The core focus of the Alzheimer's Reading Room is advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease....By Bob DeMarco
When I wake up in the morning the first thing I do is wiggle my toes for a minute. It might sound strange but those are the points on my body that are farthest from my brain? Is farthest a word?
It seems to me that this is a good exercise for my brain. I base this on the fact that one of the first things going on my mother is her ability to walk. The use of her legs.
When I wiggle my toes I have to think about it while doing it. I am also sending my brain a message -- Alzheimer's away.
I also stretch my feet in the morning. This stretches all the nerves along the bottoms of my feet. It also stretches my calves. I also move my ankles around in a circle. All the time consciously using my brain and my extreme body parts.
Did you know you have nerves in the bottom of your feet?
A lot of older people claim their feet hurt. They should learn how to stretch the nerves in the bottom of their feet.
I cured at least ten of my friends sore feet over the years by teaching them how to put the palms of their hands on the wall, stick their butt out and stretch. This stretches everything from your butt, down through your hamstrings and calves, all the way across the bottom of your feet. You feel the hamstrings, calves, and nerve endings stretching if you do it right.
My friends are always amazed when the pain in their feet goes away in a few days. For the first time in years. They often say, why didn't my podiatrist tell me about this exercise?
I can only conclude one of two things: there is no money to be made by explaining this exercise. Or,those doctors went to the same medical schools as the doctors that wouldn't give my mother any memory testing.
You decide.
I find myself thinking more and more about Alzheimer's disease. I am becoming more and more convinced that there is more to be done as a caregiver than I had originally imagined.
I am trying to figure out how to best organize my thoughts and ideas. I have lots of things I would like to say and write. The task at hand -- get all these thoughts out of my brain, into my fingers, and on to these pages.
This is the time of year for change. A New Year is coming. I have some thoughts about how I can improve this blog. I am at the point where I want to leverage the collective brain of the Alzheimer's Reading Room.
We have a lot of talented, experienced people that come here to read. They have important things to say and share. Of this I am certain.
The core focus of the Alzheimer's Reading Room is advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. But I am just one person. Imagine 10 or more people sharing their insight, advice, and experience.
Wouldn't that be more powerful, effective, and useful?
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is growing. It is more than 30 times the size of when I first decided to get serious about this blog.
For those of you that are new, and that is most of you -- I decided to get serious when I started to get emails from out of the Blue Nowhere.
Caregivers asking me questions, thanking me for something I wrote, or just plain old venting.
The fact that the information was wanted and seemed to be useful is the real reason that the Alzheimer's Reading Room exists.
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is going to change some in 2010. I know many people don't like change and are resistant to change.
Like me, the Alzheimer's Reading Room is about to undergo a metamorphosis.
This is a good thing.
Together we will make this a better more effectively, useful place.
Keep this in mind. There are 9.9 million Alzheimer's caregivers. Alzheimer's World is a big place.
Many of these Alzheimer's caregivers can benefit from real life examples on ways to accomplish their daily mission.
The best and fastest way to learn is from the experience of others.
We only know a tiny fraction of all the Alzheimer's caregivers. Less than one percent or so.
I want to know more of them. I want them to know we are here and we exist.
We have not yet found them, they have not yet found us.
We will
My vision of the Alzheimer's Reading Room is changing. It is changing because of my experience this year.
My experience with you.
Change is a good thing. Change is on the horizon.
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Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,050 articles with more than 8,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.
Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room
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