We all sit with bated breath waiting for a cure, or at least a postponement of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. However, many touted trials in phase 2 somehow didn’t pan out in phase 3. And often treatments seem to work better for mice than people so far. Until Alzheimer’s turns into a manageable disease like diabetes, or goes into remission like certain cancers, there is nothing miraculous out there regarding drug therapy - yet. So what can you do meanwhile?

Instead of living in fear of Alzheimer’s, transform that fear into an awareness of what one can still do and embrace. What can we learn from Alzheimer’s?

• We can loosen our grip on people, events, and outcomes to realize that we control very little. We can change what we value and learn who we are when many layers are stripped away. Do we know the worth of our own spirit? We need to release the notion of what we should be.
  
• We can learn to ask for help as we have helped others. We can relax some of our boundaries and lower the wall we have built to forge deeper relationships.
  
• We can simplify our lives and relax our rhythm to reconnect with nature as we enjoy the feel of the sun on our skin, the visual beauty of a park or the sounds of birds. Perhaps we have insulated ourselves blocking out sensory output. Let’s make sure to get our vision checked and our hearing tested to get the most out of our senses which are interpreted by the brain.
  
• We can realize that we have a responsibility to strengthen our bodies with different exercises to forge connections in the brain. We can eat quality foods to nourish both body and mind keeping us healthy as an organic whole.

There is no magic wand to wave Alzheimer’s away. However, we can still dictate our life and experience things in our own way for a while. Some people never learn that they can do this, but Alzheimer’s can make a person wise with an inner knowing. It is a curiosity that some brains which have been autopsied were filled with plaques and tangles, yet those people never manifested Alzheimer’s symptoms while they were alive. Had they found a spiritual enlightenment which scientists cannot yet identify?

---

For more information on caregiving read my book, Changing Habits: The Caregivers' Total Workout. To listen to archived radio shows with guest experts visit Turn On Your Inner Light Radio Show