IT IS POSSIBLE TO STOP FURTHER MEMORY LOSS

FIRST LET ME SAY THAT MY SUCCESS IN STOPPING FURTHER MEMORY LOSS MAY NOT APPLY TO EVERYONE, BUT IT WILL APPLY TO MANY. THEREFORE SUFFERERS AND CARERS SHOULD FOLLOW THE STEPS THAT HAVE HELPED ME, THEY CANNOT DO ANY HARM AND I AM CERTAIN THAT THEY HAVE WORKED FOR ME. SADLY THEY HAVE NOT CHANGED THE DAMAGE ALREADY DONE, ALTHOUGH I NO LONGER FORGET WHERE I PARKED THE CAR AND ALTHOUGH I STRUGGLE TO REMEMBER WORDS SOMETIMES, WITH MENTAL EFFORT THEY DO COME BACK, SO IN MY CASE AT LEAST THERE IS SOME IMPROVEMENT. WHEN I WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED WITH DEMENTIA SOME MONTHS BACK I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN RESEARCH AND THE FIRST THING THAT I SADLY DISCOVERED WAS THAT DEMENTIA IS NOT THE FIRST STEP WITH ALZHEIMERS POSSIBLY FOLLOWING, BUT IN FACT DEMENTIA IS THE SYMPTOM OF SOME KIND OF BRAIN DETERIORATION WITH A 75% POSSIBILITY THAT THE CAUSE WAS ALZHEIMERS. THIS WAS A DEVASTATING DISCOVERY AND IN THE BEGINNING I BEGAN TO PLAN FOR THIS EVENTUALITY. THEN MY OPTIMISTIC NATURE ASSERTED ITSELF AND I DECIDED THAT I WAS GOING TO FIGHT TO RETAIN MY MEMORY AND STOP FURTHER DETERIORATION THROUGH DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMERS. THERE IS MUCH ADVICE ON THE INTERNET AND ADDING IT TOGETHER IT SEEMED THAT THE FIRST STEP IN FIGHTING EVEN SIMPLE MEMORY LOSS AND OF COURSE ALSO DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMERS WAS TO BE HEALTHY. AT MY AGE OF OVER 70 IT IS TO BE EXPECTED THAT A MAN WILL PROBABLY HAVE A PROSTATE PROBLEM, IN FACT MY DOCTOR ASSURED ME THAT EVEN THE POPE IS A SUFFERER. WHEN I ASKED HOW HE KNEW HE LAUGHED AND SAID; "BECAUSE OF HIS AGE." LIKE MOST PEOPLE OF MY AGE THAT IS NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM AND I HAVE SEVERAL OTHER AILMENTS, ALL OF WHICH I TAKE MEDICATION FOR AND ALL OF WHICH WERE LARGELY UNDER CONTROL, WITH SOME PAIN THAT WAS MANAGEABLE. HOWEVER, I REALISED THAT THERE WAS A LOT MORE THAT I COULD DO TO IMPROVE MYSELF. OUR DIET WASN'T BAD, BUT JULIAN CHANGED OUR DIET ALMOST COMPLETELY TO THE MEDITERANEAN ONE. AS LITTLE FAT AS POSSIBLE, SO NO MORE RED MEAT APART FROM SPECIAL OCCASIONS SUCH AS CHRISTMAS. SO WE NOW EAT MAINLY CHICKEN OR FISH, ALTHOUGH OCASIONALY WE WILL HAVE A LITTLE LEAN MINCE IN SUCH THINGS AS SPAGHETTI BOLOGNAISE, OR EVEN HOME MADE BURGERS, BUT SADLY NO CHIPS! WE DO EAT A LITTLE POTATO STILL, BUT VERY LITTLE AND IN PLACE WE EAT RICE AND PASTA. PERSONALLY I THINK THAT BROWN RICE IS THE BEST, BUT IT IS RATHER EXPENSIVE AND AS OUR BUDGET IS LIMITED THAT IS A LUXURY. WE ALSO INCREASED OUR VEGETABLE AND FRUIT INTAKE AND ALMOST ELIMINATED CAKES AND BISCUITS. IN ADDITION CREAM WAS NO LONGER PERMITTED, BUT AN INCREASE IN YOGHOURT MADE UP FOR THAT. BOTH JULIAN AND I ARE CHOCOHOLICS, BUT WE REDUCED THAT TO SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND REPLACED IT WITH COCOA. APART FROM A GOOD DIET THE NEXT THING WAS EXERCISE. THIS WE ALREADY DID TO A LIMITED EXTENT BY WALKING AND AFTER READING THAT WALKING FOR SEVEN HOURS A WEEK CAN EXTEND ONE'S LIFE BY NINE YEARS, WE EXTENDED THE TIME SPENT DOING THIS AND ON WET COLD DAYS WE SPEND TEN MINUTES ON THE TREADMILL. WE ARE ALSO VERY BLESSED TO HAVE A SMALL SWIMMING POOL AND WHEN THE WATER IS WARM ENOUGH I SWIM FORTY LENGTHS. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT THE POOL IS ONLY SMALL! I ALSO READ THAT KEEPING MENTALLY ACTIVE HELPS TO BOTH PREVENT DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMERS. THIS I ALREADY DID AND IN FACT I BOTH READ AND IN MY RETIREMENT I HAVE BECOME A WRITER OF NOVELS ABOUT SOUTH AFRICA, SO I WAS ALREADY DOING THIS AND MERELY STEPPED UP MY READING TIME AND REDUCED TV TIME. WE STILL WATCH THE NEWS AND THE ODD SOAPY, BUT IN ADDITION INCREASED THE TIME LISTENING TO THE EXCELLENT CLASSICAL MUSIC CHANNEL. MUSIC I DISCOVERED HELPED ALZHEIMERS PATIENTS IMMENSELY AND PERHAPS THE INCREASE IN INTAKE HAS HELPED ME. OMEGA 3 PRESCRIBED BY MY DOCTOR IS ALSO BENEFICIAL FOR ME I THINK,BUT ABOVE ALL I HAVE COME TO BELIEVE PASSIONATELY IN THE POWER OF WATER. I DRINK ABOUT TWO LITRES A DAY AND ALWAYS START THE DAY AND FINISH THE DAY WITH A GLASS. FINALLY, I FOUND PRAYER AND MEDITATION OF IMMENSE BENEFIT. INCIDENTALLY, EVEN ATHEISTS CAN PRAY. I HAVN'T MET ONE YET WHO DOESN'T AGREE THAT THERE IS A FORCE OR POWER GREATER THAN OURSELVES. SIMPLE MEDITATION CAN BE ACHIEVED EASILY. A DARKENED ROOM IS BEST. YOU NEED TO LIGHT A CANDLE ON WHICH TO FOCUS. A LITTLE INCENSE HELPS GREATLY AND SUITABLE MUSIC SUCH AS TIM WHEATER'S FLUTE WILL PUT YOU IN THE RIGHT MOOD. YOU THEN BREATHE DEEPLY A ND RELAX YOUR BODY. SPEND SEVERAL MINUTES DOING THIS. THEN IMAGINE YOURSELF IN A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, A VALLEY, MOUNTAIN TOP OR EVEN AN OLD BUILDING. AS THE MOOD FILLS YOU, IMAGINE LIGHT COMING FROM ABOVE AND ENTERING YOUR HEAD. IMAGINE IT FLOWING THROUGH YOUR BODY AND WASHING AWAY ALL DISEASE AND ILLNESS. IF YOU ARE A CARER SEE THAT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE YOUR PATIENT FOLLOWS ALL THESE IDEAS, BUT ABOVE ALL REMEMBER THE POWER OF LOVE. DEFINITELY A SMALL IMPROVEMENT IN MY MEMORY THIS WEEK AND MY OVERALL HEALTH IS EXCELLENT. NO PAINS FROM ANYTHING AND MY BOOK IS PROGRESSING WELL.I THANK GOD FOR ALL MY BLESSINGS. WEATHER HERE IN PAARL IS HOT AGAIN AND BOYSIE AND I WILL BE SWIMMING THIS AFTERNOON. BOBBY THE PARROT STILL NOT TALKING MUCH. JULIAN IS VERY DISAPPOINTED AS I BOUGHT HIM FOR HER BIRTHDAY. STILL HE IS FUNNY. KEEP TAKING THE TABLETS. DAVID BARNATO. PAARL. SOUTH AFRICA.