GenBetween

August 4th, 2008

Here’s to many more good years

I really enjoyed reading Sara Henry’s Toast to Aging Well about her father.

He just turned 75 and he lives far away from his daughter, and like so many sandwich generationers, she was unable to join him because her own young son was having a birthday as well.

It sounds like he has a great party planned, and I wish him many more.

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August 3rd, 2008

Lands’ End Backpack Giveaway

Just FYI, I have a Lands’ End backpack giveaway over on Career and Kids, just in time for back to school.

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August 2nd, 2008

Hallmark Holiday Greeting Card Competition

My friends at Hallmark are having another card design contest!

It’s time to get ready for the holidays already and wouldn’t you love to see your card in everyone’s mail this December?

Introducing the Hallmark Holiday Greeting Card Competition.

Here’s what you do, make a greeting card with (red) in it with a holiday design and a holiday message in it, and submit it by August 18th, 2008 8am CDT.

The winning design will be made into two types of actual cards for the holidays and there are prizes! There will be 20 finalists and the grand prize winner will have their card sold in stores this winter.

Hallmark is a sponsor of Product(red)&trade and they donate to The Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa.

Learn more about the contest here.

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July 31st, 2008

No Alzheimer’s Disease for me

I am so Alzheimer’s proof:

People who tend to overthink things might be protecting themselves from Alzheimer’s, according to research presented Wednesday at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease.

OK, so maybe that’s not how the results were intended to be taken, but there seems to be some lifestyle factors that might influence a person’s risk for Alzheimer’s Disease.

The more I read, the more I’m convinced that keeping your brain active and having social contact is key to well-being. It might not prevent disease, but it sure can’t hurt anything.

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July 29th, 2008

Hip bone density and breast cancer risk

A new study published in the September 1, 2008 issue of CANCER concluded that measuring a woman’s bone mineral density can provide additional information that may help more accurately determine a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer:

Bone mineral density testing is done to diagnose osteoporosis and help assess the risk of fractures. Low bone mineral density is linked to higher risk of fractures, while normal density is linked to lower risk of fractures. It is possible that over a woman’s lifetime, hormonal and other factors that lead to higher bone mineral density can also lead to higher risk of breast cancer. Studies have found an association between higher bone mineral density and higher breast cancer risk, and bone mineral density tests have been proposed as a potential addition to breast cancer risk models.

Though additional study is needed to determine if the results apply to a larger group of women than in the study, it suggests that bone mineral density testing may significantly improve the prediction of breast cancer risk.

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July 28th, 2008

Aging parents recognizing limits

Over at Sometimes I Feel Like A Piece of Bologna, Pat needs some advice about her elderly mother:

What I’m increasingly running into is Mom’s lack of “getting it” that her energy levels are quickly declining. She will run errands, try to flip a mattress (seriously!), pull weeds, or clean the house. Then she’s so tired she can’t even talk. She refuses to make a list of things she needs us or any of my sibs to do when we come. Things that any of us could do in 10 minutes, but would take her an hour and risk an injury.

Though she wants her mother to be independent as long as possible, it seems her mother doesn’t understand about conserving energy for things she enjoys doing.

I can relate, I think parents don’t want to “bother” their children with things that they’ve always been able to do before.

Not too long after my dad’s back surgery a couple of years ago, I went to his house only to find him standing on a chair in the kitchen reaching overhead to change a light bulb.

He truly didn’t see what that was a problem (shall I list the problems, here?) because it’s not something he’d ever needed help with before. I’m still learning to keep an eye out for things I can do at his house that he should probably stay away from.

At the same time, though, I can’t imagine what it would be like if my kids implied that I could no longer do a simple task I’ve always done, that’s got to be hard to accept, even if that task consumes all your energy.

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July 25th, 2008

Randy Pausch, “Last Lecture” Professor, dies at 47

Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor famous for his Last Lecture and for pancreatic cancer awareness, died today at 47.

If you’re not familiar with him, you should be. He gave us a lot.

I don’t know what to say except how odd it is to feel so very sad about someone I didn’t even know.

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July 23rd, 2008

Disaster preparedness and chronic illness

It’s hurricane season, but any time is a good time to check on your family’s disaster preparedness plan.

Those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes need to pay special attention to what they would do without their medicine or supplies.

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and Olympic skier Kris Freeman who has Type 1 diabetes offers tips on how people with diabetes can be prepared for an emergency by stressing the importance of having on-hand:

* An emergency kit that contains basics like a radio, flashlights, batteries, whistles,food, water and a list of emergency contacts

* At least one week of supplies in a central locations

* A few ice packs to keep insulin cool

* A kit of diabetes supplies, including blood testing supplies, health insurance cards, copies of your prescriptions, a glucagon kit and fast-acting carbohydrates.

Take a moment to plan what you would do to manage yours or a loved one’s condition in the event of a disaster. Also, be sure that any aging friends or relatives living away from you are prepared and their supplies are updated.

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July 22nd, 2008

The second anniversary of my mother’s death

This past Sunday was the second anniversary of my mother’s death.

I would tell you how it went for me, but I was out of town and had my dates mixed up and I thought Sunday was the 19th rather than the 20th. When I finally became oriented to date and time, I did pretty well with the whole thing, it’s just really still so strange to me, almost surreal.

I didn’t talk to my dad that day because I was flying most of it, and I thought the significant day was the next day anyway.

I know he’s not going to forget about it or anything, but I still don’t really know what to say to him, sometimes. His mother was very strict when he was growing up, and he was always instructed that you don’t talk about personal things with people and it’s very much stuck with him.

If I wanted to talk to him I could, but he’s not going to reveal much about how he’s doing with it, so there ya go.

My mother always said that as you get older, you get more used to people dying. You don’t necessarily enjoy it, but it’s more naturally a “part of the plan” than it is when you are younger.

The only time I’ve really asked him how he was “doing”, he reflexively replied, “Fine, and you?” as he is not really a member of the Therapy Generation.

I think he’s bored to death here in the middle of the summer, I’m looking forward to him being back to work (he’s a high school teacher) because we certainly aren’t doing anything all that entertaining what with kids needing to go here, there and yonder.

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July 22nd, 2008

Lands’ End Free Shipping Code

I don’t work for Land’s End clothing or anything (just a fan), and I don’t get anything for it, but I thought you might enjoy the Land’s End Free Shipping Code on my personal website, Busymom.net.

It might be a good time to stock up on a few things for Back to School or for the rest of the summer.

I don’t know about you, but I’m always up for online shopping, especially with a lack of time during the day and rising gas prices.

The code is good July 24-30, 2008.

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