The War for Rose...An Update

I haven't been able to write about my mom for quite a while,  but I thought it was time for a little update for those who have been so kind as to inquire about her.

We now refer to our days as being "sunny or cloudy".
Throughout the day it changes frequently.
We can have sunny moments where her eyes are bright and her thoughts are relatively clear, then the clouds will come....

We've cared for her for nearly a year now and one thing has become crystal clear. 
She loves being around her family. 
Especially the little ones.  They are her purpose. They are her 'why'. 
There's no doubt about that. Everyone sees it.
My mom got to be around her great-grand babies at a family anniversary party this past weekend. 
(Happy 25th Dave & Kim!)

Her family is her heart, and the more she's around little ones, the more sunshine than clouds we see. Her face glows, her eyes clear and her spirit becomes alive with joy.

Even later that night she was still so awake and aware.  She was still excited, still happy and still animated and conversational. 

She wanted to polka at 10:30 pm
...and so we did. 

Then this week...
She bathed herself. (I just supervised)
She buttoned her own buttons..and got each of them in the right hole.
(That hasn't happened since....we can't remember)

She said things like "I appreciate you" and "Thanks for everything you do for us."  She used sentence structures and came up with words that made us raise our eyebrows, tilt our heads and nod in wonder.

But there was one thing this week that I was especially grateful for...
She asked about her mother and she didn't end up in tears.

Frequently, almost daily, my mother would ask me "Where's my mom?"
We had come to dread those conversations. 

We would tell her that her mom doesn't live here anymore and either we'd tell her that she had passed away as gently as we could or we'd tried to spare her that news and try to get her onto another subject. 

But, sometimes, when she focuses on something, it's hard to make that transition...she always been a tiny bit stubborn. :-)

I can't even tell you how horrible it makes us feel to see her have to deal with so much sadness and grief. She loved her mother so much. 

You see, she was actually my grandmother's caregiver for the last few years of her life...and my grandmother (who we called Busia, that's Polish for grandma) passed peacefully in my parent's home with my mom by her side.

These 'mom' conversations had increased in frequency lately.
And they always ended the same way...in tears and grief. As if she was a child who lost her mother.

But this week, this week was different.
I went out for a walk with my mom and dad and they stopped to sit on the bench near the tall oak tree.  Out of the blue, she mentioned a dear neighbor friend of hers who had passed away many years ago...which was surprising in itself.  But then, she added "My mom's not here either, is she?" It was more of a statement, than a question.

When my dad and I told her, "No, she isn't, but she still lives in your heart", my mom was okay with that. She actually looked up at me and smiled.

Let me tell you, that was a moment I won't soon forget.

We have learned to treasure those 'sunny' moments,
and we hope to have the little ones around her more often to spark her spirit.

That brings to mind a song my mom used to sing to us when we were her little ones.  
It seems so appropriate these days.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
You make me happy, when skies are gray.
You'll never know dear, how much I love you,
Please don't take my sunshine away."
Wishing you many more sunny days, Mom.

~Anne

The War For Rose: 8 Months In The Trenches

I had intended to post weekly updates as we battle my mom's dementia/Alzheimer's, 
but this disease had other plans for me.

I thought once we had implemented specific lifestyle improvements
and therapies we'd gain ground and we could press forward to the next goal.
I've come to discover that 'progress' is not so easily defined.
Some days you take one giant leap forward--and feel really good about what had been accomplished-- only to find on the following day that this damn disease had changed the rules overnight.

I previously thought that progress would be made in the form of a 'dance'. 

Some days I'd lead, other days the disease would...but that's not how it really is.  
Dementia doesn't dance. 
It fights and fights dirty.

This particular fight takes place in a labyrinth, not a battlefield, so it takes a long time to recognize if true progress has actually been made.

I'll just give you a few examples of where we began and where we are today.

When we first became her caregivers, my mom had lost most of her communications skills. When she wasn't sleeping, which was a good 15-18 hours a day, she would stare out the window, lost in her new world and rarely engaged in conversation.
It was so hard for her to find the right words and she was starting to lose the power to convey her thoughts or speak a complete sentence. She could parrot what you would prompt her to say, but left to her own thoughts, she could only manage to string a couple of words together and then that thought would fade into a mumble and a whisper.

(I need to mention that she still had 'bright moments'. There were times when my mom's sense of humor managed to poke its way through the darkness.  She occasionally 'got' jokes and even caught playful sarcasm. THAT was a part of my mom's core being this disease couldn't control, and we were very grateful for that!)

My mom would become overwhelmed if the room was filled with noise---
too many voices, too many people. This would cause her to either become fearful and cry or shut down and become withdrawn.

If you wanted her to do something, 'sit here', 'drink this', etc., all other sounds in the room needed to be silenced so she could focus on what you were saying.
And even then, you might not get through. We learned that we needed to use as few words as possible to communicate effectively with her....and to speak slowly. 

She couldn't write her signature or play a simple memory game where she would need to remember 2-3 matching pictures.  She couldn't identify common items in the conversation cards we used to stir her memory (bird, horse, flowers, coffee cup, etc.)  She would need to read the words below the picture and then it would make sense to her. (Yes, she could still read. Weird, right?)

She no longer helped with any daily activities around the house. She couldn't dress herself. Even as you helped her get dressed, she didn't remember that her arm went into the sleeve of a shirt and you'd have to guide it in for her.

She would resist taking showers. She'd get mad, cross her arms and mumble she was tired of taking showers and she'd taken too many in her lifetime...or something to that effect.

She would often become sad, then combative and would want to leave--sometimes in her pajamas, in the middle of the night, in the cold and snow-- to go 'home'. This would happen several times a week.

She called for her mother.  She would ask where she was.  She wanted to see her and became so very sad when someone gently told her she had died.
In fact, learning about the passing of anyone she had ever cared for, even if they had died decades ago, was like she heard it for the first time....and she would grieve the loss all over again.   That was brutal.

The majority of our days were 'lost and sad' days and it was very difficult to keep her happy during her waking hours.

There are so many other little quirky things that were part of who she was last October, but hopefully you get the picture.

Now we look at where she is today (without any drug intervention.) 

I'm happy to say that now we have many more 'good' days than bad.  She hasn't tried to leave the house or cried for her mom in quite some time, although she still talks about her and is sad she's not here. But now she seems to understand that it wouldn't be possible for her mom to still be alive.  She no longer dives deeper into that sadness or depression. We encourage her to 'count the blessings' among her family, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and that really helps her.

My mom wakes up with a smile.  Every day.  All I have to do is go into her bedroom and say "Good Morning Sunshine!" in a 'sing-song voice and she sits up, smiles and says good morning back. Usually she wants a hug and a kiss. Of course, she gets both.
Sometimes if she's still a little groggy, I know she'll need a nap after breakfast, and other times I can tell right off it will be a stellar day.

She now is able to focus on the person talking in the room. 
She'll make comments which are appropriate for the conversation at hand.  She'll even start a conversation, usually with something sweet, such as "Oh, look at those beautiful flowers"  or "Dinner is very good". 

When I give her a bath (we've discovered she prefers baths over showers) she says how good the water feels and will usually wash herself.  She still needs help washing her hair, but most days she can get dressed with just a little assistance.

We've had to learn to let her 'try' to do things she couldn't do in the past.
It had become such a habit for us to do everything for her.  
But when we started to see the light coming back in her eyes, we had to remember to step back and let her try to do things on her own.  Things like brushing her own teeth, combing her own hair, dressing herself. She still needs help picking out the appropriate clothes, but some days (not all, but some) she's able to get her pants on without help. Same goes for her socks and shoes. That's progress.

She knows what is going on around her.  We've had to learn not to talk around her but to her.  She's picking up on so many more things in the conversation as she is able to stay focused for longer periods of time.

She will always express gratitude for what we are doing for her.  I've never been told how wonderful or good I am and I've been kissed more than I've been kissed by my mom for the past 8 months.  Nearly every day, she tells Doug (my husband) how wonderful he is and thanks him for everything he does for her and my dad.  She knows my dad and still wants to be near him and dance with him. She tells him how much she loves him and usually remembers his name.

She can now function without sadness when we have company.  
Lots of people in a room no longer overwhelms her.

We had family come to visit yesterday and afterward, without prompting, she started to help clean up some of the glassware and took it in the kitchen.
Those of us around her looked at each other, and without a word, acknowledge this 'new' behavior with raised eyebrows and a smile.
We now find on occasion, she'll want to pitch in to help clean, or ask if she can help with dinner--- and that didn't happen 8 months ago-- but it's so like my mom to want to help.

Schedules and predictability are her friends.  Preparing her for events or company also is helpful.  We're learning what works and what doesn't.

Asking her to do something for you is a great way to get it done.  No one likes to be told what to do and my mom is no different.  But her joy in life has always been to make others happy so she's most likely to comply when she thinks it will make you happy.

She's the sweetest person I know. Her 'essence' is still there and we're seeing a

little bit more of her shine through the darkness.  
More laughter, more happiness, more....mom.

I have to let you know, we still have our 'bad' days. But now those are now defined differently.  A bad day today means she's less 'awake' during the day and sleeping more.  Or she's not so clear with her thoughts or sentences.  Or not as happy as usual.   There are also degrees of good and bad days.  And on those bad days, we've found that it is usually a cause and effect situation.
A truly bad day will be the direct result of something that happened the night before, e.g. staying up too late to watch a sporting event with my dad.

Her memory has not rebounded as strongly as we had hoped, but her ability to complete tasks, her communication skills and mood have improved. Not every day, but some days.   So I guess that's something, isn't it?

Since we have had positive results, I'll also be sharing what we have found to be helpful as we navigate through this labyrinth.  If you'd like to get updates, be sure to follow my blog or look for my posts on Facebook.

I'll try to be more timely with my next post.  I really think what we have learned may be valuable to others in the midst of this same situation and I'm willing to share, so please feel free to forward this to anyone you think may benefit from this info. :-)

We're all in this together.

Be well, my friends.
~Anne

This Lemon Freeze May Protect Against Skin Cancer

I'm always happy to share valid health information and here's a great one for summer--- but you might want to continue it for the entire year!

I recently learned that if you FREEZE a lemon you can easily use it in foods and drinks! It's a new favorite addition to my healthy lifestyle. I've done it and love the results!


It's easy.
You simply wash your lemon, 
FREEZE it for a day,
cut off the ends
and then grate--rind and all.

Store your lemony grated goodness in the fridge and add to water, salads, fish, etc.

Now your body will get to benefit from the added important nutrients in the rind which could help to protect your cells and keep them healthy.

As we get closer to summer, it will be important to protect our skin against the dangers of the sun. 

 
Besides using a quality sunscreen this summer, 
did you know that  the nutrients in a lemon peel may provide added protection from skin cancer?

Limonene, an important nutrient in the lemon peel has powerful anti-cancer effects. Other nutrients have been found to help with other health issues
 --including dissolving gallstones.  


Sounds like a great addition to any healthy lifestyle.
(You could also freeze oranges as well. I'm going to try that next!)

Be well, my friends!
~Anne

Avocado Chocolate Pudding

I have had to become very creative in figuring out some healthy low/no sugar recipes for my parents as we battle against the diabolical disease of dementia/Alzheimer's.

Here's one for Avocado Chocolate Pudding.

I usually create my recipes on the spot, I don't document how much of everything I actually use, but I made it again tonight so I could have a 'starting recipe' for you.  My family loves it as is, but you may want to tweak it a bit to make your taste buds happy.

Avocado Chocolate Pudding
Makes about 12 servings
Serving Size 1.5 cups

Ingredients:

4 ripe refrigerated avocados
1 can Unsweetened Coconut Milk
2 cups Chocolate Vitalizing Protein
               (I use Shaklee's brand)
2/3 cups Raw  Cacao powder
1 Tbs.  coffee
1 large banana, sliced and frozen
1/3 cups cacao nibs (optional)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp.  stevia (if needed)

    A little side note about my choice of ingredients...I just can't afford to let any 
    toxins in my mom's body. I research all options to use only the purest 
    products possible.  That means organic and non-GMO everything bought at 
    the grocery store and only Shaklee's brand when it comes to our protein and 
    supplements.  No other company's products comes close when it comes to 
    Shaklee's extremely strict standards for purity (which include hundreds of 
    tests more than what is required by the FDA and USP.)

Directions:
Remove the seeds, peel and slice avocados.
Add to food processor. Pulse until blended.
Add 1/2 can of coconut milk and 2 cups of Vitalizing Protein. Blend.

The mixture will be now be fairly creamy,

but needs a bit more 'chocolate' flavor.
So next add the cacao,
the coffee, vanilla,
the other 1/2 can of coconut milk.
Then the cacao nibs (if you have them)
and the frozen banana.

Blend well. 

Taste.
If you feel it
needs a little more sweetness,
add a teaspoon of organic stevia.

Transfer to a bowl,
cover, freeze for an hour.
Enjoy!

Be well, my friends!
~Anne

Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza Recipe

I have been wanting make a Cauliflower pizza crust for a while now
since we're going gluten-free for my mom.

After searching online and getting some advice from a few friends, 
I thought I'd give it a go.

I'm not one to ever follow a recipe, and since this one turned out so well 
(My dad even asked for seconds!) I thought I'd share my version with you.
Enjoy and if you try this yourself,  let me know how yours turned out!


Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza
2 organic eggs

2 large heads of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cups of Pizza Sauce (I used Mid's)
2 tbs. organic garlic granules
2 tbs. organic Italian seasoning
3 1/2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 cups red onion, sauteed in olive oil
1 cup fresh spinach, washed and dried

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place manageable amounts of cauliflower in a food processor 
and pulse until it has a rice-like consistency. (It doesn't take long!)

Boil 3 cups of water in a large pot.

When all the cauliflower has been riced,  add the cauliflower rice to the boiling water, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Drain the water out of the pot and then transfer the rice into a large mesh strainer or colander.

These next steps are very important to help ensure your pizza crust will be firm and slice-able. :-)

Use a large spoon to push down on the rice, forcing the water out of the mesh colander. Then...take portions of the strained rice and place in a clean kitchen/pastry cloth and SQUEEZE.

You’ll be surprised how much moisture is still in the rice.  Again, it’s really important to get as much water out as possible so your end result will have a firm crust.

One you're satisfied that you have removed as much moisture as you possibly can, then transfer each section of the rice to a large mixing bowl.
Add the eggs, spices and 1/4 cup of cheese.  Mix well.  

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and begin to form your pizza crust.  It will have a different consistency than any 'dough' you've ever worked with, so just go with it. 

Once the crust is formed, bake in 400 degree oven for 40 minutes or until the entire crust is golden brown.
(More moisture will be released from the crust while it is baking)

While crust is baking, saute red onions in 1 tbs. olive oil.

When crust is done take out of the oven, cool slightly.
Add sauce, cheese, onions, spinach or toppings of your choice.

Bake at 400 until cheese is melted and golden brown.  ENJOY!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

• Place 2 heads of cauliflower cut into pieces into a food processor. Pulse until cauliflower has a rice-like consistency.
• Bring 2-3 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add rice, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Drain rice in a large mesh colander. Press down with a spoon to release as much moisture as possible.
• The next step is important!
• Place portions of the rice in a pastry cloth and SQUEEZE any remaining moisture out of the rice. You'll be surprised at how much moisture is released.
• Place the rice in a large bowl. Add eggs, spices and 1/4 cup cheese. Mix well.
•  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and begin to add your rice to form your 'crust'.
• You can make a raised crust along the edge if you'd like it to look more 'pizza-like'.
• Place crust in the oven and bake until it is browned. (Usually 40-50 minutes.)  Don't worry about how long it takes, just bake until the entire crust is golden brown.
• While crust is baking, saute red onions in olive oil. Remove crust from oven when done. Top with pizza sauce, remaining cheese and toppings of your choice.
• Return to oven until cheese is melted and browned.

- Cool slightly and cut into pieces.

A Toxin Intervention

One of the easiest things we can to do have a healthy lifestyle is to eliminate toxins from our home.

Most people do not realize that the conventional cleaners and personal care products they buy are actually exposing them to potentially dangerous chemicals.

That means that every day, you could be exposing yourself to chemicals that could be the cause for some of your most nagging symptoms including headaches, lack of energy, ADD, asthma and allergy symptoms.

These include air fresheners, window cleaners, bathroom cleaners, lotions and even some of the most well-known baby products.

You can take a look at the side effects
of many of the 80,000+ chemicals

they use in these products on the 
National Institute of Health database.
Or...you can watch the 20 minute webinar below.

I made this as a tool for people to learn what products they might want to get rid of...and why.  

Don't worry, I didn't go through all 80,000 chemicals,
just 5 of the most frequently used.
This information may shock or surprise you and hopefully make you angry enough that you take action--and choose differently.

But I don't leave you hanging.
I also give you non-toxic alternatives which will save you so much money and help you have a healthier home.
Heck, you work hard for your money, so anything that can help you 
save money AND help you cut your cleaning time is a win-win, right?
Enjoy!
(I'd love to know what you think of the webinar.)




Be well, my friends!
~Anne

If Mama Ain't Happy...

My entire day now revolves around my mom.
And as soon as she wakes up, we know what kind of day we'll be having.
  
If she's happy and smiling...if she lights up when she sees us, it'll be a good day. If she looks confused and tired, not so much.  Sometimes we can salvage the days that start off poorly, and goodness knows we try.

When you are the caregiver for someone with dementia/Alzheimer's, you soon learn that every day will be different. You never know what you'll be getting. You hope for and expect a good day, but at the same time, you're prepared if it isn't.   It's like you're always in alert mode.  And you begin to consider every day that is not a bad day a good day, although there are variations of each.

Enough sleep, all her nutrition, making sure her bowels are clean (sorry, but that needs to be addressed at some point in this blog, as it's very important), no sugar, no wheat, little/no dairy, brain-stimulating activity & laughter all help to make tomorrow a good day.

I have tons of support from my wonderful husband and my dad, so we tag-team during the day so it's not so hard for any one of us. That's such a blessing.
I don't know how caregivers who don't have this team effort do it and my heart goes out to each of them.

It just so happens that I'm  the one who can convince my mom to take her supplements, to shower, to get dressed, etc. I'm the one who can usually get her out of one of her 'moods'.  Doug says I have 'the magic touch" and right now , it's working. So I need to drop whatever I am doing and focus all my attention on her when she needs a little extra TLC. Acting silly helps. Coaching and cheering her on helps too.  Asking her to do it 'for you' helps, as in her heart she still will do anything for her family.My mom was a clean freak and no one would ever call her lazy. That woman rarely sat still.  We used to joke that you had better move out of the way if she had a paint brush in her hands or she might just give you a makeover!
But now she's become 'lazy' and doesn't want to shower. Honestly, every night we need to convince he to take a shower. It's just so odd to me, how this disease is changing who she is/was at her core.
I don't know what the future holds for us, but for now I am so grateful for our good days.  I treasure them. Because on most days my mom does wake up happy and smiling. If I can get her to drink her Shaklee protein drink and if she takes her morning supplements, I know it will most likely continue to be a very good day. If she swallows those supplements, it means her brain remembered how to swallow them and it will also remember other important things throughout the day.

Getting her to take all the nutrition she needs isn't easy especially when she can't remember she's supposed to to swallow them.
On those days I need to use the same tricks I used for my kids when they were little. I crush a few. I pierce some. I will sneaked some in her apple sauce.
Any way I can get them into her.  I know that optimum nutrition is such an important weapon against this disease, and she is so worth the effort.

That's the thing I have to get used to the most.  The change in our roles.
We longer have a mom/daughter relationship. And... it's more than just a reversal of roles.  I don't think she's sure what I am to her exactly. 

I tell her every day that she's my mom. She seems pleased with that knowledge, or maybe that's just wishful thinking... ?

When she tells me that I'm a good dancer, I tell her that she was the one who taught me to dance.
When she tells me she likes her smile, I tell her I have her smile.
When she compliments me on her meal, I tell her that she's one who taught me to cook. 
When she says she loves the song I'm singing to her, I tell her that she's one who taught me how to sing silly songs.

When she thanks me for everything I do for her, I tell her that she was the one who taught me be generous. 

When I tell her these things, she looks surprised and says, "Really?"
and I think she's very pleased to hear that 'news'.

So our entire day revolves around this lady, the heart of our family.
And it's our goal to make her smile, laugh and be happy.

Because that saying 'If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy'
has never has been more true than it is right now.

Be well, my friends!
~Anne

What Happens When Not Everyone is On Board With The Plan

I intend for this blog to be a resource for people who may be struggling to help a loved one with dementia/Alzheimer's.  At first, I thought I would share all the things that have helped my mom.  But I can't really tell the whole story without sharing some of our setbacks as well, can I?  It wouldn't be the truth.

And what I have to share today may be valuable to people who have family members who may not be totally on board with the lifestyle changes which are necessary to fight this disease.

My last post was about the harm that sugar does to the brain and how addicted my parents were (are) to it.  It's kind of ironic actually, considering what has happened within the course of past four days.

I'm struggling to find the words to share what happened this morning in the kindest way for all involved. I'm also hoping a valuable lesson was learned.

Doug and I have been here for 5 months. We've only gone out on a date night twice in that time, and every single time we left the house, my dad 'treated' himself and my mom to sugar.  And, each time, for a few days after, we paid dearly.  So we searched the kitchen and removed all temptations.

You have to understand how powerful this addiction is. Anyone who has ever been addicted to cigarettes or alcohol know how far they will go to sneak a 'fix' and how much better it is for them when someone else joins in.

For example, my dad took my mom to get a Frosty at Wendy's last the summer. Doug and I happened to be visiting for the week. He tried to hide the evidence, so before coming into the house he threw the containers into the trash in the garage.  In his haste to 'not get caught',  he also unknowingly threw away his iPhone...and garbage pick up was the next day.
Once he realized what had happened to his phone, it was too late.

This week my mom was having  back-to-back great days.
I mean, she was better than we had seen her in a quite a while.
My dad said he'd like to take my mom to the bank and market to get her out of the house for a while.  This was a little out of character for him,
since he usually is the one who needs to get out of the house for a little break.

When they were gone much longer than expected, Doug turned to me and said, "How much you want to bet they stopped for ice cream?".  
I thought about that for a minute.
We no longer had any sugar in the house, so it was a distinct possibility.
I hoped that he knew better, but I also knew how strong that craving is in him.

I think that his issue with sugar may have something to do with the history of alcoholism in the family.  My dad was never addicted to alcohol, but he sure is addicted to sugar.  And I believe there is a strong connection.

The following morning, my mom woke up groggy and confused.  
She was incoherent and slept most of the day, only waking up for meals.
She would not take any of her supplements.
She looked weak and frail. It was really hard to see her like that after we just enjoyed such wonderful days together.

I kept remarking throughout the day that she's acting like she had sugar.  
We've witnessed that cause and effect each time he was 'in charge' of her, so
I asked my dad if they stopped for ice cream-- he denied it.

But later, when Doug went out to my dad's car to move it into the garage, he found those  'ice cream' napkins.  You know the kind.  

We were actually sad that our suspicions were correct, but we didn't say anything that night.  No need to beat him up about it, he already knew that he had made a mistake.

But, besides the sugar coma, there's another thing that happens to my mom.  

Not only does sugar fuel the inflammation in her brain but it also feeds the unhealthy bacteria in her gut (candida) making it difficult for her to have a healthy bowel movement. This forces her to strain and causes vasovagal syncope. My dad was with her when it happened this morning and called for my help. 

These episodes are 'harmless' as long as the person doesn't hit their head when they pass out, but, let me tell you, it's very, very scary if it's your first time witnessing this happening to someone you love. 

To see your mother on the floor groaning and sweating.
Her eyes staring blankly, her mouth open, and her face slacked-- as if she was having a stroke. Then she falls asleep.

Quite the opposite of the bright-eyed, happy woman we have been seeing.

And this wasn't the first time this has happened.
But each time it has been directly related to her sugar intake a day or two before.

After the episode, she is wiped out. She sleeps 2-3 hours, she gets up to eat and goes back to rest some more.
Sleep helps the brain repair. So we let her sleep.

I know that it's hard for my dad to ignore his wife of 63 years when she asks him to stop for ice cream.   He wants her to be happy.
And I don't want to deprive them, either, but I just can't enable that addiction. It's poisoning my mom.

I just had yet another conversation with my dad. He knows that we know they had ice cream. That we found those napkins and it's no use fibbing about it anymore.

I think he now realizes the damage that 5 minutes

of sugar pleasure caused and what could have happened.  I explained how deadly it could be for my mom if she would have that kind of episode had she gone to the bathroom alone, in the middle of the night, for instance.
He answered, "That's what happened to Elvis", so I know he understands the severity of the problem.

It's such a weird thing for me to understand. My dad was ALWAYS so good about his diet and nutrition, so much so that he reversed the high cholesterol and clogged arteries in his body without the use of any medications. He would counsel others how to reverse their own health issues and always stressed the importance of a healthy lifestyle.  

I guess maybe as you get older, the craving for sugar just gets stronger...Possibly out of boredom?  Maybe due to watching TV commercials? Or maybe you start to feel 'at your age' like you deserve to eat whatever the heck you want and who is going to stop you?

My dad is turning 84 next month and has a goal to live longer than his mother. My grandmother died at the age of 98. Funny thing, she's the one who sparked my love for Nature and passion for optimum health.  She also knew how sugar affected her body so she stayed far away from it, especially in her later years.  
I hope my dad can follow her cue.

So for now, he's on board. I just hope it lasts.

I can't help but wonder how much more ground we may have gained on this disease if we hadn't had these setbacks.
But it doesn't do anyone any good to stew about it.

I'm not saying what our experience with sugar will be case for everyone, but it's certainly true for my mom and I'm hoping there's something you can learn from it.

Be well, my friends!
~Anne

The Dark Side of the Cookie Jar

My mom made the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the world. 
Anyone who ever had the pleasure to indulge in them would tell you I am not exaggerating.  
Someone once joked that they were as addictive as "crack", 
and it turns out they weren't far from the truth. 

When her grandchildren visited, after getting a big hug from grandma, 
they would head straight for her cookie jar, hoping for to see those decadent
morsels of goodness. They were never disappointed. 

Few came close, but no one could ever make those cookies as good as my mom.  I always thought it was because, like everything else she did for her family, she put so much love into them
--and that only made us enjoy them that much more.

But those fabulous cookies had a dark side.  

The Dark Side of the Cookie Jar

The once-in-a-while indulgence,
became a three-batches-in-one-week-for-two-people addiction, for my mom and dad. This shocked us when we learned that was happening.   

You see, my parents had discovered the value of eating clean and supplementing with high quality nutrition when they were in their late 40's.  They completely turned her declining health around.
By living a healthy lifestyle, which included getting rid of their sugar addiction, eating clean and supplementing their diet with Shaklee's high quality products, they eliminated nagging symptoms like migraines,  sinus headaches, hypertension, high cholesterol, and atherosclerosis. They enjoyed 30+ years of excellent health with the help of no prescription drugs.  They traveled all over the world and were loving life.

My mom's 83-year-old body still reflects the healthy lifestyle choices she made all those years ago.  She is stronger than many people half her age.  
I'm not kidding. This woman is strong.
More than one of her physicians have remarked that they've only seen a handful of people in their whole career who have such excellent physical health at her age. She even has a beautiful complexion. When we took her to the dermatologist for her annual check-up recently, the physician called a university student intern into the room to take a look and marvel.  

That's why this disease is so brutal. 
It is taking a very physically sound woman and making her weak.  

My dad would ask my mom to make those cookies 'just for him' and of course she would. 
They would tell themselves they deserved a little treat.
But the more they ate, the more they wanted and soon it was an unhealthy daily habit---and they became addicted to sugar once again. Because like with any addiction, a little bit is never, ever enough.

You see, she doesn't remember my name, but my mother will ask if we could go out for ice cream.  Sugar has a stronger hold on her that any memory of her children or grandchildren.  

Just think about that for a moment. Think about the power that sugar craving has over her. It's scary, really.  Especially when so many people view sugar as a reward for themselves and their children.  Studies show that sugar and cocaine have a similar hold on our brain, and it's so very easy to become addicted to that white wickedness.

If you think you may be heading down
that sugar addiction rabbit hole,
you might want to do this NO Sugar for 10 Day Challenge.

Not giving in to my mom's request for sugary treats sure isn't easy.
She asks so sweetly (pun intended) and with such enthusiasm and it's so hard to refuse her.  You think things like "let her enjoy herself" and "she's in her 80's, so what the heck". 

And our heart wants to make her happy. But...we know that giving in to that craving will only make her happy for a moment. And we have come to learn that it will not only feed her addition and for that moment of happiness, and we will all pay dearly the next day.  She will wake up introverted, sleepy, confused and, once again, in the stranglehold of this disease. We call it a sugar hangover and it just pulls her 2 steps back in her progress. 

So knowing what we now know, we no longer give in to that request.
She doesn't realize the damage it is doing to her brain, but we do.  

And I'm not going to let sugar hurt my mom any more than it already has.

The good news is that, now that her addiction has been broken, those requests become less frequent and she can be satiated with a bowl of fresh fruit, if necessary.

Our diet is one of the main reasons symptoms occur in the first place.
That old adage, "you are what you eat" has never been more true than it is today.  
Diet plays a huge role in the development (and the fight against) all degenerative diseases--- and I discovered dementia is no exception. 
Health and disease depend both on what you put in your shopping cart.

Inflammation is the enemy of brain health, so this seemed like the best place to start. Alzheimer's is referred to as Type 3 Diabetes for a reason.

My dad is slowly learning that giving her (and himself) sugar as a treat deserves a paradigm shift. He's starting to realize the correlation between sugar, my mom's brain health and the inflammation in his own body, and he's slowly starting to view sugar as the enemy. It's that change in mindset that helps people to truly change their lifestyle.

And since sugar is the ammunition for inflammation and dementia, we cut off its supply to my mom's brain.  

We're gaining ground on this disease and we're digging in.

Be well, my friends,
~Anne
 

The War For Rose

At first we started noticing my mom was forgetting words 
and was really having a hard time with names.  More so than 'normal'.
Then she forgot how to play her favorite card game.

As the days and months went on, 
we noticed she was slipping further and further away
into the grip of what we now know is severe dementia. 
Or it may be it Alzheimer's. 

  

It doesn't really matter what you call it, the results are the same and they are devastating. 

My dad was losing his love of 60+ years.  
We were losing our beloved mom and our children 
were losing their wonderful grandmother,
Rose: The heart of our family.

What made this even harder is that at the age of 83, she is extremely healthy otherwise.  She is on no medications.
She has perfect balance, she would take the stairs two at a time 
and she is able to bend and  touch her toes.
She was fiercely competitive when playing ping pong, croquet and basketball.  Her grand kids remember coming out of the losing end of those games all too often.  And she she challenged you to a game of ping pong, she had a wicked kill shot and would use it at will.
But my mom had reached the point 
where she couldn't shower or dress herself anymore.
She didn't remember how to brush her teeth. Or turn on a light switch.  She had forgotten how to do the simplest things that she had done for years.
She didn't care about keeping the house tidy and clean--something in which she took such pride.... before.

She could barely find the words to utter a complete sentence
and most times would simply give up and stare into space,
her mind caught in a web of thoughts that couldn't find their way to her voice without getting all tangled.
She stopped engaging in conversation --and yet sadly she was aware enough of what what happening to her to become frustrated with herself. She would get angry.  Several times she would get so worked up that she would say she wanted to end her life.
That's a difficult thing to hear your mother say.

We all struggled to accept what was happening to her, grieving 
for the loss of her essence and tried somehow to establish another, 
much different, relationship with her. 

We would console each other by saying how this might be a kinder way to lose someone you love so deeply. One little piece at a time, until they were so far gone that you barely recognized them anymore and it would be a blessing to them (and us) when the suffering ended.
Now I realize were all going through a grieving process. 
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression....we had just reached the point of acceptance.

But through it all there was still a tiny bit of hope.

I started to dig deep in the research surrounding brain health, dementia and Alzheimer's.   To find some clue, some reason for this disease to take hold in my mom, and more importantly what could be done about it.  Was there some trigger?  Was there some nutrient or lifestyle change that could help?
If I could get down to the root cause, then maybe there could be something that we could do for her.

The more I learned, the more empowered I became.  After all, this is what I do.  I help people become healthier.  I search for the answer to help their bodies rebuild health.  It's a little easier when you are talking about losing weight or eliminating allergies. Those things are fairly easy when you have the proper tools.  The brain is a little more tricky and so much more complex.

This disease became my focus.  I was not willing to give her up to this disease that quickly.  Not this person who was everything to our family.
  
After much thought and consideration, my husband made the decision to retire early so he and I could give my mom a fighting chance.  

Simply accepting what was happening to her was not an option.
We were not going to give in to this disease.  
We would do what we could to help her fight for her life. 
We declared war on dementia---and so began the battle 
for my mom's brain and her essence:  The War For Rose.

Our initial goal?  To stop or at least slow the progression
 of this brutal disease and to give my mom at the very least
 --a better quality of life.

It's been 4 full months since we became her caregivers.  

We've made some huge changes in her diet 
and added targeted supplements to support brain health.
We've also made some key changes in her routine and environment.

And so far we've experienced some surprising progress which 
makes us hopeful that we are gaining ground.

However, we quickly learned with a disease like this, 
progress is not a two steps forward and one step back dance. 
It's more of a zigzag.  
This disease keeps throwing us curve balls and we just have to
figure out how to hit them back.

So, in addition to my usual health coaching tips,
I'll be sharing what we are doing with my mom 
in the hopes that you can help someone you love with memory loss. 

In fact, the strategies I'll share will help anyone who 
would like a little more focus in their life and would value 
long-term brain health.
Even those who simply struggle with the "now where did I leave my keys?"  or "why did I come in here?" syndrome.  
(Is this you?)  

Maybe you'd like to readily remember names and dates or
not get so easily distracted when you are at work or doing chores at home.
Maybe you've been diagnosed with an issue that affects your brain.

Just know that Knowledge is power. 

And with this knowledge you can make educated choices for your health and the health of the ones you love.

Our brain is the epicenter of all that we are, so in my opinion, 
we need to show it the respect it deserves and we should do everything we can to support its health.
We would be silly not to, right?

Maybe you will be able to start a little sooner with those lifestyle changes, invest in the nutrition and reap the long-term benefits of optimal brain health.  And maybe because of your wise actions of prevention, your health span will match your life span, 
and you'll live a long and healthy life.

Anyway, that's my hope.  Stay tuned. 

Be well, my friends
~Anne