Top Dozen

Posted on March 18, 2019 by truthfulkindness

Tru here.

Want to thank readers of this blog. It is an honor that you would spend your time to read my words.

My actual Blog “anniversary” won’t be for several more months, but today HealthLine’s annual “Best Blogs” announcement was published >> https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/best-blogs-of-the-year.
In contrast to some of the other “Best” Lists, this is not a popularity contest;
each year, Healthline recognizes “candid and powerful blogs that capture a wide range of perspectives on Alzheimer’s disease.”

As it has been the past five years,
Listed among the top 12 Alzheimer Blogs for 2019 is my own blog; http://www.truthfulkindness.com.

This gives me an excuse to publish my own List of
my 12 blog entries that i consider most crucial:

First off, I have written specifically to medical professionals here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2018/05/01/2-neurologists/

Next, Noticed during past 5yrs that my friends Living with dementia, and those on various “support” teams do not necessarily agree on which entries are most crucial.
The three blogs that my PLwD friends most talked about and shared (saying they wished their friends/family would read) are:

#1 : Time & Energy Consumption >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2015/07/20/time-energy-consumption-dementia-symptoms/

#2: Distorted Decision Making >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2014/09/09/distorted-decision-making-in-kitchen/

#3: Learned 2016 >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2016/12/31/2016-my-dementia-symptoms/

As author, i think my most crucial blog entries are on Communication & Relationships:

Importance of Communication of various types >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2016/01/26/import-communication-pwd/

Written communication:

My New Normal >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2014/07/26/my-new-normal/

Text Format >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2019/03/04/text-format-dementia/

Audio Communication:

ECT= Environment, Content, & Timing >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2014/12/12/suggestions-understand-audio-communication-dementia-symptoms/

No Meaning >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2016/09/06/no-meaning-for-words/

Floating Words >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2018/12/31/floating-words/

Non-Verbal Communication:

Anchor Me >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2014/11/07/hold-hand-anchor-me/

And effect at end-of-day >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2019/02/11/altered-afternoon-relationships/

Decided to make it a “Baker’s Dozen” and include one more Link for relationships:
Hole in Self-Control >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2015/01/26/hole-in-my-self-control/

Which blogs are YOUR favorites ???

HlthLine > https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease has quote “candid and powerful blogs that capture a wide range of perspectives on Alzheimer’s disease.”

My most crucial entries are here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/category/important/crucial/

Most recent are here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/

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* Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. If interested in receiving notice of future blog postings, subscriptions are available through a “follow” button in the upper left corner (MS Explorer) or lower right (Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Chrome). If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 2019Mar18. Starscape above was totally created by myself 29Sep2014. Tags are: alzheimers, award, blog, communication, dementia, HealthLine, PLwD, Truthful Loving Kindness.

Winner of “20-Best” Alz Blogs since 2015, including current year >> https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/best-blogs-of-the-year

Recent Pages March 2019a

Posted on March 13, 2019 by truthfulkindness

Right-click on colored text and selecting “open in new tab”,
will allow you to return to this tab easily (at top of window) when you finish.
Remember, Links are on colored text, not the pictures.

Pages recently added to my blogsite are from:

Ron Coleman on TECHNOLOGY >> https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/ron-coleman/tech-strategy/

and a personal page in Family History:

Celtic Roots >> https://truthfulkindness.com/about/life-other/family-history-index/celtic-roots/

…

Index for other contributions here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/

FamHist Index >> https://truthfulkindness.com/about/life-other/family-history-index/

.
* Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. If interested in receiving notice of future blog postings, subscriptions are available through a “follow” button in the upper left corner (MS Explorer) or lower right (Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Chrome). If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness March 12, 2019. Tags are: dementia, PLwD, strategy, symptom.

Winner of “20-Best” Alz Blogs since 2015, including current year >> https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/best-blogs-of-the-year

Text Format – My Dementia Style

Posted on March 4, 2019 by truthfulkindness

Tru here.

Lately i have been able to mostly edit my own work.
If you have followed my blog, then you know this is a great challenge for me, because i often do not understand what i am writing, even during the writing process.

See >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2014/07/26/my-new-normal/

This is my strategy.

if in longer paragraphs, or with longer sentences, then i cannot understand what i write.

But if i read aloud,
cut into short paragraphs,
with most sentences beginning on a new line
(or even phrases)
then i can understand it better.

i regularly put multiple exclamation points, question marks, etc. They seem to reflect my feelings better, (and that’s the point, RIGHT ??)
i also leave a space between any words and those … whatever you call gramatical marks.
When gramatical marks are too close to words then i cannot easily identify the word.

i often capitalize “L” when it is at the beginning of a word.
Husband theorizes that my eye wants to see lower case L as an I, and i can guess word from context if i have enough of the beginning and ending letters.

All of these format changes can technically be seen as errors,
but i do them anyway because it makes it easier for ME to understand, when i read what i have written.
Do these format changes make understanding more difficult, or easier for my friends with dementia ??

It is just as important for ME to be able to understand what i write, as for others to read it,
because otherwise i do not know whether the words accurately reflect my thoughts.

(Thanks, Dallas Dixon, for your Jan21 question which was the trigger for beginning this blog entry)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dallas-dixon-a0516488/

If you would like to better understand, check my earlier entry here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2014/07/26/my-new-normal/

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* Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. If interested in receiving notice of future blog postings, subscriptions are available through a “follow” button in the upper left corner (MS Explorer) or lower right (Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Chrome). If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 2019Mar04. Graphic was sourced from Free-Photos on Pixabay. Tags are: dementia, edit, grammar, PLwD, strategy, writing.

Winner of “20-Best” Alz Blogs since 2015, including current year >> https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/best-blogs-of-the-year

Symptom Intensification from Grief

Posted on February 25, 2019 by truthfulkindness

Tru here on Thursday.
Last night another dementia friend died. She and i had many commonalities in life’s circumstances, and i will miss her morning greetings on FaceBook … then our little comments throughout the day.

We all experience grief at friend’s death,
but i think we forget that EVERYTHING requires more focus when our brain is dealing with cognitive decline,
and grief (like pain) messes with our neurological signals.
All circuits are busy.

So, it feels like fewer brain communication signals are really getting to their destination.
… all circuits are busy,
so try again later.

“”When brain imaging studies are done on people who are grieving,
increased activity is seen along a broad network of neurons.
These link areas associated
not only with mood but also with
memory,
perception,
conceptualization,
and even the regulation of the heart,
the digestive system,
and other organs.””
(per https://www.prevention.com/health/memory/a20441690/how-your-brain-reacts-to-grief/ )

No surprise that brain-intensive activities are compromised with grief,
but i think important to note that
many other “automatic” activities can be compromised,
for those of us with cognitive decline:

Discover i am tripping much more again this morning.
Makes sense because walking takes much more concentration when brain is struggling with swiss-cheese holes
— then adding grief disrupts that needed concentration.

Chewing requires concentration, otherwise we bite tongue, cheek, etc.

This may be too much information, but remembering to wash hands takes concentration;
this is an increasing problem for me lately.

Frustration level very high.
Only been awake 4hrs (since 3:30am) but tolerance and patience levels aleady similar to late afternoon.
Will need to mostly avoid social networks today.

So …

Like illness, this symptom intensification is probably a preview of things to come, and an opportunity to “practice” techniques and strategies usually un-needed in my day-to-day Life during this stage.
Another opportunity to prepare for symptom progression in a gradual way.

Appropriate mobility tools (for me that means added use of walker or serviceDog for balance inside the house as well as outdoors).

Schedule extra sleep, if possible.

For me, it is not timing for trying something new. Only well-loved familiar movies, foods, etc.

Examples of recent communication glitches (this section was written with my husband’s help):

1. I am searching harder for words, as usual they are often easy common words instead of more complex technical terms. Make sure partner knows that communication is extra-compromised right now, and strategize TOGETHER.

2. Not as much a “partner” in our “joint” projects. So it may be that asking for my help in his projects, (right now) is not so beneficial or rewarding.

3. He says i am consistently unable to remember his responses for 20 minutes. Unfortunately, if i dont remember his schedule that doesnt mean he does not need to leave for work. He does not know the many MANY moments i think of asking him whether he needs to work today, but avoid asking because i know i already asked — i just cannot remember the answer. For ME, that means TODAY’S schedule needs posted on the fridge (in addition to the “normal” locations).

4. Most recently he says a few minutes ago I told him “I need a new card”, but could not specify what kind of “card”, among the many possibilities of “card”. Strategy options might be to hold up an example, pause the conversation, or try writing/drawing it out.

In relationship, recognize it is neither of YOU; the added current struggles are combination of stress and disease.

Death of friend, pet, etc, is a huge change in daily routine.
Circuits overload and nothing is the same.

When we are floundering like this,
maybe it is time to reach out — connect with friend, family member, Dementia Mentors or another chat group such as DAI or DAA Discussions.
We are all on this path together. There is a good chance you will bump shoulders with someone who has walked this portion of the path.

* Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. If interested in receiving notice of future blog postings, subscriptions are available through a “follow” button in the upper left corner (MS Explorer) or lower right (Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Chrome). If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 2019Feb25. Graphic was sourced from Old Stockholm Telphone Tower 1890, public domain 1889Dec31.. Tags are: dementia, grief, pain, PLwD, strategy, symptom.

Winner of “20-Best” Alz Blogs since 2015, including current year >> https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/best-blogs-of-the-year

Recent Pages Feb 2019

Posted on February 18, 2019 by truthfulkindness

Tru here. Pages recently added to my blogsite are :
Right-click on colored text and selecting “open in new tab”,
will allow you to return to this tab easily (at top of window) when you finish.
Remember, Links are on colored text, NOT the pictures.

Peter Berry on Eating, Drinking & Speed >> https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/peter-berry/vid83/

Admin entry About my BLOG >> https://truthfulkindness.com/about/about-blog-mailroom/

Personal Spiritual Journal entry >> https://truthfulkindness.com/about/life-other/spiritual/intimacy-nonverbal-prayer/

My most crucial entries are here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/category/important/crucial/

Most recent are here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/

Winner of “20-Best” Alz Blogs since 2015, including current year >> https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/best-blogs-of-the-year

Altered Afternoon Relationships

Posted on February 11, 2019 by truthfulkindness

Tru here on 2019Feb06.
This month marks my 20th year since dementia symptoms became noticable. Symptoms have definitely progressed, but progressed slowly.

Newest development is that
Lately find myself impatient, angry,
and just hostile by the time evening comes
… even with my morning nap.
Relationship interactions, (whether written or verbal),
become much more work by late afternoon.
It’s hard. it is just plain HARD !

i think as my energy is further depleted during the day, i just dont have the energy to keep everything in perspective (and thus avoid so much frustration and anger). Keeping perspective requires REMEMBERING the context of whatever circumstances and people are involved in the interactions — and the context is always retreating. ugggh !!!

Written words have been a problem for quite a few years now. Understanding spoken words into concepts has become strong challenge for me in past year. Moving deeper to the underlying meaning, taking into consideration the experiences/context of speaker (or writer) … and then keeping all of that context in mind DURING the interactions; it all requires copious amounts of energy. Interactions are very important to me; relationships are what make life worth living … but for me, interactions also always cost energy, because i am a strong introvert. Lately toward late afternoon and evening i just dont have that energy. it seems my ability to understand (and to reflect unconditional love for each being sharing this universe) is beginning to have an expiration “time-of-day” (instead of an “expiration date”).

It is now 3pm and AGAIN … my symptoms are swinging.

Is it because over 600 persons with Dementia in social networks is just too many individuals for my introversion-energized self ? (i have thought of this & have eliminated listings of most folks who do not actually have dementia themselves, but cannot bear to sacrifice any friendships among those who share dementia symptoms.) Is this from intensive “thinking” work on too many social projects during morning and early afternoon ? Maybe partly because less sunshine outside, so should check levels for vitamin D ? Maybe fighting a flu bug ?? All worth consideration, but regardless of why these are showing up NOW, probably indicates future “new normal”, so i need to be thinking about strategies, and preparing to best LIVE with the new symptoms.

Particularly disturbing because every time my name is spoken i am reminded of the importance of Truthful Loving Kindness in all my interactions. this is absolutely crucial to me!!

THANKSgiving for patience of others, when our own patience disapears.
THANKSgiving for understanding of others, when our own understanding disapears.

… But tomorrow will be a new day
… if i can get some rest will have new energy.
I will think about strategies tomorrow (and remainder of week).
Another blog entry on the installment plan. (Almost all of them are, these days, LOL. )

Strategies:

Continue efforts at nap early enough to not interfere with night sleep.

Ask doctor to check vitamin D levels, and make every effort to get sunshine.

Maybe some of those bulbs that are “full spectrum”.

Limiting online connections (social networking like FaceBook) to mostly mornings and early afternoon, then do activities that are less relationship-intensive.

Praying husband finishes installation of woodstove soon; nothing says i have arrived “home” like the smell, sound, and sight of a wood fire.

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* Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. If interested in receiving notice of future blog postings, subscriptions are available through a “follow” button in the upper left corner (MS Explorer) or lower right (Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Chrome). If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 2019Feb11. No idea on how many hrs invested on txt, but worked on it and/or graphic every day for 6 days. Graphic was sourced from Casey Horner on Unsplash. Tags are: dementia, fatigue, irritability, PLwD, strategy, sundowning, symptom.

Winner of “20-Best” Alz Blogs since 2015, including current year >> https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/best-blogs-of-the-year

Exhausted from Dreams

Posted on February 4, 2019 by truthfulkindness

One step at a time.
Tru here at 5am.

Another 5-installment night of more-real-than-daytime dream experiences of action/horror which are so very common with those who have Lewy Body Dementia symptoms. These particular installments (much like episodes of a TV show) were figuring strategies to best live with progressive physical and mental disfigurement (literally “dripping away” of physical self, and extreme aggression as most difficult symptom of mental disintegration). It was universal and progressive, involving all people and animals. Thru trial and error, in the dream we discovered that best coping strategy was music for humans, and rhythm-vibration for animals.

i was unsuccessful in my dream, in that our strategy did not arrest or even slow progression, but was very rewarding to discover strategy to help continue relationships (even tho it is just in my dream-world). Then i woke.

Very good chance that when i finally fall asleep tonight, dreams will continue with more episodes from the same environment. That is often how it goes.

Several years ago, my psychiatrist pointed out that most of my dreams have a strong consistency; they usually involve me helping others in a disastrous environment. There is almost always blood and guts, but that is not surprising with gunshot murder, rape, etc in family history. The primary issue is that i can almost always make a DIFFERENCE in my dreams. Even when generally unsuccessful, there is some positive impact, whether solo or as part of a team. As he pointed out, this is very consistent with my life goals. It makes sense, and, in a way, gives strength to (or reflects) HOPE in my life.

Unfortunately, all these stressors, violence, and action during the night do not produce restful renewal from my daytime efforts.
i wake simultaneously encouraged … and feeling more exhausted than when i went to bed.

day-time work, then night-time work, then day-time work again, etc.

Sometimes i feel absolutely desperate for energy-giving rest. Daily nap is crucial.

Gotta take it one day at a time, one hour at a time,
… and one STEP at a time.

Not really any tips here, altho very glad i have extensively discussed this with an “expert”. Gives confidence that i have done what i could to address the issues (and he was surprised even to begin with, stating i had adjusted well to past and current trauma).

Perhaps reading this can help someone with similar symptoms see that they are NOT alone,
or help a care-partner better understand exhaustion of the person with dementia.

Related Links.
Right-click on colored text and selecting “open in new tab”,
will allow you to return to this tab easily (at top of window) when you finish.
Remember, Links are on colored text, NOT the pictures.

Impact of Terror and Dreams >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2016/01/19/impact-terrors-dreams/

Sleep Problems Again >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2016/03/23/sleep-problems-again/

My most crucial entries are here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/category/important/crucial/

Most recent are here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/

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* Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. If interested in receiving notice of future blog postings, subscriptions are available through a “follow” button in the upper left corner (MS Explorer) or lower right (Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Chrome). If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 2019Feb04. Graphic was sourced from Natalia Kollegova on PixaBay & a PicsArt sticker. 7hrs invested. Tags are: dementia, dreams, hope, horror, PLwD, strategy, symptom.

Winner of “20-Best” Alz Blogs since 2015, including current year >> https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/best-blogs-of-the-year

Frosty and Fragile

Posted on January 28, 2019 by truthfulkindness

Tru here regarding symptoms of fatigue and inflexibility.

Frosty.
Fragile.
— cool, crisp, and crinkly.

Energy spent,
so At the moment
I am at the end of my flexibility,
… in schedule adaptability
… and in communication.

Needing to renew
but Spring feels a long way off.

.*.

Time to
minimize amount of tasks,
minimize task complexity,
… and time to maximize appreciation of EACH moment,
in whatever way those moments might take form.

Time for slow soak in tub.
Time for music.
Time for SLOWLY creative moments.

Time for warm hugs, quiet words … and mugs of hot chocolate,
while sitting in front of a crackling fire.

Time to enjoy some special moments with YOU !!

— Truthful L. Kindness
23 Jan 2019

Those moments might be in person, but they might be in video chat … or even a card or letter. But at times like this i personally need very quiet, close relationship, … or prayer and meditation. Because for ME, relationship makes life worth living.

Each person is different, and someone else might need perky pick-me-up. But for ME perky pick-me-up would be entirely exhausting at this stage, leaving me in worse condition than i started.

What about YOU ??

.*.

This blog entry began with photo posted by a PLwD friend, Wendy Mitchell. (PLwD = Person Living with Dementia.) Tried to nap after i saw the photo, but instead words started spilling out, desperately needing a place to settle. So the words settled on this page, and it is lovely to create … again. ((smile)). Photo with permission from Wendy Mitchell.

Bad Day suggestions >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2018/04/09/bad-day-indicators-suggestions/

Myrna’s suggestions >> https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/myrna-norman/bad-day-suggestions/

My most crucial entries are here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/category/important/crucial/

Most recent are here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/

.
* Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. If interested in receiving notice of future blog postings, subscriptions are available through a “follow” button in the upper left corner (MS Explorer) or lower right (Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Chrome). If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 2018–insert-. Tags are: dementia, fatigue, inflexibility, strategy, symptom.

Winner of “20-Best” Alz Blogs since 2015, including current year >> https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/best-blogs-of-the-year

Perspective of HOPE

Posted on January 21, 2019 by truthfulkindness

What creates HOPE in your life ???

How can you create PATHS to fulfill that hope?

What SUSTAINS that hope in your life ??

Tru here.

In my life, regardless of the struggles during any individual day,
HOPE is a necessary part of that day.
Hope is crucial to retaining enthusiasm for life during that day.

Webster’s Dictionary says hope (as a transitive verb) is
1. to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment ,&
2. to expect with confidence .

Hope is an ACTIVE process of keeping my life in a positive frame of reference.

…

Like too many others, there has been a lot of violence in my family’s experiences. And coping with my progressive brain decline adds almost-constant discouragement and frustration from a constantly-changing “New Normal”,
So …

To keep a larger perspective
it is crucially important to have a note of “HOPE”
in each movie i finish,
in each book i finish,
and in each song i listen to.

If the movie, book, or song seems to lack hope, i quickly drop it; i do not finish it.
And only those items which convey a strong note of hope (in some manner) are retained in my library.

I try to spend more time with friends who look at life with hope,
than time with friends who no longer have hope in their perspective.
… Otherwise the relationship drain becomes too costly for myself.

I have no desire to lose motivation for life,
so i strive to keep hope in each part of EVERY day.
I cannot afford to lose sight of hope in my perspective.

I think most people’s lives are filled with
astonishing abilities AND dys-Abilities (usually unrecognized & un-addressed),
… joy AND sadness,
… exhilaration AND suffering,
But too often we do not recognize those conditions in the folks around us,
because the avenues of their experiences do not match our own.
We only see and experience our own events,
so that becomes our context.

First time i read Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” was about a decade before my dementia symptoms became noticable. Actually, as one of my most-frequently-read (and written-in) secular books, eventually, i copied each page and put in 3-hole binder. i forget the title of chapter, but one of the chapters gave instructions to visualize your own funeral;
Ideally, what would you like to hear there, about your “fulfilled” life ?

This was my major tool for determining what my own “fulfilled” life would look like.
My own purpose (or HOPE) in life is
to reflect Truthful Loving Kindness in my life and interactions;
written and oral, spoken and un-spoken, public and intimately intensely personal,
and finally (but crucially important) … seen and unseen.

So my “hope” is for opportunities to fulfil that goal in various ways.

i can only control myself,
so i strive to become informed in how i can best reflect Truthful Loving Kindness
to myself and others,
because relationships are what make life worth living.
i prioritize my time, funds, and energy with that goal as very high priority.

Dementia symptoms change the pathways for that goal, but make absolutely no change on goal itself

.*.

Above is my own answer to the preface questions.
So …

What creates true hope in YOUR life ???

How can you create paths to FULFILL that hope? And …

What SUSTAINS that hope in your life ??

I am From … >> https://truthfulkindness.com/bnp/part-1/intro-from-tlk/

HOPE in Wiki >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope

My most crucial entries are here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/category/important/crucial/

Most recent are here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/

.
* Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. If interested in receiving notice of future blog postings, subscriptions are available through a “follow” button in the upper left corner (MS Explorer) or lower right (Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Chrome). If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 2019Jan21. Blog entry began 11Jan2019 and finished text on 21Jan2019. Tags are: dementia, goal, hope, perspective, PLwD, strategy.

Winner of “20-Best” Alz Blogs since 2015, including current year >> https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/best-blogs-of-the-year

Book Revw “Dementia from the Inside”

Posted on January 14, 2019 by truthfulkindness

SUMMARY

Insightful Book with “Inside Perspective”;

Tru here. I think “Dementia from the Inside” , written by Dr Jennifer Bute (with Louise Morse) is helpful for anyone open to Christian perspective who is involved in any way with Persons with Dementia.

Like many others who are now experiencing dementia symptoms, I wish that I could have had this “inside perspective” of more deeply understanding dementia symptoms, much much earlier. For me, understanding better could have enriched my relationships with two grandmothers who had dementia. Together we could have extended the time of verbal communication, as well as assisting with non-verbal communication.

That is a big part of why I write a blog, and here is an excellent BOOK to assist others in those relationships. An added impetus, for me, is better understanding a wonderful mentor for myself, Jennifer Bute. Looking forward to our next video chat, my friend. – Truthful Kindness.

.*. … .*. … .*. More Details on Book .*. … .*. … .*.

Tru here. I bought paperback version of this book thru publisher, then kindle version thru Amazon. Took a while to read it thru, but the book is broken into smaller sections, and i used Kindle tools to make it easier for me. Very VERY glad i invested funds, time and energy in this book. It is a treasure.

Perspective is key issue for how any person deals with dementia symptoms or diagnosis, so Jennifer begins her book with her own perspective; largely SPIRITUAL perspective.

We have not spoken of it much (or i have fogotten), but discovered both Jennifer and i have the unusual theory that as cognition becomes more limited, the person with dementia often becomes more aware of the spiritual realms of life. in this book, Jennifer speculates that this may happen because inhibitions or social assumptions are removed.

From the outset, we both saw our own cognitive decline as a gift from Creator. I wrote about it in 2012 >> https://truthfulkindness.com/2014/07/16/faith-dementia/ , and Jennifer mentions, “How we walk with God, our heart attitude, is what matters, not what we do for Him. My heart said, ‘Well Lord, here I am with Alzheimer’s: I accept this as an unexpected gift from you, an opportunity to understand dementia from the inside’.”

MeltDown is always difficult experience for both person living with dementia and those around that person during the event. Jennifer says, “There is always a reason why people with dementia have ‘meltdowns’. It could be sensory overload, tiredness or simply things becoming too much. Being in hospital is top of the list: it ticks all the boxes.” After listing seven situations that can precipitate her own meltdown, Jennifer says, “The meltdown behaviour of other people with dementia reflects how they were when they were little … whatever the behaviour, it reflects the vulnerability of a child.”

“If I’m confused, reassure me, but don’t overwhelm me with words — show me what I should do.” — Dr Jennifer Bute in “Dementia from the Inside”.

Enabling Speech is one of my favorite sections of this book, where Jennifer says, “I have found there are five main ways of helping those in the later stages of dementia to talk, when others assume they no longer can — it is such a joy! The key words here are music, singing, laughter, and parallel and convergent speech.” … and she goes on to describe the techniques.

Some other jewel-quotes from Jennifer’s book are:

“Each new difficulty is an opportunity to find new coping mechinisms.”

“If I don’t recognize you, please remind me who you are, and in what context I know you, and if necessary give me additional clues”

“If I look lost or bewildered, I probably am. Please help me … ”

“We pick up your mood, whether you are calm or agitated. (This is known as mirroring.)”

… and three Principles:
“1 There is always a reason why a person is behaving in a particular way.
2 When facts are forgotten, feelings remain.
3 Familiar patterns of behaviour continue. Knowing these principles can help explain puzzling behaviour and improve communications.”

This book clearly shows that there can be meaningful, joyful life WITH dementia, and gives suggestions of how to either live that life, or assist others in living that life. Wise investment of funds, time, and energy.

Jennifer’s index page on my blog is here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/index-persons-with-dementia-pwd/jennifer-bute/

My most crucial entries are here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/category/important/crucial/

Most recent are here >> https://truthfulkindness.com/

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* Admin issues: SHARE dementia awareness thru buttons below. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of comments, but please filter your comments with truthful loving kindness to all concerned. If interested in receiving notice of future blog postings, subscriptions are available through a “follow” button in the upper left corner (MS Explorer) or lower right (Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Chrome). If there is an advertisement below, I have no control over what is shown. My own full legal name is Truthful Loving Kindness. My current diagnosis is still Mild Cognitive Impairment, but my neurologist said I am in a unique position for helping because I have “one foot in each door”. Text Copyright © Truthful L. Kindness 2019Jan14 (altho Jennifer has copyright for all quotes on this page). Tags are: book, dementia, Jennifer Bute, PLwD, strategy, symptom.

Winner of “20-Best” Alz Blogs since 2015, including current year >> https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/best-blogs-of-the-year

Person with Dementia Symptoms

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Gotta take it one day at a time, one hour at a time, … and one STEP at a time.

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Gotta take it one day at a time, one hour at a time,
… and one STEP at a time.