Managing Lifelong Mental Health as a Senior

I am at healthy living center taking mayo clinic diet experience. We're supposed to have blizzard. I was there all day today and go back tomorrow. Great program where they work you hard.

Hi jjwest, Thank you for your kind and thoughtful words- and you sound normal to me-for I feel and I think most all of us do, yes we are in difference places- that way we can learn from each other as we walk this road. I'm depression almost everyday- for the past 10-12 years. My depression was diagnosed as PTSD and I too take Zoloft for PTSD- it works and has very little to no side affects all the Dr's tell me. But now with Parkinson's the last 3 plus years the depression in more in dept- I talk to a trusted friend and vent allot to God, in my prayers and just thinking through the day. There are good days- but that doesn't the depression isn't there, just means with Gods help He kelpt it as bay. and other times ( as night when it's to quiet-it's worse for me- maybe because of being in war, the sounds and knowing where you are and who's with you in the fox hole). Make sense. Thank you for sharing-it helps me-that;s for sure. Blessings jjames

BRAVO, @ihatediabetes How wonderful! It sounds like a great experience (except of course for the blizzard). Congratulations on this important step you have taken to better health! Teresa

@johnjames Great thoughts, Jjames! Thanks. Teresa

I tried the Mayo Clinic newsletter on their diet, but find it too much for me with my depression when I cook for only myself. Being careful of which TV dinners I buy and making easy healthful low-calorie meals are easier.
Yes you got over a foot of snow in Rochester so I hope you are doing OK getting around. I live only 70 miles NW of Rochester and we got nothing. Have fun learning new things. It is always good to learn.

I was two hours late today. The guests in hotel were pushing cars out of snow. I rode in with two sisters with a big Tahoe. Fun times. They really work you hard in mayo clinic diet experience. They make you walk on treadmill and it goes faster and more inclined until you tap out. They poke your finger, put you on scale, tell you to lay on table for dexa scan. That's to tell you how much fat you have. That's all in morning of first day. Yikes. I survived.

@ihatediabetes That sounds like quite a workout. You are highly motivated to make it through! How long does the program last? Teresa

It's a two day program. I'm home now. But I have a wellness coach that has my case for a year. I think I'll go back and get retested next year. They do give you a wellness plan for physical activity, nutrition, and resilience. I came back home and went hiking. They think the hiking has been good for me. It's supposed to be customized so you actually do your plan.

Hi Teresa- hope you are well and having a good week end, I wanted to run something by you if I could. Teresa, as you know I have agent orange parkinson's and it is also in my tissue they found, and now- as of last week ( they had done more studies of my back and bones and found they are usually deteriorating. ( Serve Osteoporosis- the Dr said in a woman it would be normal -but not men?) I know from the VA studies and Mayo- agent orange does attack the bones. What I'm really saying is it really hit harder than I thought- very depressing and now I'm not even sure what other or where all the tissue it has already affected. I see my Dr next week to start more tests and MRI's- plus a catscan on my left hip where there is allot of pain and it doesn't stop- even with pain meds. Thanks for listening jjames

Johnjames sorry that you have gotten such news. Parkinson's is bad enough without the added effects of deteriorating bones. I would say though that you should wait until you talk to the doctor about whether it is affecting other tissue or areas before thinking about what might be happening. I have a tendency to do that and it does not help me. I also get irritated when people point it out to me so it is alright if you are angry. I understand. I empathize with you on your depression over all of this. I had an aunt who died of Parkinson's (though not from Agent Orange) so I know something of the suffering it causes. I do not know how she remained cheerful until the end, but she did. She was a Christian who knew she was going away from the suffering, but still had a lot to go through in her nursing home room. Keep us up to date on the test results and know that we are here with you as you go through this. Thank you so much for your service to our country.