Monday, December 24, 2018

december 22nd 2010

DECEMBER 22ND 2010
Image result for organicgreendoctor
that day will always be important to me my family my friends my patients as it was the day that my life changed from where i was at that day to where i am now

not all folks can pick a day that deflected their life in another direction

its been 8 years since that day
a few weeks before as i volunteered to be in that normal control group of the alzheimers research study i was happy i was doing my part to advance alzheimers research even it meant being in the normal study group
then
the deflection came like a rock on an incline where a ball rolls down
hits the rock
careens off in another direction
so
it was that day

i sat there staring sweating almost woozy like as i couldnt answer their questions correctly
i knew it would be coming for me i just didnt think it would be this soon
my mom had just died with it a few months earlier
my younger brother was in the throes of it when i sat there in that chair
yes
as a doctor and a family member of those affected i knew what it meant when i couldnt answer those questions correctly
yep i knew

yes the next morning as i sat at my computer i cried
i can remember the tears dropping down onto the computer keyboard
i didnt wipe them off my face or the keyboard
i just let them dry in place

yes
i sat there and planned what i was to do
so
after receiving that phone call giving me my final report
i knew i had 3 weeks to plan what happened next
so
i slowed down my practice a lot
starting seeing folks early for med refills doing well child exams and physicals early
i said bye to a lot of folks they just didnt know it at the time

the last patient i saw in practice was an employees sons 2 year well child exam
i had called her a few days before and asked her to bring him in for his exam
i knew he would be the last patient i ever saw

that afternoon the clinic supervisor said
you arent coming back are you

i deflected like that rock did with my answer
i thought to myself as i drove home
thats it

i met the neurologist the next day
got my official diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment probably due to alzheimers disease
i got my prescription aricept (donepezil) which might slow down the disease maybe

i decided to not look back just forward
i never returned to work
i gave up my medical license
i entered a new world

as i look back over the last 8 years and look at where i thought i would be on december 22nd 2018 and now where i am on that date
i am pleasantly surprised and happy with my health and my life

since i had seen this disease up close and personal i thought i knew where i would be in those 8 years
i really expected a slow decline in my memory and physical symptoms over this time
so that i wouldnt be driving or writing or doing things independently today
but
here i am writing my blog for eight years
i just scheduled a 5 day vacation and trip to new orleans for my sons wedding
no my wife she lets me do all that
i just did our budget for the next year
i just reallocated our investments myself
i just did a preliminary assessment for our taxes next year
i think nothing of hopping in my car and driving to ucla for my infusions or scans by myself
granted my wife usually tags along
in the last few months i have done 3 alzheimers presentations to large groups and did an interview for the alzheimers grater los angeles to use in a day long seminar for doctors and nurses and health workers on what its like to be a patient and what they should do better
yes i spoke from the patient side and the doctor side
yes i like the doctor side much better

yes
my life my status is so much better than what i expected i it to be back in 2010

if i have one health issue i could fix it would be my sleep
the aricept (donepezil) interferes with my ability to get enough sleep each day
luckily i am retired and can grab a daily nap when i can
an event i enjoy each day

as i have improved over the last 8 years i know that part of that improvement may be due to the aricept (donepezil)
so
i am willing to accept the side effects of lack of sleep and the blurred vision the nausea the dizziness it sometimes causes
i am afraid to discontinue it
i know if i stopped it my sleep would return to normal and those other symptoms would go away
but
if it is helping its just delaying symptoms since i know it doesnt really stop the disease
i understand that
but
im afraid if i stop it i will go down into the abyss
a place i want to avoid as long as i can

why am i better
why are my memory scores better
answers
the aricept (donepezil)  i started it real early my mom and two brothers stared it much later
i take better care of my health than i did 8 years ago yes getting this diagnosis wakes you up some about your health another reason to get an early diagnosis
i discovered i had a low b12 level and a low vitamin d3 level and an abnormal homocysteine level
these are corrected with supplements
i take 12 supplements a day that may help slow down the disease  even though they havent been absolutely proven to help
i am willing to try them hoping that one or more might make a difference
i stay busy social mentally and physically
my real only issue i have is my sleep issue

so
when i look back
i am so thankful to be where i am today
being surrounded by my family
staying active
being able to receive the experimental drug aducanumab at ucla each month that might also be slowing down this disease

i really cant complain for where i am today
eight years later

i want to wish the readers of this blog my family my friends
a merry christmas
and or
a happy new year
and or
a happy holidays

i feel quite merry and happy today on my anniversary

the organicgreen doctor

No comments:

Post a Comment