cancer, Effects of stroke, Heart and Stroke, Moving through the world, My Cancer JourneyLeave a comment

Self medicating and unilateral changes to dosages=dumb move

rbspecht

I was told recently about a woman who had tried to ween herself off her anti-depressants without consulting her doctor.  There were consequences.  She slipped back into a dark hole from which it took her a long time to find her way back into the light.  She resumed taking her meds, and then discussed it with her physician.  Her physician was kind, but blunt.  If you were a diabetic would you decide that you felt well enough to discontinue taking your insulin?  Some forms of depression are the same.  You don’t discontinue something that is working to restore and maintain … Continue reading Self medicating and unilateral changes to dosages=dumb move

Moving through the worldLeave a comment

Kids’ birthdays and the adults growing up with them

rbspecht

 As our granddaughters and grandsons hit their individual milestones their parents find a way to mark their birthdays with age appropriate birthday parties that conform to the North American concepts of birthday celebrations for children. I continue to find it so very interesting to watch the celebrations, comparing and contrasting the change with each successive year.  It isn’t  just about watching the kids grow and change.  As much fun as watching the children is taking note of the evolution of the type of parties organized for them. The ways in which the parents and grandparents change over the year and … Continue reading Kids’ birthdays and the adults growing up with them

cancer, Moving through the worldLeave a comment

Swimming Upstream…?

rbspecht

Today it feels like I’m swimming upstream, moving against the current of my life, fighting just to stay in place and not appearing to be making any headway  on my journey.  My retirement plans, my writing and my painting are all on hold. My darling wife has had an odd cardiac incident;  Takotsubo Syndrome, also known as ‘broken heart syndrome’.  There will be more on this in a new post. I have developed an abscess on the right side of my neck.  My ontological head and neck surgeon had a look, did a needle biopsy and ordered a CT scan.  … Continue reading Swimming Upstream…?

Moving through the world, Retirement, Watching The WorldLeave a comment

Retirement? 8 things to consider when Retirement is your next career move

rbspecht

Retirement is a career all on its own, and if you’re taking the time to read this then quite likely retirement is going to be your next career, or you know someone who is headed down that path. I’ve written … Continue reading Retirement? 8 things to consider when Retirement is your next career move

Moving through the world, Retirement, TravelLeave a comment

Sir5R prepares to go travelling

rbspecht

On balance, Sir5R is a ‘home body’, not straying far beyond the easy range of his motorcycle’s fuel capacity.  This isn’t entirely true.  I have been known to get on a plane occasionally, and did it quite a bit for the benefit of previous employers, which isn’t to say that I didn’t love taking the occasional road trip.  But as a couple we don’t make a habit out of traveling the world as much as moving through it together.  Our travels to exotic locales  have mostly been in our imagination.  But that is starting to change.  A new ‘sense of … Continue reading Sir5R prepares to go travelling

Moving through the worldLeave a comment

Does SIR5R have something to say?

rbspecht

Of course Sir5R has something to say.  I always have something to say.  Hell, most of the time you can’t shut me up unless you distract me with stunning visuals and a glass of something interesting. I do have to admit that most of what I have to say is currently hidden away in the self-talk I subject myself to, and that can be overwhelming. I’m getting to the point where I think I may again have something to say that might be important, that may contribute to a broader conversation or simply be considered savvy enough to be readable … Continue reading Does SIR5R have something to say?

Moving through the worldLeave a comment

Are we forgetting about the real needs of our elders?

rbspecht

This is a tough one.  In the last year I’ve lost my mother and quite recently my father. I’ve been thinking that we’re spending way to much time considering our own mortality without thinking about the fragility of those around us. My mom died of pancreatic cancer which she concealed from us until we had sorted out a new home that was to be the framework for a renewed life for her and my dad in what turned out to be a pretty special retirement community.  She died on the Saturday we moved them from their home to the new … Continue reading Are we forgetting about the real needs of our elders?

Effects of stroke, Moving through the world, participate in your own life!, reaction time, Stroke Recovery and Background, Stroke Timeline, Watching The WorldLeave a comment

Just a speed-bump, not a full stop

rbspecht

I took a break from my ‘day’ job, and the re-deployment effort for this blog for a while there.  Why?  Because for a while there, it wasn’t coming as easily and the white noise was overwhelming. What wasn’t coming easily? ; My ability to get things done from a cognitive point of view.  Huh?  What does that mean? Here’s a somewhat snooty answer to the question “What wasn’t coming easily?”: Responding to complicated instructions with a sense of comfort, and in a demonstrably confident, repeatable, concise, clean manner was becoming clumsy; Holding up my end of a detailed conversation, assimilating … Continue reading Just a speed-bump, not a full stop