Alzheimer's is a horrible disease!

My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's this year. We first noticed that something was wrong during the Christmas holidays. There was confusion about dates and commitments she had made.

I suggested that I go to her next doctor's appointment with her; and she agreed. The visit to the doctor was even more difficult than I imagined because his first question to me was, "Do you think your mother should be living alone?" We spent the next 30 minutes discussing additional testing while Mom seemed content to tune out.

That began the long process of driving back and forth to Charleston every weekend. Calling Mom every morning and night to remind her did not help her manage her medications. Also, she wasn't eating. In fact, from November 2008 until April, 2009, my mother lost 25 lbs.

We very quickly saw that Mom needed more immediate attention so my daughter Imani went to stay with her for 3 weeks to help her manage.
When I came down after the first week, my 23 yr old daughter looked like she hadn't had any sleep at all. (She hadn't because Mom did not sleep, she catnapped.)

We finally got our diagnosis, and moved Mom to Charlotte on April 21, 2009. I'll keep you posted.

More stuff

I was thinking about a comment that a friend of mine made to my mother. She said that I was always the adventurous one and she usually just went along with me. We both usually got into trouble because we broke the rules, the curfew, the something.

Anyway, I remember as a child and then an adolescent having lots of rules. They never seemed to end. I don't remember consciously thinking about it, but the world...my world seemed to be too small to contain me. So I was always rattling my cage. That's exactly how I felt, as though I was in a cage. Hence my rebellion, I never felt as though I had the power to affect my world.

When I finally burst free, the new world I fell into was so big and scary. There were no safety nets, so I felt as though I had to succeed. My mother had always said don't be in such a hurry to get out there.....and once you're out there's no coming back.
My relationship with my mother and stepfather was problematical at best. I wouldn't want to go back into time or anything like that.

I don't really know why I've been thinking about all that anyway. What's done is done.
Anyway, I'm just chilling here thinking about all this stuff for no particular reason. Just wondering if I'm actually free and was it worth it.

no title just stuff

Ok, I can finally say it out loud. I was dumped! and it was done so smoothly too. At this writing, I am looking for something to occupy my mind.
I thought I met Mr. Right, instead he was Mr. Unable To Tell the Truth and Commit. Well, it didn't go with my first name anyway. (smile)

Imani introduced me to a page about a new movie coming out in the winter called "the Golden Compass". I won't bore you with a long description, but I took an online test to find out who my daemon was. (they're always your opposite genders and embody your personal characteristics).

Anyway, my guy's name is Nithreus. He's a tiger. Why don't people see me as that in real life, hmmm?
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Old friends are best

Today is the last day of my vacation. I spent the past week visiting with my friend Rosalind who flew in from Boston. Roz and I have been friends since we were 12 years old...that's almost 42 years. We met in the 7th grade at Girls' Latin School. We didn't like one another initially, but here we are 42 years later.

It was a good time. No we didn't go to the clubs. We visited with her Aunties in Concord, shopped at the Mall. We drove to Charleston, SC to visit my mother and just have fun; and then back up to Kannapolis to visit cousin Jeanne and Thomas in their beautiful new home on Lake Kannapolis.

And I remembered all over again what it's like to have a best friend in whom you can confide your secrets.

We shared our heartbreak over our last relationships and our hope for new ones. Let's get back on the horse again!

She just called to say her plane arrived safely and she was home. I miss her already.

Today just......

sucked! I have the headache from hell and I can't get rid of it. The pollen count has been abnormally high. My sinuses feel as though they are going to burst. I tried taking sinus meds, but nothing seems to work.

Even worse I seem to have struck a plateau in my goal for fitness. despite my going to the Y four times a week, I seem to gain and lose the same 2 pounds.

Anyway, enough already!

Windows Vista

I treated myself to a laptop this week and they offered VISTA as the operating system. The color is great, the computer is great, but there are some flaws. Vista is not currently compatible with IM. There is an IM process being developed for Vista but no release date as of yet.

Also, I have remote access to computer at work, but I can't download the information because it's not compatible.

Imani suggested that I get XP until the get the bugs out of Vista, but I couldn't wait to have cutting edge technology. (bad Nettie)

I worked this weekend, but I plan to spend some time seeing what this thing can do. That's all for now. Regards

More drabbles from a Y rat

I am still going strong on the exercise front. This week I added something new, water aerobics and it's great. (so far I've lost 10 lbs.- 50 more to go)
Now, I can't swim well, but you don't really need to because we're in water that is not more than neck high. The only danger I'm in is if I fall off my noodle!
A noodle, for those of you not in the know, is a foam cylindrically shaped-er noodle. If you wrap it under your arms or ride it like a bike, it keeps you afloat.

We had bicycle races across the pool sometimes using hands and feet; sometimes just using feet. I got a real workout. I began to feel like I could swim until I forgot and actually tried to. Splash! Imagination met reality as I fell off my noodle.

The 55 minute session followed by a shower and 10 minutes in the sauna left me feeling as pampered as if I went to an expensive spa. The YMCA, who knew?

The Wisdom of Menopause

I don't know why, but this week is very hard to get thru. I figured that I was tired driving all the way to VA and back for the funeral so I rested last weekend. I don't have an excuse and I'm exhausted.
Maybe it's because I'm a woman of a certain age and we need extra care and rest to replenish what we lose as we age.

I saw a great series on PBS this weekend about it called The Wisdom of Menopause by Dr. Christiane Northrup. The series was a wonderful blend of modern medicine and holistic remedies. She has a website. Google it!

I learned for example that originally HRT medication was provided for all women once they became perimenopausal as a preventer of heart attack. Every women, regardless of her symptoms, was given the same dosage.

We now know that one woman may only need medicine for hot flashes while another woman may only require something to ease vaginal dryness.
I also learned why it's been so difficult to rid myself of the extra weight I put on due to middle-age spread. Ladies, all I can say is that stress is a killer!
I urge each and everyone of you to take care of yourself. For example, sleep is the only natural reliever of stress. Each woman needs 8 hours or more. How many of us get that when we are in our child rearing years?
Dr. Northrup stated that the information contained in her book should carry a young woman into menopause without fear.

Another expert on the subject is Dr. Susan Lark who also has a website chock full of information. You may opt to subscribe to either or both. The information is consistent for both.

I'm putting it out there, ladies, do the research and grow. I'm going to clean out my 2nd chakra!

What has come before.... and now

All right. Remember that I said no resolutions for this year and that I was going to embrace life? Well, I did.
Last December, I finished the United Way internship. I made wonderful friends and went back to my regular 9-5.

I joined the YMCA, hired a personal trainer, began dating, fell in love, and started studying for my certfied financial planner credentials (CFP).

As of this writing I am down 10 pounds and hope to be another 10 by months end.
I am actually getting definition on my biceps and triceps and can do 200 crunches per set. Not bad for a woman who could barely do 21 crunches 2 months ago.

Embracing life is fun!!!!!!!!