one thousand

ONE THOUSAND
today as i looked at the counter on my blog its said
999
so when i publish this blog in a few minutes
it will flip over to 1000

i guess thats like when your car flips over to 1000000

when i think about it
i wonder how in the heck did i think of all those things
to write about
and
for someone who doesnt consider himself to be a writer
it still seems unreal that i could have written about
that many things
1000
who would have thought it

this blog started over three years ago when i was still
in practice
i had being thinking about doing one but had never
taken the step to get started
so
one saturday i was outside working in the yard
when i came in for lunch my wife she said
you need to watch this story i dvred about this
lady who wrote this blog that had become extremely
popular

my wife she said you could do that you know

so i sat down dirty clothes and all
and signed up my blog on google
and started blogging

my original purpose was to write about organic gardening
rainwater harvesting solar power recycling green living
and to add a splash of medical stuff using my day to day
experiences in my office to write about the medical stuff


then after a few months i got diagnosed with mild
cognitive impairment amnestic type thought to be from
alzheimers disease
had to quit practicing medicine
was placed on aricept donepezil for the diagnosis
entered as a study subject in the alzheimers disease
neuroimaging initiative (adni) the largest and most
important study ever done on alzheimers disease
a real life changing event

i redirected the focus of this blog some to alzheimers disease
to educate folks about the disease
and
to write about what happens to me with my diagnosis
and how i feel about it
and how my wife she and i deal with it
over the following time ahead when i can continue to write

my condition seems stable maybe a slight drop off in things
some
im hoping to get into a treatment study soon that may show
some promise in slowing down the disease
time will tell on that

the two hardest blogs i have written were

the last day thanks blog

and

the one about my younger brother joe
who had lost his battle with alzheimers disease
even today when i go back to read those blogs i tear up
they also have been two of my most read blogs


another blog i wrote about abbie
a young middle school former patient of mine
about her life being born without
a left lower arm and how she perseveres with everything
she does
she is an amazing student for whom i have a lot of admiration


i hope that i have educated you folks about alzheimers disease
helping you to know what kind of workup needs done
what treatments are available
what research is being done
what you can be doing nowfor yourselves your family
to slow down or prevent the disease
and
what resources are out there for you to help deal with the diagnosis

several people have been routed to alzheimers research studies
thanks to this blog


i also think ive infected quite a few folks with the rainwater collection
virus
something we need more of in this droughty weather we have right now


i also hope that i have inspired and educated you about organic gardening
and have inspired you enough to go out and try it in your yard


then i hoped that i have made you smile occasionally
and

i do want to apologize to my wife she
for all the times ive picked on her
shes a good sport she is
and
she is a good wife

heres to another 1000 postings
and
heres to finding a cure for alzheimers disease


the organicgreen doctor

last day

LAST DAY

so far so good
were still here today

today is the two year anniversary of my diagnosis of
mild cognitive impairment amnestic type thats thought
to be due to alzheimers disease

at the time it felt like the end of the world but it wasnt
then either

in two years there has been little change
im still on aricept (donepezil) since this may be alzheimers
and its the only treatment available to slow the symptoms

that and taking care of my health with diet exercise staying
mentally active maintaining  adequate sleep when i can
maintaining a normal blood pressure maintaining a normal
cholesterol and staying active generally

im still able to do all the things i enjoy except of course
practicing medicine

i do this daily blog and communicate with folks from across
the united states and the world

my wife and i have traveled a lot the last two years
visiting california several times utah arizona new mexico
colorado arkansas memphis tennessee nashville tennessee and
nicaragua

i stay active at my country n maintaining my ten acres
and doing my organic green garden

i volunteer once or twice a week building habitat for humanity
houses and volunteer delivering meals on wheels to seniors
one day a week

i also have given talks on alzheimers (feel free to ask for one
if you know a group that whats to hear one) and have some
planned this next year

i also contribute frequently to the alzheimers association
discussion groups online answering peoples questions or
giving them advise as one with the disease one who has
family members with the disease and one who has
treated the disease as a physician

i also have had three teams in the walk to end alzheimers here
in this area and am on the committees that organize the walks

we hope to add another team in southern arkansas for its
first walk next year as our family has been hit hard with
this terrible disease

i am a study subject in the largest and most important alzheimers
research study that has and is being done called the
alzheimers disease neuroimaging initiative (adni) study
(click here to read about it)

because of this study i have been able to receive all the newest
studies that are currently being done to diagnose this disease
genetic studies blood biomakers volumetric mris fdg glucose
metablolism pet scans beta amyloid pet scans spinal fluid analysis
for beta amyloid and tau protein and neuropsychological tests

all of which allow me to know where im at with this disease

i have been able to stay in contact with many of my former
patients via this blog email facebook and twitter

so yes im busy and contented

here is the blog i wrote the day i was diagnosed
i read it occasionally with a teary eye
it helps me stay grounded

LAST DAY-THANKS 

'this is my last day to work as a physician

i always considered myself lucky to have been able to

do in life what i wanted to do since i was a middle schooler

in high school i was able to work in a local hospital in the

summer on weekends and during holidays

our family was poor so not only did i get financial benefit from

working but i also was exposed to a lot in the hospital setting

it made me know that i wanted to be a family physician

during college i worked as a emergency room technician

on weekends, weeknights, and holidays

this also gave me financial support but also exposed me to

different doctors and different emergency situations

i was accepted to medical school but never wavered on what

kind of doctor i wanted to be

a family physician

i was accepted to a family practice residency

after completing my residency i owed the federal government

three years to work at an approved federal undeserved area

i was able to create with some help a site in  the small

town near where i grew up       i  worked there for three years

although traumatic at times it was a learning experience that i

carried through out my career

after fulfilling my three year obligation and after sustaining a

large financial hit from my involvement with the local clinic

i was recruited to the area where i am working now

thanks to my medical school friend for helping me out in

my time of need

i have worked for 25 years as a family physician

i always wanted to be one

now it is time i have to quit not because i want to but

because a genetic health problem has risen its nasty head

and because of this i will have to discontinue what i like to do

i do not ever dread going to work every day

i feel like i have now just gotten good at what i do

i realize that patients dont necessarily need all of the new

medications we have, the new tests we can do or need

the newest treatments available

they do better if you just listen to them, pat them on the

shoulder, be kind to them and be their advocate when

they need it

i have honed my skills in taking care of kids over my career so

that many of the kids have felt comfortable seeing me and look

forward to seeing me to get a sticker or sucker, hear my

duck voice, or have me joke with them

that part i will miss a lot

thanks to all my patients in the past for allowing me to fulfill

my dream of being a family physician

i hope i have done you a good job

thanks to my wife she for putting up with me during

my quest for my career

know shes found hers now

love yall

the organicgreen doctor'

the organicgreen doctor