Alzheimer's Expert Leah shares Alzheimer's management news and commentary at OurAlzheimers.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509 http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509 http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/95529/structuring-day Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:24:00 -0500 Leah How important is structure in the day of someone living with dementia?  It seems to be VERY important.  But HOW does one create structure when one is retired and every day is different?  That is my dilemma.    Here are my suggestions:   1.  Keep a calendar current. I actually have multiple calendars:  one on the refrigerator where I jot down important notes, one on my Palm Pilot phone, and one on... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/95529/structuring-day http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/94164/dementia-worse Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:20:00 -0500 Leah It's time for a checkup...a self check of where I am in the progress of my dementia.  One doctor told me that, with vascular dementia, there should be no further progression unless I have further TIA's (mini-strokes).  Another told me that I could have ten good years.  I took both to heart and have worked toward making my mind as sharp as I can make it.  Every once in a while, though, I stop to look at where I am, where I've... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/94164/dementia-worse http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/93479/ponderance Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:41:00 -0500 Leah A reader posed a most intriguing question to me giving me pause for thought:  Would I, if I had it to do over again, want to know my diagnosis of dementia?   I answered in fifty words or less...but the question begs for further exploration.   Each of us is different-that's a "duhhhh" statement if I ever heard one; but it's so true and much of the time, I think we forget this in our daily struggles to get through life. ... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/93479/ponderance http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/92404/choose-dementia Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:28:00 -0400 Leah This week's post is directed to those people with some form of dementia.    You are not alone.  You are not going crazy.  You are not losing it...well, maybe a little...but not all at once.  There's still time to be YOU to live a full life.   Dementia is a diagnosis.  A tragic one, to say the least.  But it does NOT have to be so...final.  When I received my diagnosis, I was devastated. ... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/92404/choose-dementia http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/90571/constantly Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:46:00 -0400 Leah It seems like forever since I last wrote!  Just the smallest change can upset my day, my schedule.  In this case, it has been a change in ouralzheimers.com's personnel.  It really didn't affect me except that I will have someone new to whom to send my blog.  To the normal person, this would be no big deal, but  to the person with dementia (like myself), even such a small change seems insurmountable at first.  It has... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/90571/constantly http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/86250/dementia-dance Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:07:00 -0400 Leah As I get more out into the world, pushing my limits, I am finding that many whom I meet are being affected in one way or another by dementia.  Most are caregivers or children with a parent or two with Alzheimers.  Many others are dealing with old age dementia in their parent(s).  I am fortunate to meet the people who are able to leave these parents to go to meetings or dinner, etc.  We talk and usually the conversation will... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/86250/dementia-dance http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/84625/aricept-dreaming Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:03:00 -0400 Leah Every medication can have side effects.  That’s a given.  Whether or not you can live with the side effect is the big question.   I take a medication given to many with some form of dementia—Aricept.  It has many possible side effects.  The most common are generally minor and include nausea, headache, diarrhea, and abnormal dreaming.  I experience the latter.  Fortunately, I now understand... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/84625/aricept-dreaming http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/84054/end-condition Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:15:00 -0400 Leah What a victorious, glorious day I had!  That’s the only way I can describe it.  Even with dementia, I had managed to teach a class to senior citizens AND be part of a presentation to another group of seniors.  Please indulge my musings…   I design and teach classes to help strengthen one’s mind by using one’s senses of taste, touch, sound, touch, and sight.  It takes me... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/84054/end-condition http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/83119/wanted Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:09:00 -0400 Leah I need input from you, my readers; I need your expertise, your background of knowledge, your help. I don’t know how to describe my latest problem.Time management? Organization?Lack of understanding the passage of time? Perhaps, I should just explain using an example.  Yesterday afternoon, I began organizing my calendar, trying to get a heads up on what I had planned for the future.  I started about 1:30 in the... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/83119/wanted http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/79409/bowl-cherries Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:05:00 -0400 Leah I love that quote:  “Life is just a bowl of cherries…”  It describes what I am going through right now—my life with its ups and downs.  We all have them.  It’s just knowing what to do with them that counts…   I’m getting tired of having dementia.  I want it to go away.  I want to brush out the cobwebs in my mind.  I’m tired of playing brain ... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/6509/79409/bowl-cherries