So I have said this before but I am hoping this is the LAST time I will. I am AWFUL at keeping up a blog! I was terrible keeping a diary as a kid too lol. Well A LOT has happened in the world since I last graced you all with the presence of my words. We lost a most magnificent actor and mentor, Robin Williams. Robin was in the early stages of Parkinson's Disease at the time of his death. We all need to remember the value of health. Right now all over the world wide web are posts of the ALS Ice bucket challenge. While I will be the first to admit that in the beginning I was rolling my eyes and wondering what the hell it was all about, I will also admit that I am all for it. I see people posting negative comments saying things like, "stop wasting water and donate", "stop putting California further into a drought" "just donate who cares about the ice bucket". The fact is that if NO ONE had dumped that bucket of ice on their heads and they just donated in the first place then ALS wouldnt have raised MILLIONS of dollars. The buckets of ice are meant to show you what it is like living with ALS, losing control of your nervous system even if only for a split second. ALS is only affecting 30,000 people in the US, that that means is that big pharma doesn't give a crap about finding a cure for them, or even finding a prolonging life extending medical intervention. The more attention that ALS gets the more they are in the spot light then the more likely it is these people will no longer be living with a death sentence but with a maintainable if not curable disease. The cause of ALS is unknown. It has been known to run in families but also shows up in some from out of nowhere. It can be diagnosed in an 80 year old man or a 26 year old woman. What it does to the body is scary, it makes Parkinsons look like child play, first go your hands, they are harder to move and control, then your arms, then your neck and head become jello. You cant eat, speak or breath on your own. These are the things that torment the people who suffer with this terrible disease, even the people around them. With no known cause you dont know who could be next. While I do not personally know anyone with ALS I do have a cause nearer and dearer to my heart. Alzheimers. A disease that afflicts the older loved ones in our families. Here are some statistics for you:
Number of people living in assisted homes suffering from Alzheimers or another form of dementia: 41%
What this means: Once Alzheimers has reached a certain level somewhere between moderate and severe it is almost impossible for family to care for them. Why? Watching a family member forget who they are, who your are and where they are, how old they are, can be devastating and absolutely depressing.
Number of hospice care discharges with Alzheimer's as primary diagnosis: 39,400 (2007)
Because Hospice doesnt have time to take care of otherwise healthy people who just dont know who they are.
How many people living in nursing homes have Alzheimers? 231,900
and then the devastating numbers:
Mortality
- Number of deaths: 84,974
- Deaths per 100,000 population: 27.3
- Cause of death rank: 6
(all numbers information on Alzheimers was collected from the CDC website)
I have lost several family members to Alzheimers, the loss wasn't death the loss was the memory. Once they forget who you are you struggle with even visiting them. Because you can't explain to a person with Alzheimers who you are really. You have to pretend to be someone else. To try to explain who you are only confuses them further. Which in turn can cause more pain to them and yourself.
Raising awareness of the terrible diseases that ravage the world with no cure is an important aspect of what we as people need to do. Because you could be next, your grandparent, parent, children. Remember, be tolerant of the never ending posts on Facebook, they are helping some people get through what is the toughest thing in their lives. While ALS and Alzheimers are not the number 1 and number 2 diseases in the world that really need a cure they are up there, they are important too. they need the attention that breast cancer, testicular cancer, childhood cancer, and all the other cancers get, awareness is important no matter the disease. PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, and other diseases of the mind that people like to call a cop out excuse are all things that need more awareness. The world would be a better place if people would learn to be more tolerant and accept the things that they dont understand.
Now, I will add this, I myself was called out for the ice bucket challenge last night and will be posting the video later today. I will be donating what I can in addition to the ice bucket to both ALS and Alzheimers. In addition to that, I am not offering support of these diseases on my page as well.
For every order I receive I will be donating a portion to ALS or Alzheimers research. The amount of the order ups the amount I will donate. For now the donations will go on for the next 72 hours, I may decide to extend that. While ALS has celebrities and politicians supporting their cause at the moment, Alzheimers is still in the dark for many people. So I will do my best to help both causes. For more information on donations to the cause through orders please check out my page on Facebook www.facebook.com/apescustomjewelryandstuff
I am also thinking about doing an auction style sale in which proceeds will be donated to either charity as well. Thank you all who have participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS and thank you for your support.
Have a blessed day
Ape
