Summit Days
Summit day should actually be called summit days. We arrived at Kosovo Camp in the late afternoon. Camp was dreary
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Summit day should actually be called summit days. We arrived at Kosovo Camp in the late afternoon. Camp was dreary
When I wrote about the army of porters that supported our group up Mount Kilimanjaro, it may have seemed as
I’ve written about three physical techniques that gave support to our team in our successful summiting of Mount Kilimanjaro—the mountaineer’s
Breathing just comes naturally to us. We don’t even have to think about it. It’s an automatic function our bodies
My hiking style, especially when I hike alone, is to move fast, then pause to catch my breath when the
I recently returned from an epic hiking/trekking adventure where I summited Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, an East African country. There
I’ve only recently come to understand the term “generational wealth” and what it means for those with and without it.
The scars on the tree are beautiful Built up over time, it heals And strengthens the tree. Now there’s a
There are some aspects of hiking that have felt too, um, delicate, to discuss in a public forum, but a
The climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro is fast approaching for me. I signed up for this adventure about
I have many blog posts devoted to my experiences with wildlife. Snorkeling and exploring in the Galápagos Islands afforded me
Impossibly blue spring sky Carries the early morning breeze that Tickles the hair on my arms. I inhale with my
In the midst of Olympic fever and the incredible athletic achievements, I have a new-found respect for all the training
If the purchase of my new house and the slow pace of moving down the block was easy, then the
I’ve had a lot going on lately with buying a new house, trying to sell my old house, and moving.
When one regularly seeks time outdoors in nature, as I do, one will inevitably encounter wildlife. I have had numerous
If what I was searching for on my pilgrimage to Greece was a reconnection to beauty, I found it in
In an earlier post, I stated that while reflecting on the question, “What are you longing for on this pilgrimage
It all came together for me when I was on the island of Ithaca, Greece, with my group of fellow
While on the island of Ithaka on our pilgrimage to Greece, we had the chance to visit the ruins of
As part of my preparation for my pilgrimage to Greece, I reread Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey. Now, before
I imagine that we have all, at some point in time, wished for a clear message about what next steps
On our second full day in Greece, our group of twenty ventured to the ruins of Eleusis. In preparation for
Less than a week ago, I was on a trip to Greece, actually a pilgrimage to Greece. I have returned
I’m headed to a pilgrimage to Greece today. But what does that even mean? Lots of people travel to Greece
When I purchased my lake house, it came with a sport boat and a Jet Ski. My family and I
I have always loved dance. Watching it, doing it. I’m still having a blast taking tap dancing classes. Short videos
We humans owe a great deal to seaweed. I’ve written that the earth’s great forests are the lungs of our
There are many ways to get from here to there, depending on variables such as distance, destination, desired speed, and
Last week’s freeze with scant snow and a layer of ice put me in a holding pattern. It was silent
There were twenty-seven of us when we started. It was fifty degrees at 7:00 AM one December Saturday morning when
It was a nice afternoon at the beach, if a bit cool. With temperatures hovering around 55 degrees, I decided
There’s a tree on a riverbank of a small stream that speaks to me. A trail runs alongside the stream,
Christmas items seem to show up on retail shelves before Halloween, not to mention how early the holiday songs start
Hanna rolled off her sleeping mat with a groan for her stiff back. She had only been back home for
Yes, Thanksgiving Day has passed, and I am supposed to have moved on to the Christmas season, but I like
“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” -Robert Burns When I am home, I walk daily,
I’m at the lake today, alone. I drove down yesterday afternoon, pressure washed the dock and moved furniture in a
It’s mesmerizing watching ripples expand from a single drop of water. Slow motion photography can really capture the precision as
I received some unwanted, but necessary, news about the property at my lake house. Seems the sea wall is being
It’s the squirrel Olympics here at my house. I have three Japanese magnolias in my front yard that seem to
Oxygen in, carbon dioxide out. All day, everyday, our human bodies cycle these gases through our lungs. Our bodies die
Because the coast redwoods are so enormous, one would think that they reproduce using massive cones. However, their cones are
We were chatting amiably when we got out of the car at the small parking area of the trail we
Snakes strike fear in many people. It’s one of those pervasive fears, like the fear of spiders, that I somehow
It was 5:30 when I woke. As I lay in bed trying to decide if I wanted to stay tucked
We use the metaphor of fire in myriad ways. We speak of someone having a fire in their belly, a
Air—that invisible, yet essential element for life on earth. What is vital for animals, including us humans, is the oxygen
Water—an essential element of life, a simple molecule consisting of just two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen. We
It’s amazing, and a little disappointing, that I have managed to slip back into my regular life so easily after
I came across a number of bridges on my recent trek in the Alps, some ordinary, some extraordinary. There were
Dance With Me The mountain is whispering, “Come and dance.” Her voice speaks of crystal air, and Sheer walls of
I like to think that I live in the moment, being mindful and enjoying what I’m experiencing as it is
I wrote about fear last week, and how it can hold us back from realizing so many of life’s treasures—a
One of the most arresting features on the Galápagos Islands is the docile nature of the animals there. Most people
The Galápagos Islands’ most famous visitor was Charles Darwin. He boarded the HMS Beagle as a naturalist in 1831, at
The iconic animal of the Galápagos Islands is the Galápagos giant tortoise. In fact, Spanish explorers named these islands using
I’ve often described myself as somewhat reptilian because of the deep pleasure I get in sunning myself on a warm
Birds were on full display in the Galápagos Islands. It’s a destination for avid birders, but novices such as myself
The activity that my father and I enjoyed most while on our Galápagos Islands adventure was snorkeling. While skimming along
Our Galápagos adventure was aboard the National Geographic Endeavor ll, a small cruise ship that graciously accommodated the eighty-eight passengers
How do I start to write about my recent trip to the Galápagos? To quote Maria con Trapp, “Let’s start
I first learned about cairns from Harvey during the first year we were dating. He and two friends headed to
I was on vacation in Charleston, South Carolina last week, mostly wandering the streets and eating delicious food with my
Learning Southern medical colloquialisms was challenging, but kind of fun. It took me some time to finally understand the sentence,
The dedication in my memoir reads: “To Harvey: my rock, my touchstone, my heart.” I called Harvey “my rock” for
“The human heart is like a millstone in a mill: when you put wheat under it, it turns and grinds
As I continued to think about ways stones are used as metaphor, I came across many quotes that urge us
When I wrote last week about my love of rocks, I started thinking about all the ways we use stones
As remarkable and inspiring as the living, natural word is to me in all her abundance, rocks still enthrall me.
“There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.” – Vicki Baum I have a picture of
My amazing daughters introduced me to the concept of “person first” language. When I asked them to read the
There are many joys of being a grandparent: watching your own child and their partner growing as parents, experiencing all
This quote in Elias Chacour’s memoir, Blood Brothers, stopped me in my tracks when I read it. While the particulars
I know solo hiking is not for everyone, and some people have expressed concern for my safety during these solo
I just completed a solo hike a couple of weeks ago at Cheaha State Park on the Chinnabee Silent
Music is such an important marker of Christmas and the holiday season. The sights, smells and tastes of
Last week’s blog post was a meditation on the disquiet we sometimes feel during the holiday season. I tried to
Video Version Here On my visit to Israel/Palestine, my tour group visited many sites purported to be actual locations of
Video Version Here On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, I gathered Harvey’s ashes, my shovels, and a hoe, stopped at
Video Version Here I haven’t written or spoken much about the title of my memoir, Surfing the Waves of Alzheimer’s.
On a lazy, quiet, September afternoon at the lake with my friend, Kate, I heard a chittering sound as a
Video Version Here I’ve been thinking a lot about “home” lately. Probably because I’ve spent so much time traveling!
Video Version Here Harvey passed away from complications of younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease, at the age of fifty-eight, on October
Video Version Here Autumn is the time of year when monarch butterflies make their way south to winter-over in
In last week’s post, I spoke of dialing down my pace by a couple of notches when on vacation with
Video Version Here Last week I traveled with my octogenarian parents (I promised I wouldn’t call them “elderly”) to
Video Version Here Three years ago, I wrote and published my first blog post, “Here” https://www.reneeharmon.com/2019/08/14/alzheimers-caregiving-is-asking-for-help-a-sign-of-weakness/ I have written
Video Version Here I’ve written quite a bit about self-care when one is a caregiver to a person living
Video Version Here One day last week, while I was sitting on my front patio, I caught some slight movement
Video Version Here I’ve often stated that the goal of giving good care to someone living with Alzheimer’s disease
Video Version Here On my northern Spain adventure this past June, I was surprised to see wild varieties of flowers
Video Version Here There is one, solitary great blue heron that stalks the edges of the island that is
Video Version Here When you communicate with someone, anyone, typically you use words and body language to convey your
Video Version Here Sreeeeeee-ah Sreeeeeeee-ah Sreeeee-ah That cry reached straight into my heart. I knew instinctively that it was a
Video Version Here So. I just returned from probably the biggest adventure of my life—a hiking and writing trip
Video Version Here Harvey and I married in 1985, the summer after our first year of medical school. We
Video Version Here Even though I have spent my whole life in the South, it was only couple of
Video Version Here In the middle stage of his Alzheimer’s disease, my husband, Harvey, would often rummage through our
Video Version Here One of the easiest and best practices that you can do for a loved one who is
Video Version Here I’m guilty. I admit it. I’m not proud of the fact, but I want
Video Version Here Over millions of years, plants and animals have adapted and become specialized in myriad ways. It’s one
Video Version Here I truly enjoy being in the woods by myself. One day last week, I hiked eight
Video Version Here I have a friend whose spouse lives with Alzheimer’s disease—of the mean variety. As in, my friend
Video Version Here “Lichen are fungi that have discovered agriculture.” —Trevor Goward If you’ve been reading my blog for any
Video Version Here Participants in my dementia support group who were caregivers for a parent often commented that they felt
Video Version Here Two summers ago, our family took a vacation to Oregon. We had planned a trip to Iceland,
Video Version Here I came across an interesting tree while hiking in Oak Mountain State Park, in Shelby County,
Video Version Here When I was in elementary school, we were shown a film in science class that had a
Video Version Here In the middle stage of his Alzheimer’s disease, my husband, Harvey, when home alone, would open
Video Version Here I’ve only had my lake house for six months, and already I’ve witnessed and encountered several wild
Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the somber first day of Lent. You might know that Lent is the Christian season
Video Version Here Last week at an ophthalmology appointment, the young female receptionist called me “Sweetheart.” Twice. I didn’t like
Video Version Here Rainbows have been seen as signs of hope ever since God placed one in the sky after
Video Version Here Most of us seem to be more geared toward one of three time orientations—the past, the
Video Version Here I was on a hike recently with my niece, Jessica, a park ranger, when she asked me,
Video Version Here I haven’t addressed this question specifically on my blog, and I only spent a paragraph on
Video Version Here Our youngest daughter got married last Saturday. It was a wonderful ceremony and reception, not to mention
Video Version Here One day when our children were very young, I found a colorful caterpillar munching on a fennel
Video Version Here Happy New Year! Happy 2022! I escaped to the beach for the week between Christmas and New
Video Version Here On Christmas Eve Eve, my day started with calling the company that provides propane to heat
Video Version Here Laughing so hard you that you can’t stop can be painful. I get this way reading autocorrect
Video Version Here As I shopped for new clothes to wear to holiday parties this season, I re-lived some
Video Version Here I’m always caught off guard when someone asks me about my dating life since Harvey passed
Video Version Here My absolute favorite time of year has always been spring. I love spotting wildflowers, hearing the
Video Version Here I use the term “caregiver” quite frequently in my writing and speaking. It seems to be
Video Version Here My cousin Anna asked if I could find acorn caps for a craft project she’s planning. The
Video Version Here Taking on a second home on a lake has proven to be the challenge I feared it
I recently had a conversation at a party with a woman who had attended a seminar at which I gave
Video Version Here As I walked onto my front porch first thing in the morning, I felt the cool
Video Version Here I first heard someone say, about two and a half years ago, that we should be
Video Version Here Our first big family vacation after Harvey’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease was a week-long rafting trip
Video Version Here I’ve gotten caught in the rain on a few of my neighborhood walks. I do look
Video Version Here Caregivers for loved ones living with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia are sometimes deemed “invisible patients.”
Video Version Here There are things you know. There are things you don’t know. But there are also things
Video Version Here Last week I spoke at a conference titled “Inclusive Care: Empowering & Engaging Caregivers as Partners in
Video Version Here I can’t think of anything that helps define us more than our names. You may identify
Video Version Here “Momma would just die of embarrassment if she knew that we let her look like this!”
Video Version Here After Harvey passed away, I wondered if I would ever dream about him. I’m not particularly
Video Version Here One of the highlights of my career in family medicine was the patients we had from Japan.
Video Version Here Last week I discussed ways that language could be affected by Alzheimer’s disease. This week, let’s
Video Version Here A few weeks ago, I made a presentation about Alzheimer’s disease to a group of notaries public.
Video Version Here Books, movies and television shows that use time travel as a literary device are perennial science
Video Version Here By now, you know that the FDA has approved the first new drug for the treatment of
Video Version Here I’ve written about becoming aware that mindfulness was a gift that Harvey experienced in his time
Video Version Here I use an app called All Trails when I hike. It helps me find trails in the
Video Version Here Last week, I wrote about an experience I had walking a labyrinth. This memory came to me
Video Version Here While on a recent hike, a memory emerged of an experience I had walking a labyrinth.
Video Version Here I knew that I was on a path of healing from my grief when I could remember
Video Version Here “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” —Epictetus
Video Version Here My blog post two weeks ago was about feeling the need to explain my husband’s odd
Video Version Here I’ve seen some lovely scars on trees—scars formed after a trauma to the tree, such as a
Video Version Here I was often embarrassed by my husband, Harvey. It’s hard to admit that, but it’s true.
Video Version Here “One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through, and it
Video Version Here It’s easy to drag your feet when faced with receiving possible bad news. I’ve known patients who
Video Version Here I stumbled upon these words last week: “Expressive writing is scientifically proven to improve health, increase optimism,
Video Version Here “The Heart Never Forgets” is the title of a LeAnn Rimes song from 1998. I am not
Video Version Here I never really knew how to respond when someone said, “Renée, you are so strong.” “Thank you”?
Video Version Here This title may seem harsh to some of you, but to those of you who are experiencing
Video Version Here “Let’s do it together” was a caregiving mantra I often used to remind myself that Harvey
Video Version Here You are probably aware of Dr. Elizabeth Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression,
Video Version Here The title of this blog and its parent chapter in my book was something I heard from
Video Version Here Placing a loved one in a care facility may be the hardest decision a caregiver has
Video Version Here If I had to state whether I prefer to live in the past, the present, or the
Video Version Here The eleventh chapter of Surfing the Waves of Alzheimer’s carries the title “Enter Their World.” In
Video Version Here While there are some medications used to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, their effects are limited.
Video Version Here There were few topics that came up more frequently than the driving issue in my support
Video Version Here Ah, holiday nostalgia! In my family of origin, in the 1960’s, the finishing touch to decorating the
VIDEO VERSION HERE As if navigating the holidays with a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia isn’t
Video Version Here Some people just have the knack of finding the perfect gifts for others. Some do not. My
Video Version Here So I’m thinking how appropriate this particular caregiving principle is as we move into the holiday season.
VIDEO VERSION HERE I originally titled this seventh chapter of my teaching memoir “It’s OK to Ask for Help.” After
VIDEO VERSION HERE As Thanksgiving Day approaches, what better way to give thanks than to celebrate members of your
This was probably the most often cited caregiving principle in my support group. We came back to it time and
The fourth chapter of my teaching memoir is titled “He’s Not Giving You a Hard Time; He’s Having a Hard
The third chapter of my teaching memoir, Surfing the Waves of Alzheimer’s: Principles of Caregiving That Kept Me Upright, is
The second chapter of my teaching memoir carries this title “If You’ve Met One Person With Alzheimer’s, You’ve Met One
What I’d like to do in this next series of blog posts is dip my toes into each of the
Well, I spent five weeks detailing comments that make caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease inwardly cringe when they
I am a member of a private Facebook group for female spouses of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and other
I can’t believe I’m getting at least four installments out of this series. I’m actually glad that I broke them
Here we go, another round of terrible things to say to a caregiver of someone living with dementia. I want
This might turn into a longer series of articles than I had anticipated. Beyond the list I had complied for
Several years ago, decades actually, Harvey and I led a Sunday school class on grief and dying. One week we
“Hello! Mrs. Harris, I am calling to tell you how you can help a young child who may now be
About six years into his diagnosis of younger onset Alzheimer’s disease, Harvey developed a friendship with the man in the
One of the many concerns caregivers have about their loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, or other dementias, is wandering. Will
“But losing everything is like the sun going down on me.” –Elton John and Bernie Taupin Elton John didn’t record
I’ve been thinking about our medical care system lately and how difficult it is to navigate when your loved one
I’m going to put it all together now that I’ve discussed the stages of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as language
Let’s finish up this list of communication tips. Maybe I can get through them with more honesty and without beating
Well, here we are again with our list of communication tips. I revised it to make it less like
If you’ve been in the Alzheimer’s world for any length of time, you’ve probably seen this list before. I
The loss of language ability is one of the profoundest losses experienced in Alzheimer’s disease–both for a person living with
Caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia know their loved one has a disease through no fault of
It’s well known that Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that worsens over time, hence the staging named in my
The most detailed roadmap of Alzheimer’s disease was actually given to me by a friend who printed off an article
I wrote last week that I dearly desired a map or guidebook that would help me navigate the world of
I have always loved maps and globes. I have early memories of poring over the maps in my father’s National
What are some other responses people have upon hearing someone they know has Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia? Actually, if
If you are a caregiver, what was your first reaction on hearing your loved one had Alzheimer’s disease? Shock
Just as a person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease follows his or her own unique course of the disease–if you’ve seen
I want to follow up last week’s blog post with a discussion about some more of the unique challenges that
Whenever someone finds out that Harvey had Alzheimer’s disease, invariably, the response is, “But he’s so young!” Yes, I know.
This is an unprecedented time. We have never experienced this type of fear, anxiety, and isolation before. If you are
As I write this, I am currently “sheltering in place” as our city, and most of the world, is experiencing
I first found the phrase “If you’ve seen one case of Alzheimer’s, you’ve seen one case of Alzheimer’s” early on
There is a world of difference between the questions “What did you do today?” and “How was your day?” Ask
Just as you should take care of your physical and emotional well-being, so too should you care for your spiritual
So far, I’ve written three full blog posts about how I took care of myself while being a care partner
Taking care of yourself emotionally entails more than having an outlet to express your emotions. As a care partner, you
Just as taking care of your physical body is important as a care partner, so too is taking care of
Interestingly, my copy of Family Practice Management came across my email last week with the lead story entitled “Five Ways
I’d like to follow up with a little more discussion about exercise. So easy for me to recommend, and so
There are no cures for Alzheimer’s disease at this time, and just a handful of possibly promising medications on the
So, I’m hoping by now you’ve seen where I’ve been going with these series of posts. I started by exploring
So far we’ve talked about folks who can help you care for your loved one with dementia. You’ll likely need
I first heard about Respite Care, a type of dementia community group, from our great friend, Nancy. Her sister had
So, I’ve established that holidays can be hard. Now what? Should you hide away? Should you put on your merriest
Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Season’s Greetings! Be of good cheer! Um, wait a minute. I’m just not feeling it this
If you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, you know that your holidays will not be the
As we head into the holiday season, it’s worth looking into ways your loved one with Alzheimer’s or another progressive
So far, I’ve discussed the caregiving support that I received through venues of which I was already aware. Family, friends,
About four years into Harvey’s dementia, it became clear that he did not need to be left home alone every
Our family was, and still is, very connected at the church Harvey and I joined when we were engaged to
When I was in medical school in the 1980’s, we were taught that the patient should always be made aware
Because Harvey and I were both physicians, I thought that navigating the medical aspects of his illness would be, if
Harvey and I were pretty private about his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, he more than I. But there came a
When Harvey was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, I knew that his best friend from college would want to know about
Since I was working full-time and Harvey was home alone after his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, he took on the
My nuclear family is blessed to have a lot of our extended family still living in Birmingham. My parents still
I’m a strong woman; born that way, raised that way, live that way. So when my husband, Harvey, was diagnosed