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6212. msgreer - 7/21/2004 2:38:37 AM hi wonkers2 After taking care of my father who had Alzheimers for and then his sister and then his brother I have a healthy appreciation for this horrific disease. You said something about taking a pill should you get this dreaded disease. I am with you. There is no way I would live (?) with Alzheimers knowing what it does to the caretaker. My mother and I took care of dad for eight years. I am sure the stress of those eight years and then more for me as I helped out with other family members..has taken years off my life. No. Should I get Alzheimers I will take full advantage of dying with dignity. As for Aricept it does very very little. The doctors I have worked with give it to the patient to meet the families needs. My advice. Eat well. Keep the inflammatory process reduced in your body, exercise, take Vitamin C and E and pray alot. Aricept is in the news again for many reasons. One is because of AA coming out with new guidelines for MCI..Mild Cognitive Impairment. As far as I am concerned this new MCI is bull. In studies 87% of those with MCI go on to full blown Alzheimers.That said how a doctor can truly tell if someone is just going through the natural aging process and forgetful some of the time or actually has MCI I do not know. Simply put...take care of someone with Alzheimers and you too will be able to tell the difference between aging normally and this disease. I've been close to it a good part of my life. I honestly believe I will not need a neurologist to ask me to count back by 7s to see if I have the disease. I will know. On that cheery note I will post this...and say hi wonkers! It's been awhile. I am well. My daughter is doing fantastic. Good to see you. 6213. wabbit - 7/21/2004 3:15:27 AM Hey Ms. G, good to hear your daughter is doing well. I knew some of the people involved with the bike ride, I was going to work on a website for them a few years ago (but my boss nixed that when he didn't get what he wanted for freebies, what a jerk).
My grandmother had Alzheimers and wasted away over a number of years. We watch my father carefully for symptoms. So far, so good. 6214. msgreer - 7/21/2004 3:20:37 AM HI WABBIT! That 20 mile race was great for my daughter. Then again I love Special Olympics. She participates in so many SO events. Living in MA with the Kennedys always means there are great celebrations after such an event. I am sorry to hear about your grandmother. You can bet your father is watching himself too! Some people won't come out and say they are fearful but inside..somewhere..all of us who have Alzheimers in the family feel this way. Luckily my sisters and I have discussed the what if scenario and we all have made plans. It's good to see you young lady! If you do work on the bike race next year let me know. I would love for you to meet my daughter. 6215. wabbit - 7/21/2004 3:26:38 AM Sounds like a plan. I'm moving back to NY in a couple months, so it is unlikely I'll be working on that website, but stranger things have happened. And I'm back and forth to MA all the time, so if she's riding next year, let me know and we'll see what we can work out. 6216. msgreer - 7/21/2004 3:29:30 AM You're leaving Boston? Tell me it's just for the convention and you will be back.No, I wish you well in NYC. I am just finding it difficult seeing you in NYC after loving Boston all these years. I will keep in touch about my daughter. What email are you using these days? You can reach me at nurseisin@yahoo.com 6217. wabbit - 7/21/2004 3:35:31 AM Not NYC, I'm just going back to my little house in the Catskills. I miss it out there. Spunky will still be working in MA so we'll be doing a lot of driving, but the cats will be thrilled to be back in NY. I miss NYC too, though, been away too long.
I'm at viwabbit@yahoo.com, among others -- if you have something different from a couple years ago, it probably still works. 6218. msgreer - 7/21/2004 3:37:59 AM Now the Catskills is an entirely different matter. You will enjoy the peace and the beauty. Just think... Hillary becomes your junior senator! Wrong thread. Sorry. I will update my address book. Thanks. Good luck with the move. 6219. judithathome - 7/21/2004 3:38:33 AM Hi, MsGreer...good to see you again! 6220. msgreer - 7/21/2004 3:41:36 AM Good to see you too, Judith. 6221. msgreer - 7/21/2004 3:46:21 AM What's new with you Judith? You hurt your knee or leg? 6222. wonkers2 - 7/21/2004 3:54:31 AM MSG, Thanks for the comment! Good to hear from you. If my poor memory is correct you were in Ann Arbor three years or so back. Are you still there? As I recall JJ Biener told me that on the occasion of a visit to Detroit. Wonder what he's doing. He was a relianble GOP poster which currently in short supply in this forum. Regards. 6223. msgreer - 7/21/2004 3:59:52 AM Oh I have been in and out of Ann Arbor and very busy. As for those who would be apart of the GOP..well I just can't even talk to them about the election in a civil manner. We need this election to be over. I expect any Floria resident whose vote does not get counted to take to the streets! Again using the wrong thread but wanted to reply. 6224. msgreer - 7/21/2004 4:00:51 AM correction: Florida 6225. wonkers2 - 7/21/2004 4:03:41 AM Amen! If you ever get over toward Birmingham email me at r-tdeeds@ix.netcom.com. My wife and I would be pleased to have you drop in. Nobody from the Mote ever comes to our neck of the woods. 6226. msgreer - 7/21/2004 4:07:08 AM I will do that wonkers. I may be back in Ann Arbor this December or earlier if my request for tickets to the Big House come through. I will get in touch with you when I am in town. 6227. wonkers2 - 7/21/2004 4:21:08 AM Good! 6228. msgreer - 7/21/2004 4:29:27 AM Very good! 6229. thoughtful - 7/21/2004 5:26:47 AM still not all dementias are alzheimers. My mother in law has had dementia for years and years. We're not sure, but we think it's related to the arteriosclerosis and/or hemorrhaging/scarring that occurs because of her pxe. Then again, her brother and sister also got dementia and both were in nursing homes before they died but neither of them had pxe. But what they had is different from the alzheimer's my 2 aunts have that included significant personality changes, emotional lability, the need for constant supervision, night time wanderings, insistence on going home when they are home, etc. 6230. wonkers2 - 7/21/2004 7:47:32 AM Sounds familiar. I believe Levine said absolutely positive diagnosis requires an autopsy. My mother-in-law and my mother both had alzheimer's or dementia in the last couple of years before they died in their late 80s. Difficult for them and those around them. My mother-in-law was hard to get along with to begin with, and toward the end became a total bitch--calling the police on her care givers, locking them out, wandering around the neighborhood in her nightgown at night, etc. 6231. arkymalarky - 7/21/2004 10:06:52 AM Very informative post, MsGreer! PLEASE stick around!
Thoughtful,
Sounds like my grandmother, which they diagnosed as mini-strokes. She could be very contentious and hard to handle, too. Her physical strength outlasted her mental by quite a few years.
Bro delivered a really good eulogy at her funeral at which he described an instance in the nursing home where he inadvertantly crossed her while trying to persuade her to stay there when he left. He doesn't live here, and he didn't realize when we tried to tell him how bad she was until that day. According to him, he "heard words a guy should never hear from his grandmother."
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