Where To, Bud?

Thanks to Kris Bakowski in Athens for jogging my memory: The first is March 8th at the State Capitol in Atlanta "Alzheimer's Day". Details are at http://www.alzheimers.org/ . (click on Georgia) The second is here: http://www.alz.org/publicpolicyforum/09/overview.asp It is the Alzheimer's Public Policy Forum held in Washington DC, and it's a chance for AD paitients from all Congessional Districts to tell their stories. That's March 23-25th. As far as news with me, there is none except getting the details of my 72 Hour EEG next Tuesday. Supposed to begin to snow here tomorrow so I guess I'll "hole up" in "The Hell-Hole" (my apartment) and do the same old shit: nothing. Just disconnect the phone and read, I guess. Have a great Sunday and week coming up. Thanks Bill

The health-care system I work for ( Wellstar ) is one of the top 10 in the nation, and it got to be that way because we re-constructed the whole health-care model . Simply put, we engage ourselves with the person , not just the ailment. From the moment he or she walks in until the time they leave, they are our guest . As part of the "interaction" with the patient, we are asked to touch them briefly to establish trust and empathy, and although I know it's appreciated by all, I can feel the appreciation more by our more senior patients. Those are the ones in whose hands I place my own, and we establish our interaction in this way. I am always very careful to direct my questions to my patient until such time I find out that he or she may not be able to answer for themselves, but the hand remains, and 99% of the time my own hand is grasped tightly, and my patient's eyes "speak" to me. They are saying, "Be kind to me, heal me but don't hurt me",...

In an earlier blog entry I told you about www.quackwatch.org which relates to scams by "doctors" and their so-called practices. In today's blog I wanted to share with you the site called www.infomercialwatch.org which is also run by Stephen Barrett, MD. The reason I am linking you to the new site is because I almost spent 60 bucks on a product called "Dual Action Cleanse", which is supposed to clean out one's colon and detoxify one's system. They were going to send me a "free trial" (just pay shipping and handling) and from that point on I need do nothing - they'd just charge my credit card for every monthly shipment. I checked out the site and did a little more research, and found that "opting out" isn't always successful, and that this guy has been in trouble with the FDA before. So be careful. In today's lagging economy, the scam artists are going to work even harder to part you from your money. Remember that lady in ...

With 24 million world wide diagnosed with Alzheimer's Related Dementia research continues finding a medication which would work earlier in the diagnostic process. The article is here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/139793.php Those of us familiar with the cause of AD (the plaque in the brain) keep hoping someone somewhere will "get lucky" and turn this thing around, but you know what? It is a bit disheartening when one picks up a newspaper and reads one more story what "might work". I hope someone's keeping up with what isn't working and I suppose we can all breathe a sigh of relief that at least these men and women aren't quacks, right? You know what else I've been thinking? What if they made a drug which could make our brain function even better than before? Remember the first part of The Six Million Dollar Man? "We can make him better than he was! We have the technology!" We'd have computer-like memories, Dudes ...

I wish there were some magic sentence I could say to my co-workers, Significant Other, friends, etc. that would forestall any of those goofy questions they ask me. This morning, one of my co-workers (whom I rarely see - because we work on different days) asked me "Well, Bill, have you been officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's?" Y'all, I know she didn't mean anything, okay, and I knew she was being concerned, but I'm afraid I put on my "professor's hat" and gave her a lecture, which began with, "So many people seem to be waiting for me to start drooling or not recognize them, D, but it just doesn't work like that! It develops in stages and right now I'm at the stage where I have short-term memory lapses only , and I know I look and act "normal" to you, but if you were to spend 24 hours with me, and watch me as I look for something I laid down just 30 seconds ago, fumble for a word, or put shit in the fritch that doesn...

This is going to be one of those "functioning on the job" blog entries...... Because I am the only respiratory therapist on my shift (7p-7a), it means I cover the entire hospital (Med- Surg , ICU, and ER), so I don't have much of an opportunity to get to know my patients. In fact it is more common for them to recognize me (in and out of the hospital). For that reason also, I don't get as emotionally "attached" as, say, a nurse who works with a patient all shift - all week or longer. Is that a good thing? Well, sometimes yes - sometimes no. A lady I always referred to as my "favorite patient" died recently at the age of 99. She was very special to me and it happened during my weekdays off. I "dealt" with it the night I came back to work, but she occupied my mind the entire shift, and I do still think about her and her stories of the early days of NASA where she worked till retirement at 75. Had she died on my watch, I would have needed a...

We're on 13 right now, y'all, and I'm superstitious. Can we get one more soul (or more!) I can "welcome to my nightmare"? ;) Thanks Bill

Very excited about this little film which was partially shot at my hospital by some Savannah College film students last Summer. The story line deals with a white televangelist who's a bit short on faith, has a heart attack and gets the heart of a black preacher. Here's the website: http://www.hegotsoul.com/ . The reason I am excited about this project is because it was one I was involved in, on a small scale: 1. They needed some help with authenticity filming cardio -pulmonary resuscitation and since they were filming right outside my office, guess who just had to stick his nose in and tell them what they were doing wrong? Right! 2. And I have a small walk-on part as "Death" as the stretcher passes by me. (I had on black scrubs), another of my colleagues (also hospital staff) was dressed all in white, so she represented "Life". Because I as "Death" walked into my office, it represented a lack of interest in this guy's soul, and because "Li...

........ to all of you following the blog, my friends on the Straight Dope, and my buds from http://www.alzheimers.org/ . Yep, that's a rose sticking out the top of my bandaged, bandanna'd head. JUST FOR YOU!!!!! I'm actually a day late (and a dollar short!) with this report as it is now Saturday morning in Dallas, Georgia, but I will recount Day Three as best I can now, because I felt like crap all day Thursday and did nothing but lie in bed and read. Here's a couple of "events" from the 72 hour period that I shame- facedly told my doctor when I turned in the portable EEG monitor. 1. Forgot to change the batteries in the damn thing. (That's what all this is about, right?: Forgetting?) Luckily it kept running anyway and we didn't lose information. 2. Put a bag of garbage into the fritch (I know it's " fridge ", but in memory of my late mother, who was German, I pronounce it FRITCH . ;) 3. Because of the limitations on my activity, I ...

I slept very poorly last night. I am a very "active" sleeper anyway, and because I was afraid of pulling something loose, I stayed awake till almost 4 this morning, whatever sleep I did get was due to exhaustion. Other than these headaches I have been getting since the lumbar puncture, I haven't had any "episodes" to push the red button for. I hate not being able to take a shower, and have been "sponge-bathing" myself. My head itches because I cannot wash my hair, and I swear it feels like there are fleas up there making themselves a home! :) Speaking of itching (and a little off-topic), why is it that when guys don't know the answer to a question, we scratch our heads????? I have never seen a woman doing this, just us fellas. Weird, huh? Tomorrow I intend to wrap up my little series of my responses to questions asked of EOAD patients at the 2008 Town Hall meetings put on by the Alzheimer's organization. I still want to do something in-...

Hey Everyone Just got back from the neuro-guy's office where I got "wired". I have a diary I'm supposed to write stuff down in and a red button I'm supposed to push when there's a symptom. Can't bathe, can't ride my bike or do anything rhythmic like play my guitars or masturbate. (JOKE!) I am not a happy camper, okay? Can you tell? Thanks and I'll add more later. Bill

It's been a couple of days, and a few things have happened, but I promised y'all "warts and everything/nuts and bolts". Or however that saying goes, so how 'bout we just get started right away? Response: "I am scared. I don't know how long I will be able to work..... what a burden will I be?" *Snort* (Sarcastic laugh): Well doesn't that one fit me to a "T"" ? When we first began thinking along those lines, well , of course I needed to tell my boss! I am considered a "First Responder", and I better know wha t to do and when , right!? So far it hasn't been a problem, but "little things" have begun rearing their ugly heads: 1. ( A "little thing") Our ER has 16 sliding glass doors to each cubicle. Friday night I was having a lot of difficulty opening room 9. Try as I might I could not get that sumbitch door to open up! I very loudly mentioned this to the ER nursing staff, one of whom told me I was...

....... For a Very Important Bulletin1" I am now very apprehensive about my 72 hour EEG coming up on Tuesday of next week. Not because of the procedure, but because it might not be covered by my insurance, and here's why I wrote that: Since August of last year, when I had my MRI done, I have had 3 claims turned down by my insurance company because they say that the provider is not approved under my insurance plan. But here's the kicker: The company which did my EEG is the same company which did the MRI, and that claim was approved! When I was called about the EEG I was told I had been "pre-certified" which I thought they had also done with the MRI. What's the difference in the 2 claims? Who the hell knows? What I do know is this: If I had been told I wasn't approved to have the MRI done, it would not have been done, because that would have been an out-of pocket expense I wouldn't have wanted to incur. So what's the plan, "Stan"? I...

This will be the third installment of my own responses to questions posed to a group of Early (Young) Onset Alzheimer patients during 4 live and one virtual town hall meetings in August of 2008. Kris Bakowski was one of the attendees of this event and sent me a summary report which you can read at www.alz.org. I strongly encourage you to do so - it has a wealth of information from patients and caregivers, and it is very important that we learn as much as possible because it's not going to go away any time soon. Response: " My diagnosis took eight months. I know people for whom it took two or three years......-- you name it and I went through it" I began my testing last October, and I have lost track of the number of times I have asked myself, "Well? Do I have this stuff or don't I?" The not knowing is very tough for me. I need a "starting place"! Next week will be the third test for EOAD: The 72-hour EEG and I am hoping ( what am I hoping?) t...