How we balance our lives

Photo: Pexels

           For an individual to find what I call life balance, he must learn to manage stress; that particular S word plagues all of us from time to time, though for some, it is a daily presence by virtue of the challenges faced minute by minute, hour by hour as one copes with challenges of one sort or another. 

The daily presence of stress is the companion of anyone parenting a child with ‘special’ needs. Family life can be extremely stress-charged, not only for the immediate caregivers but for those who live in the home as part of the family dynamic; brothers, sisters, even grandparents. In order to allay the impact of stress it is helpful for parents/caregivers to seek out or accept, when offered, any hand up that is available. Those hands up ensure that Mom and Dad can carry on and give them the strength to be the best that they can be, not only for their child who needs them minute by minute, hour by hour, but for other children who need their time and attention, and for those various daily responsibilities that require their attention – job outside the home, looking after all those things inside the home that are required to ensure that everything runs along smoothly, or at least as smoothly as possible in the circumstance. 

Parenting a child with disability requires a high degree of harmony both inside and outside the home and caregivers often require space – to relax and regroup, so that they might press on for another hour, another day. Without space one may become closed, not readily allowing people to come close, even though during times of trouble we need people the most. Sometimes, we feel the need to protect ourselves because the pressure is simply too great. 

What has to be recognized with all of this is that in order for us to become more balanced and to grow, it is important that we are fit, well rested and relaxed in both body and spirit. Being alone and being lonely are not synonymous and parents of children with health situations that preclude full participation must understand and accept that they, too, have been wounded. Their pain and suffering is real; the pain they feel for their children’s losses and that pain quietly borne because they didn’t get/have the child that they had expected or hoped for. A healthy, fit child with whom they could share so many of life’s experiences as they grew together.

With schools letting out soon and many parents already in planning stages of what to do with and for their challenged child during the weeks away from the classroom, it’s often helpful to put out the feelers in the community to let people know what needs you have and to reach out to those who might be able to steer you in the right direction.

In my group home experience, I found introducing the parents on the block to the children I cared for lent itself well to other children in the area getting to know them and seeing a learning exchange takes place as interactions and learning about each other grows and flourishes.

It’s easy for us who don’t ‘walk the walk’ to tell stressed parents what to do; a better and more sustainable approach is to listen. Listen to concerns they have, listen to questions about what’s ‘ out there’ that might help their family.                                                                              

Community coming together in such out there’ that might help them better help their way also expands horizons for older children, those in junior high school, for example, who are thinking about what they want to do when they leave school. Some young people in high school balance a part time job with their daily classroom time. They’re learning management skills that will hold them in good stead when they take their place, full time in the mainstream.

Those early experiences with children who though like them in many ways are at the same time so different, is an opportune time for them to explore the possibility of a career in teaching, in medicine, in social work, in ministry. The list of opportunities is endless. Learning about balance and balancing in life is important and having opportunities to learn early in life makes moving forward so much easier. The building blocks available to children even before they are in ‘formal school’ allow them to pick and choose as they grow up and grow into themselves. 

A few hits and misses along the way aren’t going to be so problematic if young people are used to problem solving.

I remember my own skills development, as a child, playing board games on the back porch of my family home. A huge table, with neighbours to the right of me, neighbours to the left, playing Stock Ticker or Monopoly. High stakes games where we learned to think ahead a few plays. Learning about money management as a child paved the way for me to know how to manage later in life, all grown up. Balance and balancing; needs v. wants. Saving for what would enhance my life v. spending in the moment to feed immediate gratification. I’ve done both and as I age with CP I find myself doing more balancing acts as my energy to ‘get it all done’ is limited. Life is, indeed, a lesson.

 Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at: mailto:carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca

                                                                                                               

Daily proactivity protects the 'at risk'

Photo: Unsplash

       Flu season has passed and again, I managed to avoid it. It usually starts in November or December and lasts until February or March. I step up water intake through the ‘flu months’. Nothing better than a bowl of hot, home made chicken soup.That I’m solely responsible for making it ensures it’s going to taste great, thank you very much!
Contrary to popular description, there is no such thing as ‘stomach flu’; it does not exist. Viral gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the intestines, causing diarrhea, cramping, and possibly excess sweating as the body tries to rid itself of the invasion.  There's no effective treatment for viral gastroenteritis so prevention is key. Avoid potentially contaminated food and water and wash your hands thoroughly and often. During cold and flu season, change kitchen and bathroom linen frequently. changing kitchen Incidence of flu was down-sized during COVID but make no mistake, it thrives and drives disease processes across the country. Be vigilant! COVID is still out there as evidenced in recent newspaper reporting.

Many have already availed themselves of the COVID 19 vaccines and booster protocols. Flu shots have been available to anyone over 6 months of age; they are particularly critical for those in ‘at risk’ groups. I’m considered ‘at risk’ by virtue of being a senior with a since birth disability and concurrent secondary implications. I don’t get the flu shot -- decades ago I had a severe reaction to my first, only and last shot. Curiously, or perhaps not, I’ve never had the flu since. In fact, I haven’t been down and out sick since the horrible consequence of that single flu shot back in 1987. It is possible that folks like me are more at risk of reaction, regardless of severity. I opt out of the shot because I live alone and if I become ill, there is no one in house to step up to feed and water me during recovery. Being responsible for my day to day is what keeps me healthy and safe. Antibiotic use is a rarity. 

My late father aka Doctor Dad told me to always finish antibiotics as prescribed unless there was a severe allergic response to them, in which case, stop and consult treating physician. Many make the mistake of not finishing antibiotics within days of feeling better. That has great potential to do serious harm. As Dad explained it, the first few days of antibiotics finds the target of infection, the second group of days begins attacking the infection and the final few days of the antibiotic course closes the system, the body,  to future invasion. So, if you stop taking the antibiotics in the middle of the course, you’re effectively setting the stage for a double-whammy effect which could land you in the hospital. Don’t do that! If your doctor only intended for you to take 5 days worth of antibiotics that’s all that would have been prescribed. Think about that! If you are given a 10 day course with a tablet to be taken twice daily, do that until the tablets are finished. Also, remember to drink lots of water. If there is no medical/physical reason not to, take probiotics during and after the course to replenish gut flora, the good bacteria killed off by antibiotics.

If you experience mild to moderate diarrhea while on antibiotics, try changing eating habits until the symptoms pass; experts recommend avoiding any fatty or fried foods. Increase  intake of clear fluids, preferably drinking eight to 10 glasses of water daily, to combat dehydration. As a short-term solution, doctors often suggest the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast). Slowly adding more soluble fiber or taking a fiber supplement may be recommended Here at Chez Rockwell, bran muffins with raisins is just the ticket. There are so many recipes out there, it’s difficult to choose just one, so I like to alternate, adding either cranberries or finely diced apple to the batter. Bring coffee!                                                      

In my reading, I learned that the Mayo Clinic evidence scale on supplements gives Lactobacillus acidophilus a ‘green light’, indicating that there is at least “some evidence that the product does what is claimed and that it’s considered generally safe when used as directed.” Again, a consultation with treating physician is the best course as what might be appropriate for me may not be indicated for another.  Make sure that if you’re buying probiotics that you choose well known companies  that have been around for a long time. I did my homework before choosing the acidophilus bifidus capsules I use.

        Antibiotics must never be viewed as the cure-all for all that ails you. Sadly, some clinicians over-prescribe antibiotics without fully appreciating the lifestyles of their patients. Ask questions that will yield the best information about how a patient lives day to day: what types of foods are eaten in the course of a day, how much water is consumed. Insufficient hydration, in and of itself, is a huge problem, particularly for seniors; dehydration manifests in mental confusion, joint pain and fatigue. We really are what we eat; in being aware of what we put into our bodies we can easily see what agrees with it and what does not. That agreement contributes to keeping us out of hospital where we may be at more risk of contracting a particular bug. That being so, home is where the health is.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell




Journey to acceptance: A time of reflection

People often fear what they don’t understand. When the reality of something ‘different’ becomes part of their world, they’re going to have concerns – how do I hold a child who is so tiny and frail? What do I get her for her birthday? Christmas? – she can’t hold a doll. She can’t play with a bake set. He’ll never bat a ball or stand on a skateboard; so many experiences never to be realized. What must be remembered is that there will be other albeit different experiences.

Focusing on child-typical pursuits is not always the way to go. Look to what might hold interest if there is a good deal of high functioning intellect and awareness in the absence of fine or gross motor skills.

Very often, children with deficiencies to mobility are doubly blessed when it comes to intellect – when a door closes, several windows open. Depending on the degree of limitation, there are numerous opportunities in spite of disability, or as I often have said, because of disability.

As time passes and limitations become more evident, parents must accept that part of themselves that is always going to be ON with regard to how others treat their differently able child; ready to do battle with those who say unkind things, mock and stare. For the child who is intellectually intact and verbal, he will hopefully develop a shell to the slings and arrows of life while not growing hard and cynical or feeling entitled. Rather, he will begin to realize that as much as he is a curiosity to others, he is also a lesson. Parents must accept that people will stare; some will glare, others will point.

In the adult, from my perspective, it’s rude; in the able-bodied child, it is simple curiosity and they’re at the age where they can be educated. Empathy building tools are perfect examples of positive teaching with youngsters, as those tools will be carried with them for the rest of their lives.

It heartens me to see children unreservedly interact with youngsters who will never be able to participate the same way they do. That level of awareness at such a young age is testament to what’s starting to become important to them. Don’t interrupt that developmental milestone by imposing your own beliefs. You’re already grown up!

Accepting ourselves, disability or not, allows us to accept others. We can learn much by really listening and really hearing both what is said and what is not said; we can also learn much by being still and observing. Listening and observing are often well developed skills of the intellectually intact person with since birth limitation to mobility – tools of the trade of life, as it were. Those who acquire late onset disability such as paralysis due to accident or illness or some other disabling condition or disease that impacts quality of life must face an array of challenges, notably a challenge to a particular belief system they held prior to joining the ranks of those with limitations to daily living.

Those who must live with adult-onset disability have to redefine their emotional and spiritual ‘selves’ to mesh with a new physical ‘self’ that will be presented to the world at large. For some, it comes easily while for others, living on the other side, as it were, is a trauma from which they may never recover, often with thoughts of suicide clouding their judgment.

Sadly, some succeed in freeing themselves from their personal pain, leaving family and friends questioning ‘God’s Will’, ‘the unfairness of life’, ‘this should never have happened’.

Though I have not investigated current statistics surrounding suicides amongst the disabled, since birth and others, I suspect that the numbers are not as high as they would be in other populations, though assisted suicide may figure strongly into the calculations, particularly with those not just in physical crisis, but also those in emotional and financial crisis as they cope with the impact of disability. It is for those people that counseling would be critical to bring them back into a mindset that allows them to accept that they do have purpose; can, indeed, have a life worth living.

Having opportunity to interact with those who have lived with since-birth disability allows those new to life as a person with limitations an opportunity to see that there is life beyond use of arms, legs or both. Acceptance is appreciating all that one has without the physicality of the body. Acceptance forces us to reach deep inside ourselves for a resolve that tells the world that we will survive – that our living of life though physically taxing and emotionally stressful will not be without joys and successes. Our joy comes from realizing that we really are of value, that we really do matter. Most importantly it is necessary for us to matter to ourselves so that we can sift through the stuff of us and find a recipe that will develop into something delicious and filling to those who join us in celebrating ourselves.

As summer approaches and schools will be going on break, persons with challenges to inclusion in daily living will be out and about, finally free of the restrictions winter weather has imposed. The cloud of ‘winter blues’ will have lifted and we are free to live and learn in community with men andwomen who will teach us as we teach them.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at: Carla MacInnis Rockwell

Hidden talents in adversity

Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant. [Homer]

Approaching my 70th year, I look back on my life and reflect upon where I started and how far I’ve come and have to say that my adversity, such as it is, did, indeed plant the seeds of my talents, wrapped in my tenacity to press on ‘in spite of’.

  My talent for writing, a gift I shared with my late father and uncle, both doctors,  allowed me to take on the role of mentor, early in my growing up and work life and later on, as I moved to the online world, sharing what I know about life and living with disability. My uncle went on to have a successful 2nd career as a newspaper columnist offering medical advice. His columns were later developed into a book; I have a signed copy. Lucky me! 

I was a regular contributor to an international publication on disability, the now defunct Ability Network. In fact, in April of 1997, I was their cover story. OMG, I’m a glossy pin-up girl!

Dad and uncle would be pleased to know that I’ve found a niche online, particularly since aging with cerebral palsy has impacted my ability to move about easily and freely in the day to day, touchy feely real world.

 In today’s internet connected world that links us together in ways that we never could have imagined 20 or 30 years ago, we have opportunity to simultaneously explore many avenues of interest, shifting from one computer screen to another; taking it all in, like a greedy puppy.

With all the technological advancements that enhance learning opportunities, why do so many still struggle? Talent and tenacity isn’t always enough. And so enters mentoring. Someone who believes in what you can do and is willing to share what they’ve learned on their own journey so that yours may be easier. 

Simply put, many students, young or old, rely on people power to enrich their learning process.  Joining with one or two, three or four people not only allows for sharing ideas to organize thoughtful study, it’s a way to network to establish other relationships that may be more social in nature. Aligning with another who’s been there, done that is one of the best ways to ensure that what you’re diving into is going to stick. Social interactions are critical to development, from cradle to grave. 

Mentoring men and women of any age who need a guiding hand is a way that those who have talents to share are able to do so with the knowledge that they are lifting up others to a more level playing field. That is always a good thing. The beauty of it is that, over time, there’s a reciprocity as students become teachers and coach others in skills needed to advance in school or in the workplace.
Families living on the financial fringes trying to raise children through the various ages and stages of development and education very often struggle with the cost of it all. Joining forces with a mentor or two is a way for them to keep up with less physical and emotional strain, which is so draining on a family’s resources in the long term and makes the jobs of Mom and Dad more challenging.

Mentoring has no specific age requirement but it reasons that pre-potty trained  toddlers aren’t quite up to the challenge, though some would have a go at teaching a playmate how to make chocolate milk. Get out the video camera.

Children who come into the world with any sort of impediment or challenge to daily living and inclusion, however developed, have to be guided carefully if an intact intellect is present so that they can become students, however adept, of a range of disciplines, whether it’s colouring, weaving, learning to type, telling stories. The processes of ‘getting there’ are unique to the individual and teachers must step back, wait and watch to see what happens. 

Within a group of youngsters, there will be one or two or three who will quite naturally step into the role of mentor. Let them. That’s their own learning at work. All manner of skills are learned in an environment that’s not particularly structured. That, alone, makes the steps more easily remembered and put into action the next time. 

Children with disability are presented with many opportunities for inclusion that are compatible with their situations so that they are able to experience even a modicum of success without fear of failure. Feelings of insecurity often weigh particularly heavily on children who struggle to find their place in a peer group; for some, who have the gift of language, mentoring becomes easier as confidence grows. Leading reading groups is often a great place to start. Teachers and other adults in their world should encourage after school reading circles. It’s a great way to expand social circles outside of the classroom and it takes the pressure off the struggling reader as he expands his portfolio of talents. Talents that will carry him through his academic career and beyond. Community theatre is another avenue that children with challenges can explore. 

So many opportunities are available today that weren’t even thought of when I was in grade school. Endless possibilities for multiple opportunities. 

Get out there and make your own mark.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at:Carla MacInnis Rockwell

Where do I go now?

 

 Photo: Unsplash

A hot-button issue that affects nearly every Canadian family is that of long-term care for seniors and older adults. Then, there are those older adults, such as I, with since birth/long-standing disability warranting a different approach to care than those who age in ‘typical’ ways. In this age of ‘inclusion’ politicians must be aware of the language they use: just say NO to terms like suffer from; afflicted by; patients; handicapped; differently-abled; challenged (physically or mentally); wheelchair-bound. 

Politicians should be asking how care can be provided to persons with disability who may need help with everyday tasks like shopping, cooking, eating, bathing, dressing, going to the bathroom, moving from place to place. There needs to be ongoing dialogue with those on the front lines of health and wellness — doctors, nurses, physical and occupational and other such therapists; providers of mental health counselling, and so on. It’s not just about the roof over our heads — functioning with a condition or disease that affects how independent daily living is accomplished is no easy feat!  Policy makers and implementers of ‘care plans’ should endeavour to be on the same page and move forward mindful of one thing - RESPECT for the person needing or seeking assistance. 

I’ve been living in my home since 1991 and on my own since 2007, when my husband passed away. To date, I am doing very well and able to maintain the day to day with no help from outside agencies. I have several good friends who assist me with picking up groceries and ‘deep’ house cleaning a few times a year. Housework is exercise and since I ‘know’ the spaces, I feel safe in them. I’m all about reciprocity. Bartering is alive and well in my world.

Given that ‘home is where the heart is’, it’s cost effective in manifold ways to ensure that our elders are able to live in their own home as long as is practical and do-able. The cost savings both to the senior and to the government sponsored care providers is significant and any way in which the senior voter can save money should be the goal in view of our astronomical nursing home fees.  Safety in the home is paramount, and case by case, seniors and extended familial care providers  should consult to determine what needs to be done to the home and in the home to make it safe in the long term.  We don’t want to fork over a piece of our financial pie to the government until we absolutely have to.

We with life-long disability who are aging in to services for seniors expect assurance that our ‘unique’ needs can be addressed and that we won’t be patronized because the ‘able-bodied’ politicians don’t know how to speak to us or about us. Above all else, we’re human beings with pretty much the same wants, needs and desires as those who don’t live with disability. People first. Round table discussions with regard to the ‘bucket list’ of prioritized needs would be valuable as politicians develop their platforms and move forward to ‘get it done’.  The focus should be on long-term fixed needs that are shared by many, not just a few token frills to score points. 

Candidates who are able to eloquently address questions about funding long-term care, prioritizing community-based services that keep people out of institutions, and giving individuals with disability control over their own care services will grab the attention of voters who live with disability. The aging population will make long term and skilled nursing care more and more important over the next few years and decades. As well, more specialised care may be a requirement when planning for the future long-term nursing care needs of those with pre-existing disabling conditions outside the implications of aging and age-related decline.

So, in addition to learning about what seniors need, politicians need to educate themselves about what ‘special needs’ seniors require; critical as safe accommodation is, many of our seniors live at or below the poverty line and often cannot afford to modify their homes to make them safer. Those concerns must be addressed and since most required items are one-offs it’s not likely to ‘break the bank’.

Repurposing decommissioned schools and hospitals might be a way to address some sort of co-op housing; again, thinking outside the box, while at the same time fully including those who will be availing themselves of the services planned for and ultimately provided is critical. Recent articles have addressed the popular practice of providing adult day care; secondary to that should/could be development of respite (weekend) care schemes for persons of advanced age who may or may not live with a pre-existing disability.  Blending of populations is often seen  as way for those who are able/adept at certain skills to be buddied with those who are ‘less’ able. An effective matching via the buddy system is also  a way to improve mental/emotional health. Nowhere is this more critical than with the senior population who are sometimes isolated from the mainstream. An emotionally healthy, mentally and intellectually engaged senior is invariably going to be less of a drain on the financial resources of ‘the system’ - they’re too busy to get sick! 

Give me a home that gives me quality care, and I’m so there! Look for me in a few decades!

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at: Carla MacInnis Rockwell

Defining moments in parenting

As with many deficiencies to ambulation, how we alter the landscape at home and at school often determines how well a child will adapt. UNSPLASH

It’s a boy! It’s a girl! Twins!!  Each with 10 fingers and 10 toes and peach fuzz blondish hair for both.  The girl is examined and all seems to be well; rosy cheeks, a hint of a smile on the lips. She’s sleeping, with arms outstretched, legs outstretched. Her brother is restless, crying. Wait a minute --- something’s not right. In fact, something’s terribly wrong! The legs seem twisted on the boy, his toes curled;  his fists are clenched and won’t release. What is going on? 

The ‘perfect little family’, a boy and a girl arriving as a 2 for 1, with the months leading up to ‘the day’ being unremarkable in that there had been no identifiable problems. How could life be so cruel? Or was it? Let’s stop and take stock. The most important thing is being overlooked --- both babies are ALIVE. They are here and now! How is that cruel? After examination and consultation, it was determined that the boy may have cerebral palsy. Passing hours and days would reveal more.

Life is about to take two new parents and two brand new lives on an amazing journey to explore feelings that the Mom and Dad never knew that had – until now! What’s going to be added to the mix, not just for  these new parents, but for every single person involved in the lives of these little persons they created is something no one expected — an attitude adjustment.                                                                                               

I chose not to have children as multiple run both sides of my family; with my luck I’d have ended up with a six-pack. I was comfortable, in my teens being the aunt who played trucks with nephew and Barbies with niece. They didn’t care that I was a wobbly walker. I was great at playing board games and reading stories.

I’ve come across many families where there are twins with one having  cerebral palsy, sometimes very mild and such that it won’t significantly impact the child’s daily living and learning. In other case, however, the implications of cerebral palsy are profound and life altering for both the child and for ALL those around him. As with many deficiencies to ambulation, how we alter the landscape at home and at school often determines how well a child will adapt. Coddling is not an option. Just say NO to the C word and you won’t have to deal with that B word! This is especially critical when the child goes to school, whether the informal infant school or kindergarten. The importance of grade one preparedness cannot be stressed enough. Twins will make life interesting! 

How parents prepare their physically or intellectually challenged child at home will carry significant weight with regard to life ‘out in the world’.

How we perceive others is often borne out of how we conduct our own lives and our tendency to have certain expectations of those around us, those we draw into our circle based on how well suited they are to US. What is called for when parenting or interacting with children who have ‘special’ or ‘different’ needs is how we must adjust OUR attitudes about them, about their circumstance and about how they will respond to the challenges of living in a world that will never fully ‘fit’ them and what we can do to smooth the path.  As parents relinquish parts of their ‘job’ to others, namely teachers, educators must fully embrace the notion of nurture and nature. It may take some time to get a sense of a child’s strengths so it’s critical not to focus a lot of time and energy on deficits.

It’s been said that I’m in a rather unique position when it comes to speaking of issues surrounding cerebral palsy; that is true as I’ve had almost 70 years of practice and am still at it. Each day has a different set of challenges for me as I age, and the same will be true for ‘challenged’ children growing up in today’s world. Even with advances in modern technology and a range of teaching and learning tools, the emotional impact of parenting a child with disability is universal. It hurts the heart! The emotional impact on the child living in and with the disability is such that those on the outside often misinterpret behaviours, triggers, ‘signs’.  This is especially true for teachers and others involved in interactions with the child outside the home.

My message to teachers is - don’t assume anything. What you see in terms of a particular behaviour or a sequence of behaviours of the child who lacks expressive language is often misleading and misconstrued as ‘bad behaviour’ or ‘brattiness’. Look closer! The non-verbal child, especially, is beyond frustrated at not being able to articulate wants and needs. Intellectually intact children with mobility disorders have challenges that may impinge not only on learning but peer interactions, so it’s necessary to pay attention to those ‘hidden’ messages their behaviour may be communicating.

For myself, when I was actively involved in training and educating children of various ages, I was then as I am now, an advocate of the buddy system — pairing an ‘able’-bodied child with he who requires a hand up. Parents must allow themselves to simply step aside and watch the youthful relationships develop and see where living and learning takes their little ones. Teaching and learning is for life!

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell

My daily dates with magnesium

 Photo: UNSPLASH

In recent weeks, I’ve had discussions with several men and women with regard to aging well via nutrition and supplements, notably magnesium. Approximately ninety percent of the world is deficient, which poses significant harm to those who are challenged with physical and mental health problems. Supplementing would alleviate much of their distress. 

Copious medical and scientific literature speaks to the importance magnesium and what magnesium deficiency looks like. Why aren’t more doctors checking for it? If they asked the right questions and ordered bloodwork to confirm, a lot of patient suffering could be alleviated. Psychiatric drugs could potentially be replaced with a daily dose of magnesium.

I have a vested interest in exploring ways to age well and safely with limited pharmaceutical intervention. Pain management medications are sedating. A sedated walking spastic diplegic is an accident waiting to happen.

When it comes to health and wellness, I’m my own best advocate. I’d venture to say that I’m an expert in living with cerebral palsy and how aging affects the physical body challenged by this neurological disorder. How the emotional health is affected is a discussion for another time.

Because I walk the walk, I feel that I can, with a certain degree of authority, talk the talk. I know one thing for sure — medicating/sedating an uprightly mobile person such as I is the wrong approach if clinicians, doctors  and therapists charged with physiotherapy or occupational therapy intent on insuring our quality of life, want to contribute to our independent living in our own homes with minimal supports required. 

For several decades I’ve researched how lifestyle, nutrition, supplementing and emotional engagement enhances our daily living. Of particular interest is how the brain, insulted by cerebral palsy is impacted by various minerals and vitamins; more specifically, magnesium, which has contributed to ease of movement, pain management, regulating heart rhythm, mental acuity, and more restful sleep.

  Magnesium deficiency has long been held as the one of the most under-dignosed and therefore undertreated conditions plaguing both young and old; deficiencies have been implicated in ADHD, depression, dementia, sleep disturbance, joint/muscle pain. The list is long. Even dogs and cats can suffer from magnesium deficiency. Yes, it’s ‘a thing’.

I am not a doctor nor do I play one in the media. What I am is an aware consumer of medical/health and wellness goods and services, aging in very good health with very few prescription drugs, with only one taken regularly. And that, my friends, is what has kept me on my feet for close to 70 years. Proper nutrition, exercise/movement, proper rest and lots of water do it for me.

Features of magnesium deficiency: chronic fatigue, lethargy or low energy, chronic headaches or migraines; high blood pressure; rapid or irregular heart rate; anxiety or panic attacks; lack of appetite; confusion or difficulty concentrating; mood swings; feeling irritable; twitching, tics, or restlessness; restless leg syndrome; shortness of breath; sensitivity to loud noise or light. Each of us may have a different experience with deficiency. Doing an internet search for ‘symptoms of magnesium deficiency’ and then another search for ‘benefits of magnesium’ will allow you to make decisions about whether you are deficient and whether you’d benefit from supplementing.

It’s intracellular and not serum magnesium levels that must be checked because magnesium flows between blood, the bones and inside cells. Ask your physician to order a magnesium red blood cell test (Magnesium RBC), with a repeat test after taking magnesium supplements for a few months. Keeping a journal will allow you to monitor changes in your body with regard to symptoms lessening or disappearing altogether.

My experiences with magnesium supplementing began decades ago when I started taking it to reduce muscle spasticity, fatigue and bone pain related to aging with cerebral palsy and coping with concurrent fibromyalgia and aortic insufficiency. I continue to take a therapeutic dose of magnesium — a tablet at breakfast and at bedtime. A regular dose would be once a day. Since it functions as a sleep aid/muscle relaxant, I’d recommend taking it at bedtime. As with all things, consult with your physician before undertaking any supplementing protocols. What works for me may not be appropriate for you.

In discussions with those living with chronic disease or fixed neurological condition, I always advise them to have conversations with treating physicians, especially if supplementing with magnesium may allow them to reduce or eliminate one or more pain medications, or a sleep aid, or a daily antacid preparation. Magnesium is critical to the functioning of the entire body, so if you don’t have enough, it’s not difficult to see just how many problems can pile on top of each and how you might be simply masking the symptoms with pain management drugs without ever addressing the root cause — the deficiency itself. If you have relatives, parents, children, grandchildren or others who fit the magnesium deficient profile, have a conversation with them about seeing their doctor for appropriate tests.

Geriatric Maltese terrier, Miss Lexie, will be 18 years old in October. She’s been getting a small piece of magnesium each morning – it helps regulate heart rhythm and improves cognition. She has slight lapses but hasn’t fallen totally into canine cognitive disorder

Magnesium may be appropriate for senior/geriatric individuals who experience mental confusion and sleeplessness; in the  clinical care setting that would be a win-win for all, as restorative sleep is critical to wellness.

Lullabye and goodnight.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell