Moving, Part Four

I took this picture in June of 3013 so I could write about Shingles. I knew I wanted to write about Shingles, but I didn't know I would do it from personal experience.  Oh I did have a prescription to get my shingles vaccine, but didn't want to spend the money and my husband was going downhill and that was my priority. So this is the first thing that has come back to haunt me. You see I have had Shingles recently with its physical pain and with the realization this might have been avoided. 

The next thing that has come back to haunt me is plumbing. I have well water and  have not maintained the water softener and consequently have rust in the water.  I should have been on top of this in the past. Actually the plumber was called almost a year ago about the rust problem and he didn't show. See HERE.  I didn't keep on the problem, perhaps because I was attending to my husband. 

When the sink clogged up and the wash machine over flowed, I did get a new plumber. He solved that and was to bring someone else in to give an estimate for helping with the rust. Before that could happen, however, Sally gave me another plumber who has put in a new water softener and saving me maybe $700.

How can I substitute  teach all January and have plumbers come to the house? My retired brother from Huntsville recognized the problem and came to Plant City. Together we strategized on what would be needed for the house to sell. 

We went through all my books and had three stacks:

1. Books I need to keep.
2. Books for my Huntsville nephew to sell on Amazon.
3. Books for a yard sale or eventually to donate. 

My brother was honest about what should not be moved. My realtor also is honest about the house. Less furniture will mean an easier move and will allow us to have the rug cleaned. The rooms will look larger. Pharis and my brother both cleaned out the workshop and the garage. When I went through the series on this blog, The House That Cleans Itself, the workshop and the garage were the last two areas that I didn't get to because of my caregiving duties.



The garage is now the designated spot for garage sales. One was held last Saturday and later in February more yard sales will happen.

Saturday, January 24,  we (my brother and I) had another yard sale for my stuff and only signs at the end of the street publicized the event. Even so I made $335.50. Large items included that corner cabinet I featured December 25 on this blog HERE. That corner cabinet would be problematic to move. A large chest was also sold. More yard sales will follow at the end of February. and someone is coming tonight to look at the piano tonight.

The workshop is now the designated place for boxes to be moved and boxes to be packed and put in the workshop. Where have I gotten these boxes? From the cafeteria at the high school where I have been substituting.

The house will be sold "as is" and has yet to be put on the market. The carpet will be cleaned on February 6th rather than taken up.

So much has been done and I have my marching orders. I have this table of stuff to go through before the carpet cleaner comes on February 6th.

Where the pool table used to be

I am so grateful for my brother from Huntsville, Alabama, who was able to come for a week when I just had thrown my hands up in despair at getting ready to move. Logically this retired rocket scientist took me through rooms and we made decisions. He met with the plumbers, and the carpet cleaners. I am so grateful for Pharis who has been fixing things around here so the house will be ready to sell and who is even coming today while my brother is driving back to Huntsville, Alabama.

What I'm Learning About Senior Health, Part Three

Workshop. Sally and I went to workshop at the USF Johnny Byrd Alzheimer's Institute on August 30th. DH and Jake spend the day at our home. Dr. Kristin Fargher, Assistant Medical Director at the Institute, gave an excellent overview called "Understanding Alzheimer's Disease and Progress in Treatment". 

This session was followed by Jill Ardila's presentation on "Clinical Trials: One Step Closer to a Cure." Sally has been having trouble sleeping lately and she has just joined a caregiver study now on the sleep of a caregiver that Jill Ardila mentioned. Jill also mentioned that current research for AD patients includes Resveratrol and coconut oil! When hubby was officially diagnosed with Mixed Dementia at Byrd Alzheimer's Institute two years ago see here, they were not impressed with the coconut oil I had been giving him. I just read that post again and realize that hubby really is doing so well in the past two years and so am I with the LORD's help. Now the Institute researchers have met Dr. Newport (whose interview video is one od the most viewed post on this blog) and are actually conducting research on it!  So glad DH has been on coconut oil for three years. He does get it with his coconut oil fudge for two meals. Perhaps he doesn't have enough every day, and maybe I can give him more by cooking with it most days. 

After a wonderful lunch, Eileen Poiley the Institute's Director of Education talked on "Strategies for Managing Behaviors and Communicating with a person with Alzheimer's". Her tips deserve a whole new post which will follow at some point. 

Off-hand Comments at the Workshop. I heard that Resvereatrol (has ingredient in dark chocolate) is at Sams Club and will look into that. One of the participants informally during a break talked about people in India cooking with turmeric and curumin and not having as much dementia. Hubby does get this every day with a Vitacost pill and whenever I can cook with it.

Scam? A series of studies have come out that says that aging is a result of oxidated stress where free radicals destroy some of the cells. Joe McCord and others have "discovered" that the taking of one pill of Protandim can help us not age, or return our T bars to a lower level. That video is here. Two of the ingredients in this pill my husband already takes--green tea and tumeric. He also has cinnamon on his applesauce he gets in the morning and often on a sweet potato. However the case is out on Protandim and if you Google it you see what ingredients are in it and that it might be a scam, or at least a scam in its marketing. I wonder if it was "the one thing" that was in the post here--a most popular post to date on this blog--the one thing that I never listened to because of the marketing approach.

Teeth. Got to floss, folks. Plaque can get into the blood stream through the teeth.  Never connected heart health and teeth before. Actually have been going to a really good dentist for almost two years now when we got on Preferred Care. Flossing is hard for my wrists since I have carpal tunnel symptoms again, but got to do it.

Shingles. You can get a shingles shot at Walmart in our area this week. Hubby got shingles after he was first diagnosed with dementia soon after I started this blog almost four years ago. Preferred Care will not cover this shot for me, but I am considering paying for it because of the stress of caregiving and over a year ago my doctor said seniors should get this shot.

MSM. I am taking MSM for my carpal tunnel as I did years ago. My doctor approved. Also I am wearing my braces at night and during the day some.  I also need a hearing test.

Aluminium Deodorants. Can people avoid Alzheimer's by avoiding certain deodorants? See here. While it may be a good idea to not use aluminum in cooking, we do not know that we have to avoid it in deodorants unlike that site implies. Nobody else on Google is saying that aluminum in deodorants causes Alzheimer's, in fact it is called a myth if you google it. This site sums it up:

It is interesting that the Aluminum/Alzheimer's connection continues to persist for many people, even though in the 1960's and 1970's after it was first suspected and researched extensively, no connection has ever been found. There is still no known cause of Alzheimer's, but a few things that are believed to help prevent it are: eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat and cholesterol, staying mentally active and learning new things, and exercising regularly.

I have been thinking about neurotransmitters recently, you know, Seretonon, GABA, Dopamine and Acetycholine and how we get them from healthy eating--those superfoods. Those neurotransmitters connect the neurons that my husband is losing slowly I guess. If we are deficient in neurotransmitters certain conditions can happen--low energy, brain fog, anxiety. Also, friends are on the GAPS, Paleo and/or no gluten diets and seeing significant benefits for their families.

I am dieting with Weight Watchers which also emphasizes healthy eating, not just weight loss. My weight loss is slow, but, I feel great and am fitting into clothes I used to wear.

Diet, what we eat, is not just losing weight. Good eating habits are important for us seniors and our Alzheimer's loved ones, who sometimes think they can live on ice cream!

Simplicity and Complexity

• Today my husband is finishing up a week's prescription of Famciclovir 500 MG for his Shingles. Even with supplemental prescription insurance the cost for 21 pills was about $183.
  
• Vitamin B complex I heard helps Shingles and so I give him extra of that. He also takes Extra Strength Tylenol for his pain.


• In this short time Shingles have taken a lot out of his energy and spirit. He has had a heart attack, heart surgery, carotid artery surgery, and survived second degree burns on his lower legs--all with a good attitude and good humor. But, I must say that Shingles have thrown him for a loop. He is grumpy. I have heard that Shingles can last anywhere from a month to six months.


• His cold in January and Shingles in February may be due to stress. I have come to see that dementia is stressful for him. (I had thought that it just was me his caregiver that had stress.) The stress causes him to simplify his life and want me with him. When I am later coming home than he expected, he gets anxious. Yesterday I was talking with someone and came home a half an hour later and this bothered him, even though I called him to say why I was delayed.


• The simplicity of his life is in contrast to the complexity of my life with part-time jobs and many hobbies and projects. Does my life cause him more stress than joy? It is confusing for me to talk about my life to him--he doesn't follow all of what I am saying. I miss being able to tell him everything.

Valentine's Day

Sickness for both of us may mean signs of stress. Finally after my coaxing him all week, February 13th my husband went to the doctor. He has Shingles. This morning, Valentine's Day, I woke up with a runny cold.

This evening we were expecting to go to a church Valentine's party--I had been looking forward to this all week. Yet I knew that my husband might expose children to Chicken Pox if we were with others and we were both miserable--he with Shingles and me with my new cold. No one needs Chicken Pox and no one needs a cold.

Every morning I listen on my iPod to The Daily Audio Bible, going through the whole Bible for my second year. This morning Byron read from Psalm 34:17-19 , 22.

When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears,

and delivers them out of all their troubles.

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted,

and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous;

but the LORD delivers him out of them all . . .

The LORD redeems the life of his servants;

none of those who take refuge in Him with be condemned.

This Scripture has been with me all day.

Since I was too miserable with the cold I didn't run around doing things-- I just watched DVDs with my husband. Togetherness. We all need that. The DVD "Fireproof" came in the mail today. "Fireproof" made us both cry. What a great date movie!

His Valentine Card to me says:

I am truly a lucky man

to have your trust,

your friendship, and your love.

I know it takes some work

and compromise

to make a marriage last,

and yet I still feel incredibly lucky

to have found someone

who I can love more each day,

who I keep falling in love with

over and over

as our partnership deepens

through the years.

The world may change around us,

but that doesn't worry me,

because I married

the love of my life--

and that makes me

the luckiest man alive.

And how lucky I am! In "Fireproof" the wife doesn't trust her husband or even love him at the beginning. The husband wins her back with the LORD's love for her. I am so blessed to have the refuge of the Lord and the love of my husband.

He went to bed early now and I am waiting up to give him his Shingles pill at the appropriate hour. I just thought I would post and talk about this special day that turned out differently but perfectly.

I cherish these moments. Thank you, Lord!