welcome to the organic green doctor blog

i am a family physician who was diagnosed with
early mild cognitive impairment(mci) amnestic type on december 21, 2010
this is a precursor to alzheimers disease
because of this diagnosis i have opted to stop practicing medicine
this blog will be about my journey with this disease
please feel free to follow me along this path
i will continue blogging on organic gardening, green living,
solar power, rainwater collection, and healthy living
i will blog on these plus other things noted to be interesting

Monday, December 19, 2011

my friend gf

MY FRIEND GF
my wife she and i are going to visit my friend gf today
he has huntingtons disease
if you dont know about this terrible genetic disease then click
www.hdsa.org
for more information

if you were one of my patients and you like my personality and
laid back approach then you would like my friend gf

we met him and his wife at a party when we were in medical school
we had a mutual friend who was in my class who introduced us
my friend gf was in a class behind us
during the party we met them and spent a long time with them
we found a couple who felt the same about race, religion, and
politics
weve had other couple friends but none where those three things
were the same
weve stayed in contact over the years although separated by
hundreds of miles
weve visited each other multiple times over the years
they are one of those friends forever friends

my friend gf has a family history of huntingtons disease
he knew that there was this possibility of getting this disease
as he got older
he and his wife were able to plan their lives once they knew he
had the gene for hungtingtons disease
my wife she and i have used their situation although its not quite the same
as a model for what we need to do to prepare for the future

they were able to get their financial house in order as they had
several years before he would get to the point where he could
not practice medicine anymore
life insurance, disability insurance, health insurance, wills, living wills,
health care directive, power of attorney for health care and power
of attorney for finances
those are what is needed to be ready
they were ready when the time came for those final stages
of this disease
those difficult decisions that have to be made have already
be made so some of the stress and pressure is relieved from
the spouse
you cant ever be ready but you can be close
we hope to get our preparation to this point this year
most we have already done

they worked and enjoyed their lives
they did a lot of travel to places we wish we had gone
his wife is such a good trip planner
they have such good memories of all those trips
some included trips to visit us and they would explore the
central texas area

my friend gf is a large guy, very intelligent, very likeable
he loved unusual ties
real unusual ties
i got only one and he must have had a closet full
he loved scieince fiction like books
he sometimes would give me one to read and i would read it
because he gave it to me
then picture this a large guy in an hawaiian shirt with shorts and socks
and tennis shoes at the airport
looks like a terrorist dosesnt he
he was always the one that got pulled out of line and was searched
and had to take off his shoes
talk about profiling
as usual he always took it in stride

his wife is now the caretaker
although you cant prepare yourself for this role she has done and is
doing a good job

my friend gf
look forward to seeing you today
although im dreading seeing you lying in that bed
debilitated
will i be there soon or will it be awhile before i get there
i remember what you were like and thats the way ill always
remember you

my friend gf
we love you

the organicgreen doctor

5 comments:

  1. What a wonderful and moving tribute. Your visit was a delight for both of us. It is such a treat to have the kind of friends with whom you just pick up right where the conversation left off last time - even if it has been months since we were together. Our admiration for the work you are doing in Alzheimer's education and wife she's work inspiring students knows no bounds. We are all sort of in the same boat and doing a dang good job of paddling it!! With love and appreciation. gf and gf's wife she

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  2. Allan says:
    She is my sister and gf is my brother (actually brother-in-law but we love him like he is a brother). They have been very good for and to each other. It is hard to watch two wonderful people going through such a terrible thing. I am proud of how they have worked together as they have taken this journey. gf will always be remembered for being such a gentle and warm person. He is an outstanding person and is an example that we should all follow.
    Love,
    his wife's brother

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  3. gf still allows his sense of humor to shine through despite the progression of his disease. gf's wife she is amazing! Thank you for blogging about their journey through Huntington's Disease, a journey NO ONE would choose, but which they have met with class and style (and tears sometimes - very normal response).

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  4. As a friend of gf and his wife, I have nothing but admiration and awe for the dignified and capable way in which they have navigated an extraordinarily difficult course. I am privileged to know them and they are blessed to have your friendship and support.

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