Alzheimer and Friendship
February 26, 2008
For those of you who read this blog, you know that I write often about my 88 year old mother who has dementia, likely a combination of vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s. What you may not realize is that behind the scenes of “Mom, Dementia and Me” is another story–one that I haven’t had the heart to write about.
I used to think that Alzheimer’s was a condition that only affected seniors, not those of us in midlife. That is until my best friend of 50 years was diagnosed with this disease several years ago. She was only 54 years old at the time.
Although I noticed signs of her declining memory, I remember thinking that ”this” must be something else. I remember praying that my friend only had menopause “brain fog” or some thyroid condition or anything else that might explain why she couldn’t remember the little things in life. And I remember praying for a miracle.
Well, you never know what shape a miracle might take. Although my friend has Alzheimer’s, she is on medications that are slowing the progression of this disease. She has a wonderful husband who loves her dearly and does everything he can to give her a supportive and beautiful lifestyle. And she and I have a friendship that continues strong through whatever life throws at us–even Alzheimer’s.
The Real Age Test
February 24, 2008
For some reason, I’ve been thinking about age a lot recently. Several friends just hit the big 5-0 and I’m headed for the big 5-0++.
If you’re thinking “age is but a number”, you may be right. But based on your lifestyle, it can be a number higher or lower than your chronological age.
To find out what your numbers look like, take the RealAge Test . The test takes a little time to finish but it’s like getting a snapshot into your present and the future you can create with a different perspective on the way you live your life.
The O Word
February 23, 2008
Are you getting to the point where you don’t want to think about, let alone say the “o” word? You know the word I’m talking about–it’s not Oprah. It’s the concept we don’t want to embrace as part of life’s experience. Well, I’ll say it:
Old.
Old.
Old.
Old.
There I got it out. Getting old is that inevitable next step after the journey through midlife, if we’re lucky. But as a society, we tend to ignore old, mask it and even Botox it with the hopes that we can minimize the impact instead of celebrating the joy of getting there.
I was inspired when I learned about a group of women who formed the Older Women’s Legacy (OWL) Circle to celebrate growing old by writing and publishing their memoirs. Check them out and see if you can discover a new perspective on what we should all hope we get to after our midlife trip.
Growing Waistline is Health Risk for Midlife Women
February 22, 2008
According to a recent medical study, the growing size of women’s waists has caused a stroke increase among middle-aged women that’s more than twice that of men in the same age group of 35-54 . I’m sure many of us have noticed the increasing circumference of our waists because our clothes just don’t fit as well. We often attribute our growing waistlines to menopause, slower metabolism and, the biggie–lack of time to exercise.
In the past, we might have ignored this issue as another sign of getting older. As women, we now have to accept that increased waist size can be a serious health risk. So take time to talk with your doctor is your waist is growing. We want midlife to be a good trip, not the end of the road.
Mom, Dementia and Me — Moments of Decline
February 19, 2008
I was out visiting my mom in her assisted living facility. After we shared a snack together, we walked around to Mom’s room so she could brush her teeth. Her toothbrush was nowhere to be found even though I checked the usual hiding places where my mother stashes her belongings.
As I was about to give up my search, I noticed the little potted plant my mother somehow manages to keep alive and healthy despite her dementia. Something about the plant looked weird though and as I looked closer, I saw that among the green leaves was Mom’s toothbrush, planted firmly and deliberately in the dirt.
I rescued the toothbrush which luckily had been planted brush side up. As I washed and put it in the medicine chest, I had tears in my eyes because it struck me that this was another small moment of decline. Can’t say I ever get used to it.
What about those of you with loved ones affected by dementia?
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Karen - Midlife Coach
