Hi friends, family, and extended internet family!
Last week, I had a delightfully nerdy time at the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health conference. One of my favorite lecturers, neurologist Dr. Dale Bredeson discussed his research on the reversal of Alzheimer’s, the most common cause of dementia. Having lost two grandparents to Alzheimer's, I've experienced first hand the difficulties and heartbreak of having a loved one with dementia. It’s a tragic thing, and showing a better possible future is one reason why I started sharing my learnings.
I want to point out something that is not so obvious, and that is the quiet epidemic of hopelessness and complacency around cognitive decline and dementia. Just to be clear, neither is synonymous with growing older. People poke fun at others for "getting old" when someone forgets an appointment or loses their keys. They also joke about "hoping not to get dementia" like they are "hoping not to get struck by lightening" as if chance, luck, and God(s) had anything to do with it. Dementia jokes - it’s all fun and games… until someone starts fecal smearing. Yup.
This fight to regain our personal power and sense of agency is not limited to gender equality, racial justice, immigrant rights or even climate change and clean water. So why would people throw their hands up in the face of a slow moving chronic disease that shows itself 20 years before a diagnosis?
I think we’re actually living in at a very fortunate time in health history. The emerging field of Precision Medicine has expanded our view of dementia to see how a person’s unique combination of hereditary genes, experiences, lifestyle, diet, and environment either adds to or subtracts from their risk. Meaning we now have ways to screen and intervene beyond what you’d get at your typical doctor’s office, so your genes and your symptoms don’t need to be a death sentence. Some examples of what healing looks like include working on digestion, exercise, breathing properly, relationships and communication, pooping, traumatic experiences, sleeping, and of course, how could we forget ALL the supplements!
I for one, plan to be a feisty old lady with all her marbles, armed with a model of health that empowers, taking swings from her soap box until the day she dies. This newsletter covers just a slice of what I believe to be possible for you and your loved ones. So I hope you’ll stick around for more of my insights. And my poop jokes.
This issue is dedicated to my late grandmother, a strong, spirited, eloquent woman who happened to have Alzheimer's. She's survived by 7 kids, 11 grandchildren, and 7 great grandchildren!
Thanks for letting me get on my soapbox! Over and out.
Have something to add? A question? Feedback? I'd love to hear from you. The best way to get a hold of me is to reply directly to this email. I read all your responses.
Until next time - have a happy healthy journey,
Maymie