Parkinson's Disease Information

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, you are not alone. More than 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with this neurological disorder each year. Even celebrities are not immune: High profile figures such as Michael J. Fox, Janet Reno, and Muhammad Ali have struggled publicly with the disease.

Although it can be hard to come to terms with living with Parkinson's disease, the good news is that it usually progresses gradually and can be slowed with treatment. Staying informed about the disease, its symptoms and new therapies currently being researched will ensure that you take every step to slow its progress. Continue reading to find out more about these topics.

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KEEP YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE INTACT

Sadly, I have seen too many devoutly religious people work hard for the good most of their lives and then as they approach the end of their journey give up, waste away, and lose their faith. Here are some suggestions:

• Keep practicing your faith. Not so long ago in a big city area a famous bishop of a great denomination approached old age, developed a severely painful case of arthritis, cursed a God that could visit such agony on one of his servants, publicly proclaimed he had given up his faith, became a snarling skeptic, and died a bitter old man. What a sad thing for a quarterback to give up just before the touchdown.

• Get in touch with nature. Spend some time each day outside in nature. If that is not possible, get some plants in your room and grow something. Get your fingers in the dirt, lift your head toward the sky, watch the stars, the clouds, the changing heavens, and then turn your eyes upon the beautiful growing things and exult in the glory of life.

• Speak a good word, or do a good deed, or think a good thought about the positive nature of things. The other day I was feeling a little tired after a long trip to Sacramento. I stopped in a gas station and a young man waited on me. When I paid the bill and started up my car to leave, the young man said, "God go with you on your journey. May you be safe and happy." Maybe he was a religious gook, I don't know. But, I do know that he cheered me up and made me realize the value of a good word to a passing stranger.

• Never give up your hopes for the future. Death is only a step away for those who lose hope and eternal life is available to those who keep up their hope. The great master was crucified between two thieves: one who lost hope and scoffed and sneered; one who still thought life contained some answers and cried out for the master to remember him. When I approach the end of my days, even if I am suffering the tortures of the cross, I want to hear the Golden One say to me, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." How important it is not to give up hope.

• Don't let yourself get bitter or mean. On occasions when people get difficult, a friend will say, "I'm going to move to the middle of the Alaska tundra, a thousand miles from my nearest neighbor." My son John heard my friend make that statement and replied, "Then, you will be involved in a deeper problem, that of raw survival with the elements." A person can't get away from problems. "Life consists of solving problems, and the good life consists of solving them without becoming bitter."

  If people are not tactful and hurt your feelings, show them how to be tactful. E. Stanley Jones, a missionary to India, once said, "I never allow people to hurt my feelings or insult me. No matter what they say, I never take offense; because, the deeper my offense, the shallower my faith." Most of us might find that policy a bit too much, but it works.

  I keep asking myself the question, "How does my bitterness help me to solve this problem?" The answer always is, "It doesn't. Bitterness only makes it more difficult."

• Fight off death to the very end. You believe in life, not death. Show by your eagerness, vitality, and enthusiastic living that you want to live forever. Fill yourself with love of life and keep yourself alive as long as you can and death will be for you a magnificent graduation ceremony.

The above is from another web page and may well be worth reading the entire post. You can do this by clicking HERE or anywhere in the above article.

Taking care of yourself while you care for someone with Alzheimer's disease

By Paula Spencer, Caring.com senior editor

Don't even think of skimming by this one. You really do need to come first on the priority list, not last. It's almost too easy to neglect your own needs when you're juggling caregiving, a job, a marriage, and children.

But just as with tending to a child, caring for a sick person can be depleting. If you fail to keep an eye on your own mental and physical health, you're vulnerable to everything from colds and other illnesses right up to burnout.

No one can keep up with the round-the-clock demands of Alzheimer's care -- even in the early stages -- without periodic relief. Indeed, caregiver burnout is a primary reason Alzheimer's patients enter nursing homes.

Make time for yourself every single day, even if it's just a 20-minute walk while a neighbor pays a visit. Don't abandon all your former interests and hobbies to support someone with Alzheimer's.

You don't have to eat the same food as him (especially if he's down to simple, easy-to-manage foods), but neither do you have to subsist on drive-through fare. Stock up on nutritious, easy-to-grab snacks if time is an issue.

Getting enough sleep is a special concern: To help yourself fall asleep, try incorporating some relaxation exercises or meditation into your nighttime routine. Some people benefit from yoga, tai chi, or deep breathing exercises. A good tension release is progressive muscle relaxation, a technique that calls for tightening and relaxing all of your major muscle groups, one by one.

Your wind-down can be as classic as a warm bath or a good book. Whatever your choice, make it routine -- at about the same time each evening, if you can -- to help your mind associate the activity with rest. Reorganize your bedroom so that it's a haven rather than a cluttered workspace.

Get a medical exam yourself, and be sure to tell your doctor about your situation. She may be able to give you some strategies to deal with stress and anxiety, and can help you identify signs of clinical depression and, if needed, treatment options.

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How to Prevent Getting the Flu

Getting the flu is never fun. So follow these simple steps to ensure you stay healthy this year

This is a slide show of 8 photographs, showing eight ways to help prevent getting a flu.

Click on the first line to see the slide show

TO FLU SHOT OR NOT TO FLU SHOT

This web page certainly gives one side of the story

What You Should Know About This Year's Flu Shot And Other Essential Vaccination Information From the American Geriatrics Society's Foundation for Health in Aging

September 27th, 2010
This season's flu shot will protect you against three different flu viruses, including the 2009 H1N1 virus that caused the global pandemic--and resulting headlines--last year.

Click within this post (underlined portions) to open the story at The American Geriatrics Society.