Blog #7 Dementia

Grandma love's her french fries:

My grandmother is 80 years old has been suffering from dementia for the past 2-3 years now. Before any signs of dementia appeared, she was an active and independent elder who knows everyone around Chinatown (she lives in California). Now her short-term memory only lasts a few minutes and she repeats herself often. Occasionally she will remember some current events only if it makes her happy like going to the casinos or pisses her off like a child being rude. She has fallen a few times and cuts and bruises show up, but she cannot remember how and when it came about. My two aunts, who live nearby, worry about my grandma all the time. They fear that she will forget her way back home, forget to turn off the stove, or lose her money (which has happened).

I visited my grandmother over Christmas and I can tell she has lost her spunk and independence. Nowadays she sits in her small apartment watching TV. Sometimes she would go to the market forgetting there is plenty of food in the fridge. To keep her safe, my aunts take turns watching over her, making sure she eats, and getting adequate exercise.

I did not anticipate all of these issues with dementia. In my naïve mind, I thought dementia only affected short-term memory slightly. As each day goes by, so does my grandmother’s memory.

Blog #6 Challenges

Exercising and eating a health diet: two things that I am currently working on incorporating into my lifestyle. Fifth grade was around the time I first became self-conscious about my appearance and when I hit middle school that’s when I became aware of my weight. I thought I was overweight so I dieted by eating half a sandwich at lunch and drank a can of soda. That diet didn’t last long and it was not such a smart idea. Through high school I considered myself fat because I always compared myself to the popular, skinny girls, but more than likely I was at a healthy weight. After high school up to 2 years ago, my weight was stable for the most part thanks to working at a job which was physical in nature. Two years ago after my mom died, I drowned my sorrows by eating lots of food. Today I am still working on taking off that extra weight through eating healthier and exercising.

My challenge is having the drive to exercise after a long day at work. Some days I stay late at work so I just want to go home afterwards and relax. I did try going before work, but I have trouble rolling out of bed and I have to worry about getting to work on time. Other challenges are time, crowds, not being prepared, and going by myself. All of these can be taken care of with advance planning: scheduling time to go to the gym or park when it is less crowded, inviting friends to join in the day before, and packing gym clothes in advance and have it in the car. I’ve done all these things, but I end up with an excuse not to go. I have read and understand the benefits of exercise, but my enthusiasm to exercise is low.

There are a few challenges when it comes to eating healthier. It is easier and cheaper to go out and buy pre-made meals or takeout than cooking at home. Often I am exhausted after work and do not want to spend much time cooking. Lunch during the week is horrible because I make excuse to go out like I forgot to bring something or I want to get out of the office. Eating healthier alternatives is expensive at the grocery store or eating out. These are just excuses again and with careful planning I can achieve a healthier diet without spending a lot of money or loosing time.

If I keep up with my current level of diet and exercise, in 5 years I would probably face many health problems like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, etc. My goal in the next five years is to be able to achieve a healthier lifestyle and keep up with a workout regimen. It is going to take a lot of work and effort but I know in the end it will be worth it.

Blog #5 Aging Gracefully

Cartoon Humor:




Women are living longer, fulfilling lives. Unfortunately society’s attitude towards menopause, aging, and older women are negative. Menopause is associated as a period of time in which older women experience significant and uncomfortable physical and mental changes such as hot flashes (a.k.a personal summers), depression, headaches, mood swings, vaginal dryness, & night sweats. Menopause should be looked upon as a positive event. It is a time where women are freed from experiencing the monthly “curse”, worrying about spotting, buying tampons/pads, and some women experience an increased libido. Educating about menopause will help women have a better understanding what is going on naturally and dispel any previous misconstrued notions.

Magazines, movies, reality TV generally focus on young, attractive men and women. The appealing nature is what sells and sadly there is a stigma about aging. Top fashion models are considered old at 24 and star athletes are considered old at 33. But being 24 or 33 is considered young when the population is living to be 85 years old. Society view young adults as automatically looking better, can run faster, and generate new and better ideas than older counterparts. Instead older people, especially older women should be look at as wiser individuals who have so much life experiences that they can share. Wrinkles and gray hair should be signs of maturity. Media should portray women in a positive light so all of us women can feel less anxiety as we age.


References:
Biasiotto, J. (2008). 15 Surprising facts about world class athletes. Retrieved on July 11, 2009 from http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:dIbtVUbPEwYJ:strengthplanet.com/other/15-surprising-facts-about-world-class-athletes.htm+average+age+of+athlete+retirement&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=us

WebMD. (2009). Sex and menopause. Retrieved on July 11, 2009 from http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/sex-menopause

Blog #4 My Choice to Parent

I am at the stage in my life where most of my friends are married and are planning to have children or have a few of their own. Personally I want to have two kids in the future. Two is a magical number in my opinion because both kids will have each other as playmates and someone to bond with as they grow up. I am biased because I have only one sister. We share a loving relationship and at times it can be trying but we know we are there for each other. My fiancé is an only child so it was kind of lonely for him. Having lots of cousins and friends helped fill that void but occasionally he wished for a sibling. We agreed to have at least two kids, but he wants a “battalion”-I don’t think so! ;)

Seriously, the decision to have a child or be childless is a private decision made between couples or for an individual. Money, career, lifestyle are some possible reasons why couples or individuals choose to be childless and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Currently I choose this option because I believe in the “get married first then have kids” idea. I guess I am old fashion in that respect.