IMelopsittacus

The way I explain it to my patients is that our neurons don’t regenerate. They make connections with each other and that’s it. If you don’t use your brain, they make fewer connections and, if one of them dies, you’re gonna miss it, because that was the only one that knew how to do X. Now, if each one of them has many, many connections, you won’t notice the difference when one of them dies. The others pick up the slack.

As of 2024, 45% of dementia risk factors are modifiable. Relevant to this conversation, 5% for less education and 5% for social isolation.

We absolutely are going to see the reflection of this, but it’s gonna take decades and it’ll be too late. So, for the love of your brain, pretend that it’s a muscle and make it work. People complain about “when am I ever gonna use this maths formula in my life?” You’re not. You’re teaching your brain to think logically. Those sinapses will be there for when you need to figure out your week’s schedule. English classes taught me how to interpret data and how to convey it in this text so it’s clear and you understand what I’m saying, not because I needed to justify why the curtain is blue.

Make your brain know how to do different things. Logic games, puzzles, taking care of a garden even if small, planning a church’s event or birthday, learn a new instrument, learn a few words in another language, look at a calendar every day, do some manual labor if possible. Do not, I repeat, do not let your brain get rid of sinapses by letting AI do everything. Your brain uses 20% of your body’s energy — do you really think it’s going to maintain connexions that aren’t in use?

Most cases of Alzheimer’s are sporadic, meaning no family history. Family history of a first-degree relative with Alzheimer’s starting before they were 80yo increases your risk in 2-3x on average.

The Loose Ends Project matches crafters with a project that is unfinished because of death or disability. They offer help with a spectrum of textile mediums in over 80 countries. One project I find particularly lovely: “My mom was making this octopus for me. She was 67 years old when she passed away from COPD. She was hospitalized for pulmonary rehab several times and would always take it to work on while she was there and loved to talk about it with people."

unauthorized fucking thing!!!!!!

(warning: loud chirping throughout)

the first osprey is the father, the one that comes later is the mother.

ospreys are not eagles, they're ospreys

ospreys only eat fish, that's why they don't register this starling as possible food

the starling got home safely

the starling was not trying to eat the eggs, it was mostly curious and you can see it trying to hop under the osprey every time the osprey tries to sit down again--this is because the starling is still a baby and has the instinct to get under an adult for warmth, even though it mostly has its feathers. this scares the osprey because that is a Foreign Creature near its eggs.

at the end of the video you can see the ospreys starting to turn the eggs. birds do this so the yolk and/or embryo don't stick to the shell of the egg, which is bad for the egg's health.

but I do wish people would hold more grace for people who are "stupid"

as my cognitive & memory symptoms get worse I'm seeing myself in these stories more and more

the woman who is visibly confused in public and doesn't see the sign right next to her and asks the same question multiple times because she doesn't understand the answer or is failing to communicate the question she actually means to ask.

the person who enters a building and has to ask if she's found the right place, because she's too overwhelmed to put together the "obvious"

the person who is polite and respectful but who still needs something explained three different ways before she gets it.

and I get the frustration, I really do.

but the next time you see a "total idiot" in public who clearly genuinely has no idea what's going on, please just try to remember that it sucks to be that person too.

and as someone who has no choice about being that person, it sucks to see post after post ripping into people for just being confused in public. Not rude or entitled, just confused.

Obvs I'm not saying people shouldn't vent or laugh online at anonymous strangers who will never see it. Especially when they ARE rude or entitled!

I just feel like I'm seeing a lot more posts about "stupid people" recently and half the time "being stupid" was the only thing they did to piss ppl off and...

Idk sometimes it just comes across as really mean.

If you knew that "stupid" person was confused bc they're disabled, would you be just as mean?

If not, please consider: why on earth would you expect to always know when a stranger in public is disabled?

People are generally trying their best. Even those who aren't disabled—u don't know what their day is like!

Do you think YOU could think clearly on the worst day of your life?

Have you ever been so upset you barely know what's going on? Ever had to run errands while coming off anaesthesia or while a loved one is dying or while your scary newly-ex is blowing up your phone with threats or god, even just when you'd been up all night and feel like shit?

Happy Pride Month, everybody!