I liked to teach people to make bread. Another word for this is mentoring. It is a more personal form of teaching. It's not telling you how to do it, but showing you how and enjoying the results. The one who is learning gets to show off his skill and the mentor gets to show off the learner. Relationships develop too. 

Find someone to mentor and enjoy getting to watch a new generation learn how to excel in your field. Don't forget to be grateful for what you have learned and those who mentored you.
There is a stage beyond Generativity called Keeper of the Meaning. That comes when you have moved from mentoring one or two people to forming a club or foundation to carry on the activity.

To Gain or Maintain?

I have noticed a considerable loss of strength and dexterity in my arms and legs of late. I determined to try to recover some of it by exercise. I tried walking, then I used the treadmill and lifting weights. Then I gave up.

I have formulated a new theory. Well, maybe it's just a new view of an old theory: As we age, we lose muscle strength and dexterity. It's not something you can prevent. Some loss is inevitable. But don't despair: you can slow the decline and maintain your muscles with effort. But realize you'll never be what you were at 18, or 30, or 50 again. It's just the way things are.

Your brain may be your best chance at things getting better. It can still learn, and remember, and create, at least in the absence of severe impairment or disease, into you very late years--even 100.  Don't give up! It aint over, til it's over.

Have You Seen a Blessing Today?

A friend proposed this thought to me. Have you been a blessing or seen a blessing or been a blessing to anyone today? Well, maybe. I've prayed for some and thought about some. Maybe there was a blessing in there somewhere. I got blessed today by someone else who shared and loved and included me.

Now I get to remind people who read this that these blessings are all around us everyday and all we need to do is accept them. The work is already done. All that's left is just to receive and be thankful. Thank the one who blessed you and thank God for that one and pass it on. If you don't see a blessing in your life, then you get to start the chain. Bless someone else and start the ball rolling. How they pass it on is their opportunity to participate. Be a blessing to someone today!

Cheer Up!

I'm old now so I thought I'd try to modify my posts to accommodate my strength and endurance. I can write more if I make them shorter and less taxing on this old mind and body. Here goes:
Cheer Up! For Heaven's sake, quit being so negative. Look on the bright side. There is bound to be a good attitude in there some where. Do you remember being 30? That was a great time. Still had a lot to do. Kids were growing up. There were things to accomplish. We had some great times. Now I remember them with joy.

What about 50? It was good too. I was more settled. But I had a new job, and I enjoyed it, too. Kids were doing good. Frank was well. Yeah like Sinatra said, "That was a very good year,"

70? Well it wasn't bad. I made it through. We did have some tough times, but we made it. We did what we had to. All in all, I've had a good run.

Going on 80. Getting real close, but I'm still having fun, still know who I am and what my goal is and still making the effort. Cheer Up! The end is just ahead, and it looks like I'm gonna make it.