Sunday, July 20, 2014

Summer Picnic Report

Summer Picnic wildly successful, man claims
It was a beautiful Saturday to sit in the sun, relax, drink beer and chat about catastrophic illness. I mean, who wants to talk about falls, tremors, discrimination and rapidly advancing decay when the weather is dismal? OK, I do, but besides me, who would do such a thing?

We traded war stories, threatened to show each other nasty bruises and slugged down Chaga tea brewed by Travlin' Dominique Collette. The tea was made from fungus he harvested from a birch snag in my back yard. It was, he told us, loaded with antioxidants. It tasted surprisingly good, sort of how you would expect a birch tree to taste. Thanks to everyone who came, and especially Bob and Carolyn Rinehart for leading the effort to organize this year's picnic, and for bringing some Texas-Style smoked ribs.

Dominique ever-so-gently pounds the crap out of Chaga freshly harvested with dull knives from our backyard. Amazingly, nobody was injured.

Enjoying sun and coversaton at the rustic Singing Fiddle Ranch.



Wednesday, July 16, 2014

'We Use Only 10% of Our Brains.' is 100% B.S.

I've long been skeptical of the idea that humans use only 10% of their brain capacity. It's like arguing we waste our capacity for limb use by only walking on our legs. The Atlantic's Sam McDougle makes mincemeat of this myth here. The article has some nice reporting about where we got this hare-brained notion in the first place, and a little reflection on the present state of neuroscience.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Early Warning: Sept. 20th meeting to be a Lulu! UPDATED JULY 11

You will want to mark your calendars for the September 20th meeting. We plan to  have Dr. Ryder Gwinn from Swedish Hospital in Seattle giving us the latest on Deep Brain Stimulation surgery as they practice it at their now well-established program. This is your chance to ask questions of someone audacious enough to run electrical wires inside the heads of people he barely knows. Reporting from the age of miracle and wonder,  your faithful correspondent, Pete

UPDATE:
Hi all, Whoops! Minutes after posting above about the September meeting with the Seattle neurosurgeon, I got a note from the organizer of the trip alerting me to the likelihood that the date of the meeting  will change. Watch this space for breaking updates as they occur.
Your dubious oracle,

Peter

UPDATE UPDATED
PS~ Whatever else happens, September  meeting will STILL be a Lulu.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Parkinson's Events in July around the Anchorage Area

Here is what I know about what is coming up in July ...
MONDAY, JULY 14th Another riveting and interactive teleconference! You are invited to attend the Parkinson’s Education TeleHealth Presentation Monday, July 14, 2014, 1:00 p.m. The topic: Practicing good Nutrition is important for everyone. A practical and useful approach Speakers: Sabrina Gondor, CHHC, AADP, CCWS Certified Holistic Health Coach Danelle Crabtree, CMA-C, Corporate Health Alliance Representative. This seminar gives you basic, practical and useful information about nutrition with a focus about what antioxidants are; why they are important; and how using antioxidants can increase your overall wellness. For more information contact : center@spokaneparkinsons.org

Meetings are free of cost. To find the Anchorage meeting, proceed with all deliberate speed to  Providence Hospital oncology wing on Piper St. (Go to the second floor, walk down the lonnnnnnnng hall that stretches South from the cafe and look for room 2401 pretty much at the end of the hall on your right.) The Parkinson's TeleHealth Program broadcasts live, interactive educational talks to a network of rural communities in the Northwest. On the SECOND Monday of each month, a guest speaker presents a topic eared toward the interests of Parkinson's families. The information is designed to help participants to improve their knowledge of Parkinson's disease and in turn their quality of life.

The regular meeting of the Anchorage Parkinson's Disease Support Group will be held on Saturday, the 19th of July, at 3:30. It's time for our annual picnic potluck. To make this the most festive occasion possible, we will hold the meeting at my house, 9601 Elmore Road. To find the house go to the intersection of Elmore and Abbott Roads, just below Service High School. We are South of Abbott about a quarter mile on Elmore. Our driveway is marked by a green mailbox on your left, halfway up a small hill. Our house has a green metal roof and cedar siding The event is a potluck, so bring something that people will enjoy sharing. We'll see you then!
Peter