How to Avoid Alzheimer’s: My Personal Guide

 If you’re below the age of 65, you may worry about Alzheimer’s, but most likely, you’re not affected yet. 

Alzheimer’s is rare at that stage of life, affecting about 1 person in 1000 in the general population, but over the age of 65 it affects about 1 in 20. 

And the odds increase with age.

According to the very latest research found in the journal of neuroepidemology, that if you live to the golden age of 85 nearly 1 in 2 will have the disease. (Alzheimer’s currently makes up about 70% of the broader category known as dementia) Vascular dementia is the second highest form of dementia and about 10 percent of Americans aged 71 and up, or 2.4 million people, have Alzheimer’s disease and 1 million more have some other form of dementia

Here’s what a “brain on Alzheimer’s” looks like:

Women have a slightly greater chance of developing Alzheimer’s than men. Two factors of Alzheimer’s are plaque and tangled neurons. Both cause the brain to “shrink” and not make the proper connections. Memory, judgement, disorientation and logical and rational thinking are affected. Alzheimer’s can occur as early as in your 40s whereas dementia doesn’t usually strike before your 70s and is more of a gradual process.

Yikes. Makes me consider opening an extreme sports company and call it “When I’m Eighty-Four.” (named after McCartney’s “When I’m 64″) 

I’d rather go out bungee jumping, hang gliding, or mountain climbing.

I’d rather everyone stand around at my funeral saying, “You’ll never believe how she went!”

Remember the movie, Second Hand Lionsand the airplane through the barn? Sounds exhilerating to me.

But the fact is, we have very little say-so about whether we get Alzheimer’s or not.

It’s not like the connection between lung cancer and smoking. All we can do is make good personal, psychological, emotional and physical choices today–and then do a lot of hoping. (aka praying)

There’s very little you can do to avoid Alzheimer’s. There’s been some speculation with aluminum, but that’s still up for debate, and the experts also suggest to avoid getting hit on the head, but then again, they’re neurologists. What else are they going to say?  If both parents get Alzheimer’s, well, don’t try to think about that. Bottom line is, we know very little about this baffling disease.

 So here’s my personal guide to avoiding Alzheimer’s:

• Maintain a good attitude about myself and others (my mother had a theme song, “I love me, I love me, I’m wild about myself…)
• Forgive and let go on a daily basis (this is truly my mantra, to become a sieve and let all the anger and hurt and disappointments of life to flow through me)
• Drink a little wine and celebrate life every chance you get (Salute!)
• Eat dark chocolate often (I’m game)
• Make love and maintain a loving long-term relationship (I’m assuming they mean with your long-term relationship partner)
• Have friends and enjoy lively conversations, even debates (Hey, it’s an election year, surely you’ve got something to debate about!)
• Learn new things: a new language, how to wire your ceiling fan, how to program your remote control (will someone please please teach me how to use my universal remote?)
• Dance! This is a great way to avoid Parkinson’s, too. (That’s it. I’m signing up for those ballroom lessons I keep putting off!)
• Surround yourself with beauty. Research has shown that the taste a person has in art or music is still there after they have Alzheimer’s. (In other words, if you’re like me and love Van Gogh, his work will still move you even if you can’t remember what a telephone is)
• Take trips. Research has proven that taking trips is a great way to de-stress and a satisfying use of money. (I plan to see fill my heart and my brain with as much of the world’s beauty as I can cram in there)
• Value sleep and don’t skimp on it. (I try not to wake to an alarm clock and I’ve created a sanctuary of a bedroom that’s glorious to fall asleep–or wake up in)
• Get a dog, pet the dog, walk the dog–30 minutes a day (mine’s asleep under my chair right now)
• Eat real food–veggies, fruits, lean meats, avoid processed foods–and cook in cast iron (I still have my mother’s)
• In downtime, play soduku and chess and crossword puzzles–things that keep the ole’ brain fetching information (I hope blogging counts)
• When you retire, get involved and stay involved with life–teach a class, start a second career, volunteer.  Don’t let your brain or your heart think your life has no purpose. Your body is smart, and if it thinks its usefulness is over, then it’ll begin to shut down. (Remember? I’m opening that extreme sports company)
• Make plans now. Say what it is you want–do that living will and five wishes–don’t be afriad to talk.
• Say ALL YOUR I LOVE YOU’s NOW and KEEP SAYING THEM

  Get a sense of humor! Humor heals. Watch funny movies, buy a joke book/ Get bawdy, humor is the sign of higher intelligence (I knew that, that’s why I’m so funny….looking)

If you get Alzheimer’s, take your meds and trust that your family will take care of you the best they can.

Tell them they’ll have to love and remember for the two of you.

~Carol D. O’Dell

Author of Mothering Mother: A Daughter’s Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir

available on Amazon and in most bookstores

www.mothering-mother.com

www.kunati.com/mothering