Dementia - A sense of self.

[Rorschach]

The ABC last night on Four Corners showed "A Sense of Self".... I have to admit I wasn't too empathetic towards the reporter who decided a show on her particular predicament was newsworthy. Hundreds if not thousands of people and their families struggle with this disease everyday and believe me many are in a far worse position.

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/four-c ... 604H043S00

All I could think of during the show was that she was lucky to not be too far along at the moment and that her husband, family and friends were in for a lot more as she deteriorates...

Dementia is horrible, it attacks not only the person, but everyone in their life. Eventually it erases the person you once knew and strips them of all dignity, leaving them helpless and incapable of looking after themselves in any way whatsoever.

[mantra]

Dementia would be on par with cancer I assume. The early stages would be very hard when you're aware of what's happening to you, but I would think after that - you wouldn't really know what was going on. As people live longer it's going to become more common. I didn't see 4 Corners last night, but I heard someone discussing it on the radio and apparently brain exercises go a long way towards slowing it down that's if you're prone to getting it.

No-one in my family has ever had dementia, although a relative has got some cognitive issues brought on by his own doing.

10 Brain Exercises That Boost Memory

We don’t just lose muscle over time — our brains can atrophy, too. More specifically, your brain's cognitive reserve — its ability to withstand neurological damage due to aging and other factors without showing visible signs of slowing or memory loss — diminishes through the years. That can make it more difficult to perform mental tasks. But just as weight workouts add lean muscle to your body and help you retain more muscle in your later years, researchers now believe that following a brain-healthy lifestyle and performing regular, targeted brain exercises can also increase your brain's cognitive reserve.

Test your recall. Make a list — of grocery items, things to do, or anything else that comes to mind — and memorize it. An hour or so later, see how many items you can recall. Make items on the list as challenging as possible for the greatest mental stimulation.
Let the music play. Learn to play a musical instrument or join a choir. Studies show that learning something new and complex over a longer period of time is ideal for the aging mind.
Do math in your head. Figure out problems without the aid of pencil, paper, or computer; you can make this more difficult — and athletic — by walking at the same time.
Take a cooking class. Learn how to cook a new cuisine. Cooking uses a number of senses: smell, touch, sight, and taste, which all involve different parts of the brain.
Learn a foreign language. The listening and hearing involved stimulates the brain. What’s more, a rich vocabulary has been linked to a reduced risk for cognitive decline.
Create word pictures. Visualize the spelling of a word in your head, then try and think of any other words that begin (or end) with the same two letters.
Draw a map from memory. After returning home from visiting a new place, try to draw a map of the area; repeat this exercise each time you visit a new location.
Challenge your taste buds. When eating, try to identify individual ingredients in your meal, including subtle herbs and spices.
Refine your hand-eye abilities. Take up a new hobby that involves fine-motor skills, such as knitting, drawing, painting, assembling a puzzle, etc.
Learn a new sport. Start doing an athletic exercise that utilizes both mind and body, such as yoga, golf, or tennis.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/longevity ... emory.aspx

[Outlaw Yogi]

I reckon dementia would be worse than cancer. At least with cancer there's the possibility of being cured.
I've got what I suspect is a melanoma on my right forearm. I've asked a doctor to remove it a couple of times now and he just keeps telling me to come back another time. A friend wanted one removed from his head and this quak reckons a specialist (in Brisbane) will have to do it.
Think I'll give this curry muncher quak the flick and find a real Doc. If it metastises/spreads I'll probably be dosing up on vitamin B17.
Most seeds except citrus contain B17 .. yes it contains cyanide, but that's what kills the cancer.

In the event I become aware I am afflicted with dementia, I'll be preparing my own euthanasia, legal or not. Can't prosecute me when I'm dead.
The main substances/mineral/nutrients for a healthy brain are B group vitamins, zinc, iodine, iron and potasium.
Main things to avoid are lead, aluminium, murcury, and monosodium glutamate (MSG)
NB: soy beans, tomatoes and mushrooms are naturally high in MSG.

When I was a kid I was occasionally taken to visit my great grand mother ("Granny") who'd been put in an old peoples' home run by catholic nuns.
Despite diabetes and going a bit deaf Granny was fine for someone in their 90s until she tripped when an elevator didn't stop level to the floor.
She broke her hip and never got out of bed again, then went blind.
The nuns stuck her in a ward where they were just waiting for the patients to die.
In was in this ward I witnessed people with dementia. Bit scarey seeing/hearing old women crying out for "Mummy".