What I discovered with the extra time with Ma...

It's no secret, my mom sees a Naturopath Doctor along with an army of traditionally trained Medical Doctors.

Over the course of this last year my mom started to have serious mental decline; an onset that appeared to be like a runnaway locamotive.

It was scary for my mother and for me.  Looking back, I was scared because I wanted my mother, not a crazed old lady who didnt know me.  I was in denial over my mom's mental illness, I didn't want to believe that my mother, the mother that raised me to be who I am today, had left us.  It happened suddenly, that's what happens with Lewy Bodies Dementia, it comes on with no warning, changing your life forever.  I cried a lot.  I worried about my siblings not having a chance to have closure with our mother.

Regrets.... I wanted to help my siblings avoid the pain of "I shoulda' done..."

The worry for my siblings caused me to work over time on finding a "cure" for our mom's mental problems that were brought on by the Lewy Bodies in her brain.  I was on a mission to give her more time on this Earth, allowing more time for my family to spend time with Jo before she was gone completely.

Did I do the right thing? 

I don't know if I did the right thing by working toward extending my mom's life when she's clearly lost her mind.  Her quality of life sucks.  Yes, her life is better than it would be if she were in a nursing home, eating the institutional food and taking the pharmaceutical drugs.  Today, she is with her family, we love her and she feels it every day; I believe I did the right thing for my mom.

What I discovered with the extra time with Ma...

I discovered a solution to my own potential health issues by observing my mom.  My mom's system is super sensitive to everything.  Earning a glimpse into the ill effects of certain foods, I became a better cook and began experimenting with flavors.  Herbs and spices are now part of my food orchestra, each flavor like a musical note that sooths the soul.

My mom is still crazy, some days more than others, but she has taught me that food is medicine.  Certain foods don't agree with her Lewy Bodies, they bring on hallucinations.  I do my best to avoid the foods that cause my mom problems. 

The results? 

My mom doesn't hallucinate as much and we are all losing unhealthy fat.  At one time my mother weighed over 225 pounds and she is only 5 feet tall.  Today, she's 133 pounds, doesn't have sleep apnea issues, her diabetes appears to be cured and her blood pressure is near normal with the help of a little Lisinopril every day.

The story is the same for me.  I was obese.  Unhealthy.  Unhappy.  Sleep apnea.  All issues that were leading me to the road that my mom travelled just 30 years before me.  Today, my sleep apnea is improving, I rarely snore and stop breathing.  I can bend over and touch the floor when I do my morning Yoga exercises.  I feel better not having the fat around my face and belly.  I love the results.

I owe my improved health to my mom's dementia.  Her dementia scared me straight.  It's because of her that I went and found a health solution that worked for us.  It seems to work for all of us here in my household.  Food is art, it's medicine and it's pleasure all wrapped up in one.  I learned that exercise is important and I am important. 

What did I discovered with the extra time with Ma?  I discovered that I have a life, a precious life to live and the only way that I can enjoy my mom's gift of life to me is to take care of myself.  Eat right, exercise, rest and enjoy living.