hope for the future

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

these kids and their generation and the generation
just above them
are the hope for the future
for everything but especially for
a cure or preventative treatment for
alzheimers disease

i can see it like way over there in the horizon
like when you travel in the dessert in the early evening
or early dawn
way off in the distant you see those glittering lights
and those areas of green

hope is out there but its way out there

the cure and treatment will probably come too late
for my generation
but
it will be there for these little guys and their soul mates

a new study i read about this morning was done on women
who took multivitamins with minerals long term
they had a 35% decrease in their risk of dying from
heart disease

now i know from all my reading on alzheimers disease
that generally whats good for the heart is good for the brain

there right now are so many exciting potentially game changing
studies with different new drugs and treatments


the A4 study
folks will be given the new alzheimers vaccine  who
have positive scans that show they will probably get
alzheimers disease but have no symptoms
the vaccine will remove beta amyloid from the brain
thats the bad stuff that is thought to be the culprit in
alzheimers disease
if it works they wont get the disease or will slow down its
progression


the apoe4 studies
folks who have the double apoe4 gene like i have
which puts them at high risk for developing alzheimers disease
will be given the alzheimers vaccine

other folks will be  be given a bace inhibitor which stops
the brain from producing the bad stuff beta amyloid


colombian studies
folks who have the dominant gene for alzheimers disease
and all yes all of them will get it in their 30s to late 40s
and die from it
they will get the vaccine also

so using the vaccine and the bace inhibitor will be thoroughly
tested and we will know in 3-5 years if this approach will
work
if it does we will see this form of treatment get fast tracked
to folks who are early like me or who are at high risk
like
eg my siblings who arent affected yet
they can be screened with scans and spinal fluid analysis
if they are positive
then they could be started on a lifetime of treatment

so maybe this is the hope for the future we are looking for

of course if it doesnt work we are knocked back to ground zero
but
there are lots of other studies being done


the noble t-817ma study just got fast tracked some because of some
promising new studies showing it may help
basically this chemical promotes the new growth of new nerve cells
and
inhibits brain cell death


the sniff study just started one that i might get involved with
basically insulin is sprayed up the nose
goes up the smeller nerve thats the olfactory nerve to the
part of the brain where alzheimers disease starts
it increases glucose to the brain cells some damaged and some not
preliminary studies shows that folks who use this
have an improvement in memory

i expect this will work some and will become part of a
treatment regimen for folks

so these studies above are ongoing now
in humans
and will be available in 5-10 years if they help

some hope for the future

there are lots and lots of studies in animals usually rats or mice
that seem promising
like the stanford study studies on multiple older meds like
citalopram bexarotene etc


then
there is the reversal of cognitive study from ucla that was published
last year that use 36 points
half were healthy things like blood pressure cholesterol diabetes control
exercise diet sleep mental activity meditation for me thats gardening
and making sure your numbers are ok like thyroid b12 homocysteine
vitamin d hormones
then the rest was supplements based on human and animal studies
that showed promising results

he had 9 of 10 people with memory loss get better
the one that didnt had more advanced alzheimers disease
most had memory loss documented on memory tests
some had abnormal scans
when they went off the regimen they got worse again
so
theres something in what is in that 36 point study

maybe some it will be related to the new study referenced above in
women with lower heart disease rates who took multivitamins with minerals

so
in summary
there is hope for the future
for
we always have to have hope dont we


fyi
there are only 12 tickets left for the special showing of still alice
they are along the back row of the auditorium
thats actually where we always like to sit at the alamo drafthouse

the organicgreen doctor

eye smell

EYE SMELL
no im not odoriferous

well sometimes i am after a good dose of beans
heck
i read the other day that those who have to smell foul
flatulence may actually live longer

so there is hope for some of you wives

last year when i went in for my annual alzheimers center visit
for the alzheimers disease neuroimaging initiative
they asked me
would you like to do another study today
we need volunteers
so
i said yes
i always do


it was a scratch and sniff test
like those things in the magazines you scratch them smell the
perfume or cologne
they never smell good to me thats what i think

but this had all kinds of smells
like cedar coffee pine some stinky stuff flowers  licorice etc
it went on for a long time
some i would have to identify or say yes or no to

why the smell test
well it seems that thats the first to go in alzhiemers disease is the
sense of smell since
the olfactory nerve goes to the under surface of the brain
to the area in the brain where alzheimers starts


i wrote about the peanut butter smell test
this new scratch and sniff test works the same way
a defect in the ability to identify the odors or even smell them
means there could be memory problems down the road
it could be one of those screening tests
flunk it
maybe your need to get testing done


then the eye test
in alzheimers disease you get amyloid plaques that form in the brain
its thought to be the cause of alzheimers disease
several companies have developed retinal screens that use some
type of fluorescence to highlight the amyloid plaque that can be seen
in the back of the eye with these scans

the back of the eye is how doctors can sometimes peek into the brain

one company uses curcumin a product of turmeric acid which is
known for it use in indian food
its also taken by some people in hopes it may slow alzheimers disease
but
in this case its only staining the amyloid plaques in the retina


if you have beta amyloid accumulating in the back of your eye
then you are probably accumulating it in the brain
remember this accumulation starts years and years before
alzheimers disease symptoms show up

as we get closer to finding a treatment or cure
the earlier you know you may get alzheimers disease
the better your chance for treatment

this test appears to be extremely accurate
95-100% in the studies

so in the future maybe as soon as late 2015 you can go to
your eye doctor
get the scan
if its positive
get more definitive tests like memory tests
the biomarkers beta amyloid and tau in the spinal fluid
and
the amyvid pet scan which highlights amyloid in the brain
also coming soon will be the new alzheimers blood tests to add to
these tests
then treatment when it becomes available

because of the increased healthy living that folks are doing now
by eating correctly exercise controlling blood pressure cholesterol diabetes
their weight etc
the rate of alzheimers is actually declining finally
but
because of so many numbers of folks getting old the numbers
are increasing annually

these are exciting screening tests
after doing the smell test study i would think that the eye test
will be much more accurate and easier to do
my nose and smeller nerve were wore out
and
heck i see the ophthalmologist annually anyway

yep again
theres
hope for the future

the organicgreen doctor

hope on the range

HOPE ON THE RANGE
once we got our key situation straightened out
off we went on our trip to the oasis mcr vineyard and orchards
the name and location ill not give out since like i wrote before
i dont want people to know where this place is

we loved the drive on the way there through the desert
and hills with the colorado mountains in the distance

we lived in the high desert in southern california while
attending college so we have an appreciation for the desert
you can only have if you live there and study that environment
like i did as  a biology major

its where i learned to capture and hunt down rattlesnakes
much to the chagrin of my historian brother who was a
roommate at that time
he had many a sleepless night knowing that there was a cage of
rattlesnakes in his living room

after a 10 mile torutuous drive down a dirt road that drops
2000 feet we made it to our destination at 5000 ft elevation
a meca in the desert

we were able to stay in this cabin while we were there
the daytime temperatures were in the 90s and the nighttime
temps were in the 50s
its off the grid being on solar
no ac was needed since its nestled under the trees
at night a cool breeze came through which reminded me of
sleeping with the windows opened in santa barbara
and getting that ocean nighttime breeze

the mcr is off the grid totally
the power comes from solar panels that is stored in batteries
which provides the power for the ranch

the cabin where the wwoofers stay is also solar powered

whats a wwoofer  you ask
its stands for
world wide opportunities on organic farms or
willing workers on organic farms
www.wwoofusa.org is the link for the usa organization
so who are these folks

the ones we  worked with were all young folks

an ohioan college student who just graduated and waiting to enter
americorp for a period of time before moving on with his life

a young couple who recently hiked the appalachian trail
and are from north carolina

an idaho college senior a business major who is doing her internship
at mcr
she plans to do peace corps after graduating before she enters
the business world

a philadelphia student who has done 1-2 years of school who is not
sure whathe wants to do in life
hes taking a pause for now before he moves on

a student from florida a senior who wanted to see a different
part of the country before she hits that last year of school
she just returned from europe earlier this summer

all have a love for the outdoors
they like hiking rock climbing
they work 30 hours a week
in return they get room and board
they have two days off each week
many take a day of rest
but commonly mr db the owner who is only slightly older than they are
will take them on long hikes to places that only he knows how to get there
to see the anasazi indian ruins
or
like some do they do hiking in that part of southern utah
and southwest colorado
its also close to a lot of national parks
even the grand canyon is not that far away
a delightful group of kids

after spending the five days with them we always feel so refreshed
and
we do feel good about the youth when you work beside them
hike with them and just sit around at night talking with them
hours together
you realize yes on yes there
is hope for the future

the organicgreen doctor

hope for the future

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
we see on tv and the internet about young kids today
gangs drugs alcohol teenage pregnancy dropouts
all bad things get shown on tv and the internet
it seems not enough good stuff is told about these kids

we get groups to come out and work at the habitat for
humanity builds
whenever i see that a group of youth is coming from a
high school or school club or college or church youth group
i get excited because i know its going to be a good day
supervising them and interacting with them
as we do projects on the habitat house and property

i like to find out what their goals are where they plan
on going to college what else they are doing in their lives
much like i use to do with my patients when i was
in practice

hopefully along the way these kids learn something they can
carry with them into the future

this last weekend we had the womens softball team from
westwood high school come work with us doing landscape
as their day to bond together and learn to work together
here is the group prework day
notice the smiles

those black uniforms they use to practice in did not stay completely
black all day long

heres  what we started with that day
rocks from the limestone were scattered everywhere
then there was rocks that were dug up from the ground during
construction
wheelbarrows and wheelbarrows and wheelbarrows of them

you know rocks just grow around here and pop out of the ground
if you have ever gardened here you know what i mean

there also was a lot of lumber scattered everywhere left over from
framing and concrete work
then there was scattered trash also
in other words the lot was a mess

these players worked hard all day
but i think they enjoyed the work and the companionship with
each other
they cleared out all that mess
folks it was a lot
i told one of the volunteers im glad we didnt get the sod to lay today
since there is so much junk that needs to be removed from this property

they moved yards of mulch to the new beds we made for
the new home owner

they moved a lot i mean a lot of dirt and spread it across the yard
preparing the yard for the sod laying next week

since they have to rake their softball infield they did a great job
the best ive ever seen
of raking out the dirt
even making designs like you see in those zen gardens

they also moved a big pile of river rock to the area
between the street and the sidewalk
that nomansland thats hard to maintain

they planted plants xeric native plants

then
they as a group got together and bought a plant
an esperanza yellow belle to be donated to the new home owner
they presented it to her with the captains making the
presentation to the owner
what a speech each gave

the homeowner cried
ok i teared up some as did others
parents of these women would be so proud of them

then
we all got together with the homeowner for a final picture

and
then
here is what the yard looks like at the end of the day

we have eliminated a fourth of the front yard
planted xeric plants
heavily mulched everything
rocked the nomansland
slowed down the flow of water off the property so more water
will remain in her yard

so at the end of the day
we were all tired
a good tired
but
those players were still smiling as they left
oh to have some of that energy

and
as i was driving home that day i thought again

these kids are
our hope for the future

we should be hearing more of their stories
they will be our doctors lawyers politicians maybe president
teachers daughterinlaws wives
our bosses

and
then
maybe

we wont worry so much about our future

the organicgreen doctor

its a habit

ITS A HABIT


for almost two years now i have done volunteer work with
habitat for humanity
usually on wednesday and sometimes on saturday based on
whats happening in my life and whats being done on the habitat
house
eg
i dont do roofs
since i realize you cant fall off a roof if you dont get on one
thats real simple and accurate
and
since i ruptured my disk in my back ive eliminated ladders to
that rule also
so
if you dont get on a ladder you cant fall off it either
as
i dont want to be put on the dreaded ladder list or roof list of those
who have fallen off them

i do all the landscaping for the habitat and have gradually been
able to do more and more with that part of the construction









ive done 7 of the landscape designs so far and have more planned
as mentioned before usually on a limited budget and with a goal
to eliminate grass and make them as xeric as possible and
i only plant native plants

tomorrow i go to a key club at a local high school to talk about
the williamson county habitat for humanity since the key club
wants to do volunteer work for the habitat

folks your kids if they have not done so far needs to do some type
of volunteer work where they do good and do it for free
it benefits themselves greatly and those receiving the volunteering
probably more
it can help instill a sense of volunteerism that can carry through their
whole lives

here is what i plan to tell them
habitat is a christian organization that under this umbrella brings people
together to build these home and to bring hope to people

however since ive worked there ive worked with people from all
religions from atheist to catholics to jewish to muslems to hindus
to baptists methodist episcopalians presbyterians etc

its interesting that all those religions have doing good for mankind
as one of their common themes

these kids since they are under 18 will not be allowed to be on the
roof or on ladders so they want get on those ladder list or roof list
and can not use any power tools
but
there is a lot they can do and  a lot of skills they an learn
painting carpentry floor tile prep and placement and best of all
i love to have them help me with the landscaping

i usually will go into my teaching mode and explain why we are reducing
the amount of grass we put in why we are using xeric plants and why we
are using certain trees and why we plant them where we do
hopefully these are things they will take back with them even to
their own homes
a teaching moment i take advantage of

most kids that come to work there want to come back again
and most do

i tell you every time i work with these kids i think
yes
there is hope for the future

the organicgreen doctor

more hope for the future, more rice

MORE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

when i was in practice i had a family practice that included a lot 

of pediatrics

when i was in training for family practice i did so many rotations 

in pediatrics that the head of the pediatric department approached me 

once about switching over to pediatrics

but i loved family practice as i wanted to take care of the child

his parents his grandparents etc

as my pediatric patients aged i had more and more teenagers and 

young adults and college students

this mixture of young patients was just the right mixture for my practice

i tried to interact with them as much as possible finding out what they 

liked at school and what they wanted to do in the future

i realized despite what you hear in the media we may be in good hands

in the future

this weekend i worked with this group of kids from the key club

at leander high school

they helped my wife she and our friend and the new homeowner lance

do most of the landscape at his new house

they had to dig out 2 inches of soil in a large strip between the curb

and the sidewalk

then after this was dug out we placed black plastic and large rocks so 

that lance wont have to care for this difficult spot in his yard

we also added 4 larger boulders for a more natural look

pictures of the completed landscape will be posted later this week

these kids worked real hard on this area digging and talking all done in 

a misty rain and while being covered with mud and dirt

our version of a mud run

between my wife and i we knew each ones name and what they 

planned to do in life and what college they might be interested in 

what a great group of kids

we also scrapped off the dead grass from the front beds

these workers worked hard but also i think they had a good time

working and visiting with each other

at the end of the day we completed 90% of the landscape but 

ive decided to hold off on planting the shrubs since there is more

outside painting to do this week

when thats completed ill come back and plant them 

when i got home that day i thought about those kids who got all wet

and muddy since we had that misty rain

thought about how hard they worked real hard

it was an all female group i thought at first i wished i had some guys

to help me but this group proved me wrong on that one

thought about all the negative press we see on kids of their generation 

but when you get to work with them like we did this weekend and get 

to actually talk with them about the future

you realize there is much more hope for our future 

than what fox news cnn msnbc cbs nbc abc etc portrays

yes we will be left in good hands

MORE RICE

this weekend after working at the habitat house getting all dirty and 

sweaty and getting real sore i climbed into our hot tub to see if the 

heat and water would help my aching back and sciatica

actually aching all over

as i was catching up on my messages 

i was writing a reply to my sisterinlaw who had a question about 

my younger brothers-who has alzheimers disease-medication

he is not doing well and my thoughts are with him and his family 

in these difficult moments 

as i was typing i noticed i couldnt use the space bar

e ery few- days was all i could write

i looked down and dang if i hadnt dipped my cell phone 1/3 down into

my hot tub

heres your sign

i jumped out of the tub ran to my rice jar

wiped off the phone well after i removed my otter box

the phone was doing crazy things and wouldnt let me 

do anything to it

into the jar in went until the next day

then i charged it up and its working fine again 

i must have a cat iphone and i have used 2 of its 9 lives

the organicgreen doctor