Dear All,
I have not been on the board for almost a year. Sorry to have been away. Once again I went into my shell (well, ants do not have shells .... but you know what I mean).
During last year my mother's dementia got progressively worse and consumed most of my emotional/spiritual energy. Finally, she was hospitalized for palliative care last November and died two days after Christmas. So in the last couple of months I have also been dealing with funerals and family.
Anyway, everyone tells me that when your last parent dies it is the end of an era. It feels like that to me. As I am also about to pass the 60 years milestone, I am seriously thinking of stopping my brand consulting work and writing a couple of books/blogs about my ancestors (my grandparents and their grandparents/parents) all had pretty interesting lives).
As far as my own health is concerned....
Still on a strict diet. I know that will never change.
Good news:
No more bone fractures. So hopefully osteopenia is controlled. No potty 'accidents' (but a few near misses, so I still like to know where the loos are when I am out and about)
Neutral news:
Still needing entocort (generic Budez CR) averaging about one capsule every other day. But, when food mistakes happen I increase to two a day and taper down in about 4 days back to one every other day.
Slight worry:
My balance issues do not go away. I have not had actual vertigo for over a year, but occassional unsteadiness. (Think I should try Tai Chi and/or yoga).
Hello! to the 100s of newbies I must have missed and best wishes to all,
Ant
Update
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Ant, sorry for your loss. I'm glad to hear your health has improved or at least hasn't gone downhill. I have a friend that has Parkinson's. She started attending a Tai Chi class at our local health club. It improved her balance. In fact this lady is in her seventies and still bowls in two bowling leagues a week. Take care.
Brenda
Hi Ant,
Having walked the dementia road with mother, who died in 2011 after 12 years with it, I sympathize completely. There are many losses that we mourn in advance of the final one. It's hard, and takes a big toll on the family. I had a pretty major flare after the summer-long final decline/funeral, and it took a good while to get things back under control.
I, too have occasional vertigo and I feel that yoga has helped a lot to strengthen my balance.
Having walked the dementia road with mother, who died in 2011 after 12 years with it, I sympathize completely. There are many losses that we mourn in advance of the final one. It's hard, and takes a big toll on the family. I had a pretty major flare after the summer-long final decline/funeral, and it took a good while to get things back under control.
I, too have occasional vertigo and I feel that yoga has helped a lot to strengthen my balance.
Suze
ANT!!! 
Great to hear from you again! I think of you often and have been wondering about your mom. I am so very sorry to hear of her passing. Like the others above, I had the same situation (dementia) with my mom, too. Yes, losing the last parent is the end of an era.
I am happy to know that your health is stable, especially given all of the stress you have been through recently. I can relate about the balance issue - mine seems to be gradually worsening. Thanks for the reminder about Tai Chi/yoga. I really should do something proactively.
YESSS!!! Time to retire and write those books/blogs. Let me know when you are blogging - I have some very interesting relatives, too, and would love to trade stories sometime. Spoiler alert - an ancestor on my mom's side was the first woman to run for president in this country (Victoria Claflin Woodhull in the late 1800s). Her VP running mate was a black man, and she was a suffragette who championed free love!
My thoughts are with you during this time of loss and transition.
Love,
Polly
Great to hear from you again! I think of you often and have been wondering about your mom. I am so very sorry to hear of her passing. Like the others above, I had the same situation (dementia) with my mom, too. Yes, losing the last parent is the end of an era.
I am happy to know that your health is stable, especially given all of the stress you have been through recently. I can relate about the balance issue - mine seems to be gradually worsening. Thanks for the reminder about Tai Chi/yoga. I really should do something proactively.
YESSS!!! Time to retire and write those books/blogs. Let me know when you are blogging - I have some very interesting relatives, too, and would love to trade stories sometime. Spoiler alert - an ancestor on my mom's side was the first woman to run for president in this country (Victoria Claflin Woodhull in the late 1800s). Her VP running mate was a black man, and she was a suffragette who championed free love!
My thoughts are with you during this time of loss and transition.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Hi Ant,
Thanks for your update. Sounds like a nice plan to switch from consulting to writing. Writing sounds less stressful. Glad to hear that you have not had another bone fracture. Let us know if you take yoga or ti chi, & if it helps your vertigo. Sorry for your mom's passing.
Cory
Thanks for your update. Sounds like a nice plan to switch from consulting to writing. Writing sounds less stressful. Glad to hear that you have not had another bone fracture. Let us know if you take yoga or ti chi, & if it helps your vertigo. Sorry for your mom's passing.
Cory
CoryGut
Age 71
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis Sept. 2010
On and off Entocort(Currently Off)
Age 71
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis Sept. 2010
On and off Entocort(Currently Off)
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Joefnh
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 2478
- Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:25 pm
- Location: Southern New Hampshire
Hello there Ant, I am sorry to hear about your mothers passing, it was clear how much you cared for her and were there at every turn.
Its great that your health is doing fairly well. Keeping a strict diet is key to long term management of this condition.
Like you I have been pulling back into my shell somewhat as I deal with MG and its challenges and I have not posted in a while. I was just thinking about you the other day and its good to know that you are doing fairly well.
Thanks for the update
Its great that your health is doing fairly well. Keeping a strict diet is key to long term management of this condition.
Like you I have been pulling back into my shell somewhat as I deal with MG and its challenges and I have not posted in a while. I was just thinking about you the other day and its good to know that you are doing fairly well.
Thanks for the update
Joe
Hey Ant!
It's great to see an update from you. I've been wondering how you were doing. I too am very sorry to hear of your mother's passing, and I definitely agree that it's a wake-up call to realize that we are now the older generation.
Regarding your writing aspirations (
), remember that while blogs may appear to be on a course to someday replace books, IMO, anything that has lasting value should be published in book form (of course this doesn't rule out using both forms). Remember that blogs exist at the whims of people who can cancel hosting services, or close up shop and cause billions of bytes of data to be lost in cyberspace, in the twinkling of an eye. (Of course, an exception to this is anything posted online that we regret posting, because the harder we try to hide it, or remove it from the internet, the more likely that it will last at least forever. 
) Books, by contrast, are much more permanent, even in digital form. And of course it takes much longer than the twinkling of an eye to burn a printed book. IMO, the inevitable demise of printed books (as forecast by Amazon), is little more than self-serving hype. Books will be treasured for a long time to come by those who appreciate their historical value.
At any rate, if you should decide to write a book or 3, and you would prefer to self-publish it/them (rather than to use a conventional publisher), please feel free to contact me for suggestions or tips on how to handle any parts of the process that may seem confusing (or I would be happy to publish it for you, if you prefer, but you can certainly do it yourself, easily enough). Though I don't do it, blogging about books that you are writing seems to be the preferred mode of promotion these days, so they make a perfect combination.
Regarding the balance issues, since you are almost surely a celiac, my guess is that your balance issues are very likely caused by too many years of untreated gluten sensitivity (similar to my own situation). The prescription vitamin combination of the active forms of vitamins B-12, B-9, and B-6, known as Metanx, is hard to beat for helping to restore neurological damage caused by gluten. In my own case, my balance is much, much better than it was 5 to 10 years ago, because of that product. You may recall that I had enough neurological damage that I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease back in 2009. Today, I no longer have the diagnostic markers of Parkinson's that the neurologist based his diagnosis on, because of that product (IMO). You might be interested in the thread at the following link, since it provides information on how to make up a treatment regimen using OTC vitamin products, in case your doctor will not write a prescription for Metanx (or if you want to cut the cost in half). Metanx is normally prescribed to treat peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes, and endothelial dysfunction. It's also used by many (including my previous PCP) to enhance cognitive function and improve memory (IOW, to protect brain function against the negative effects of ageing).
I have a hunch that if you decide to retire from the consulting business, and devote your efforts to writing (and relaxing), you will have less need for Budez in the future.
Thanks for the update,
Tex
It's great to see an update from you. I've been wondering how you were doing. I too am very sorry to hear of your mother's passing, and I definitely agree that it's a wake-up call to realize that we are now the older generation.
Regarding your writing aspirations (
), remember that while blogs may appear to be on a course to someday replace books, IMO, anything that has lasting value should be published in book form (of course this doesn't rule out using both forms). Remember that blogs exist at the whims of people who can cancel hosting services, or close up shop and cause billions of bytes of data to be lost in cyberspace, in the twinkling of an eye. (Of course, an exception to this is anything posted online that we regret posting, because the harder we try to hide it, or remove it from the internet, the more likely that it will last at least forever. ) Books, by contrast, are much more permanent, even in digital form. And of course it takes much longer than the twinkling of an eye to burn a printed book. IMO, the inevitable demise of printed books (as forecast by Amazon), is little more than self-serving hype. Books will be treasured for a long time to come by those who appreciate their historical value.At any rate, if you should decide to write a book or 3, and you would prefer to self-publish it/them (rather than to use a conventional publisher), please feel free to contact me for suggestions or tips on how to handle any parts of the process that may seem confusing (or I would be happy to publish it for you, if you prefer, but you can certainly do it yourself, easily enough). Though I don't do it, blogging about books that you are writing seems to be the preferred mode of promotion these days, so they make a perfect combination.
Regarding the balance issues, since you are almost surely a celiac, my guess is that your balance issues are very likely caused by too many years of untreated gluten sensitivity (similar to my own situation). The prescription vitamin combination of the active forms of vitamins B-12, B-9, and B-6, known as Metanx, is hard to beat for helping to restore neurological damage caused by gluten. In my own case, my balance is much, much better than it was 5 to 10 years ago, because of that product. You may recall that I had enough neurological damage that I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease back in 2009. Today, I no longer have the diagnostic markers of Parkinson's that the neurologist based his diagnosis on, because of that product (IMO). You might be interested in the thread at the following link, since it provides information on how to make up a treatment regimen using OTC vitamin products, in case your doctor will not write a prescription for Metanx (or if you want to cut the cost in half). Metanx is normally prescribed to treat peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes, and endothelial dysfunction. It's also used by many (including my previous PCP) to enhance cognitive function and improve memory (IOW, to protect brain function against the negative effects of ageing).
I have a hunch that if you decide to retire from the consulting business, and devote your efforts to writing (and relaxing), you will have less need for Budez in the future.
Thanks for the update,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi Ant,
With all the sadness in your life the past 6 months, I'm surprised you're not increasing your medicine .......good for you for keeping to your diet!
I have vertigo from a concussion 18 months ago & let me warn you about yoga....don't drop your head, try only poses that keep your head upright at first.
I tried yoga two month's ago & nearly passed out. Now, my circumstances may be different than yours, but I just wanted to warn you anyway!
Each day will be a tiny bit easier!
With all the sadness in your life the past 6 months, I'm surprised you're not increasing your medicine .......good for you for keeping to your diet!
I have vertigo from a concussion 18 months ago & let me warn you about yoga....don't drop your head, try only poses that keep your head upright at first.
I tried yoga two month's ago & nearly passed out. Now, my circumstances may be different than yours, but I just wanted to warn you anyway!
Each day will be a tiny bit easier!
Linda :)
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
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Sheila
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1150
- Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 5:10 am
- Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Fl
It is so nice to hear from you again. When one of us disappears for a while, I hope all is well. I'm so sorry for the loss of your mother. No matter how old you are, the loss is profound. I am now the oldest in my family and that's a bit sobering.
I just stopped budesinide 2+ weeks ago and really miss it, mostly for the sense of safety I had knowing there would be no surprise D. My diet is now spare and very safe. I took it for more than 2 years and it was time to stop.
You mention balance problems and tai chi. I thought it was a good idea as well and bought a DVD to teach me. I was a failure, as much from boredom as from an irritating inability to remember the damn moves. I'm back to very, very basic yoga to keep from becoming totally rigid. The tree pose is a good way to practice balance.
Good luck with the next phase of your life, Ant.
Sheila W
I just stopped budesinide 2+ weeks ago and really miss it, mostly for the sense of safety I had knowing there would be no surprise D. My diet is now spare and very safe. I took it for more than 2 years and it was time to stop.
You mention balance problems and tai chi. I thought it was a good idea as well and bought a DVD to teach me. I was a failure, as much from boredom as from an irritating inability to remember the damn moves. I'm back to very, very basic yoga to keep from becoming totally rigid. The tree pose is a good way to practice balance.
Good luck with the next phase of your life, Ant.
Sheila W
To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.
A person who never made a mistake never tried something new. Einstein
A person who never made a mistake never tried something new. Einstein
Ant,
Welcome back! Sometimes we just need a break from the internet and forums. That's ok.
I am so sorry for the loss of your mom. I also lost my mom at age 90 last year. She had severe dementia and most of the time didn't even recognize me. I visited her many times a week so it was difficult.
Good luck in whatever you choose to do!
Pat
Welcome back! Sometimes we just need a break from the internet and forums. That's ok.
I am so sorry for the loss of your mom. I also lost my mom at age 90 last year. She had severe dementia and most of the time didn't even recognize me. I visited her many times a week so it was difficult.
Good luck in whatever you choose to do!
Pat
Many thanks for your sympathetic responses regarding my mother.
Also, Tex, thanks for your offer on blogging and publishing advice. I am thinking of using wordpress.org (i.e. the self hosting version) and am currently reading "Wordpress for dummies" as a starting point.
I agree about the merit of real books. I am thinking of using the blogs while researching historical subject matter and to get responses from others before pulling stuff together in book form.
Polly, just read wikipedia on your ancestor. Wow.
Best ant
Also, Tex, thanks for your offer on blogging and publishing advice. I am thinking of using wordpress.org (i.e. the self hosting version) and am currently reading "Wordpress for dummies" as a starting point.
I agree about the merit of real books. I am thinking of using the blogs while researching historical subject matter and to get responses from others before pulling stuff together in book form.
Polly, just read wikipedia on your ancestor. Wow.
Best ant
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"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
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humbird753
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1014
- Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2011 4:44 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
Hi Ant,
I too am sorry to hear of the passing of your mom. It is hard no matter what age they are. I agree that it is quite sobering to find ourselves in the oldest generation of the family.
It is good to see you back.
Paula
I too am sorry to hear of the passing of your mom. It is hard no matter what age they are. I agree that it is quite sobering to find ourselves in the oldest generation of the family.
It is good to see you back.
Paula
Paula
"You'll never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... It's learning to dance in the rain."
"You'll never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... It's learning to dance in the rain."
HI Ant,
Like all the others I am sorry about the passing of your mother. I lost both of my parents 3 years ago. They died within 18 months of each other. It's a stunner and does cause a shift in how I view life.
I am also impressed with how well you are doing in the face of that loss. My LC came on several months after my mother's death and I have no doubt that stress was one of the triggers.
If you blog keep us posted. Be good to yourself.
Carol
Like all the others I am sorry about the passing of your mother. I lost both of my parents 3 years ago. They died within 18 months of each other. It's a stunner and does cause a shift in how I view life.
I am also impressed with how well you are doing in the face of that loss. My LC came on several months after my mother's death and I have no doubt that stress was one of the triggers.
If you blog keep us posted. Be good to yourself.
Carol
“.... people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
Dear Ant,
It's so good to hear from you again. I had been wondering how you were.
I'm so sorry about the loss of your mother. Dementia is horrible, and dealing with that for as long as you did, coupled with that final loss, is certainly a stressful and saddening thing. I hope that little by little, you recover from this loss, and get used to being the "older generation." Like Carol said, it does change how you view life.
Martha
It's so good to hear from you again. I had been wondering how you were.
I'm so sorry about the loss of your mother. Dementia is horrible, and dealing with that for as long as you did, coupled with that final loss, is certainly a stressful and saddening thing. I hope that little by little, you recover from this loss, and get used to being the "older generation." Like Carol said, it does change how you view life.
Martha
Martha