Lifestyle

When Alan’s mom progressed on her Alzheimer’s journey, we witnessed changes in her behavior. After working with families as a Memory Care Coordinator, I realized that these behavioral changes can be very common due to the progressive deterioration of the brain cells caused by the disease. Even though common, these behaviors were often the most challenging aspects of the disease process.

Week three in my August series of The Continuum of Creation: Faith and the Land, again helps us to see how creation is ongoing. This week the main topic is not just creation, but re-creation and transformation. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This amazing “new creation” comes through our faith in Christ. And faith isn’t a one-time thing, but a process that continues over our entire life growing and evolving.

There’s a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant that we like to eat at in Woodbury. The owner, Duc (pronounced Duke), and his wife run the restaurant and all of the food they serve is delicious. They are proud to say that everything is freshly made – and no canned sauces! Even Duc himself waits on tables and likes to interact with the customers. He also enjoys giving people a hard time.

If you already have your will and other advanced planning documents in place, there are some important reminders for you at the end of this column! I recently received an email from Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) with a reminder that August is National Make-A-Will month. SWIF has a valuable partnership with FreeWill, an online tool to write a legal will at no personal cost. SWIF is an independent community foundation whose mission is connecting people, investing in ideas, and building communities. They support many initiatives in our region, in fact, my position at Prairie Five is funded in part with a grant from SWIF.

A week ago I sat softly petting our cat, Tommy. Two days earlier, he seemed completely normal as he vaulted to his favorite sleeping place on top of our dining room hutch. But now, something was definitely wrong. Tommy laid very still – he wouldn’t lift his head, he hadn’t eaten or drank anything for two days and he was very lethargic. I sat “chairside” and slowly petted him – but he didn’t purr or respond. After a trip to his regular vet and two trips to the ER vet, we just couldn’t figure out what was the matter.

I understand the pain of social isolation well. On July 2nd, I celebrated completing my ninth year of sobriety. I was addicted to alcohol and the more I drank, the more isolated I became and the more I lied to myself about everything. Since I was still functioning, it couldn’t be that serious. I had an image in my mind of what a problem drinker looked like (someone in ragged clothes passed out in the median of the road in the middle of the day holding an empty bottle in a paper bag) and there was no way that was me. Alcohol is a depressant. Drinking to feel better was the biggest lie of all- the more I drank, the darker life became.

With summer in full swing, we have had a taste of hot days with high humidity. For many who are not water drinkers, dehydration can easily become a concern.

In the last few years, insurance companies have begun adding new extra benefits to their Medicare Advantage plans. While most have included some form of hearing, dental, and vision coverage for years, many now offer an over-the-counter allowance for qualifying purchases. Some even have special discounts or coupons for food. A number of people who have these benefits aren’t using them- because they aren’t aware that their plan includes them!