Click to Enlarge the Image (above).
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Csaba - the 24 hour mountainbike champion
It's high time I write you, so, here is my "winter story".
Well, it all started, when it was about time to finish my mastercourse, as an architect - my life suddenly became overloaded, and I just couldn't create the balance I always could. Besides the university, this riding thing actually started to work.
After becoming the 24-hour mountainbike champion with my team mate (in the duo category) in september, serious teams became quite interested in me - so, i switched my team (the old one was not working at all, so I had really no motivation to remain there) to GSK, (which originates from my highschool town; as a sidenote).
So, I got a new bike, a road "speeder" for my winter training period, "handcrafted in Italy", just for me. ;-)
She is the one:
Of course, the feeling of such high expectations also pressed me harder to do my daily trainings with more vigor - be it snow, ice, wind...who cares? But things worked out differently - after one training, I snapped the side ligament in my right knee - an injury that got me bedbound for 3 weeks.
As it actually happened, when I was trying to enter our front gate (on foot!), and I slipped on the ice, it is kind of ironic, that all my trainings were suddenly put to stake, because of such a stupid accident. Fortunately I healed up pretty quickly, and - besides - I have also graduated the mastercourse (~PHD or ~DLA) so I have became (or should became in weeks) a "lead architect".
Riding is ok now, as winter suddenly came to a halt here - today it was 16 C degrees with sunshine (normally it's April weather...).
I had to miss the winter mountaineering course with Adrienn, bacause of the inability of my boss (a dork...) to cope with "unexpected" holydays. But asking for a mere week 2 months in advance? Unexpected...my ass. :-) Maybe next time.
I have got to go now, I am quite tired, and still need to fix my mountainbike...as of yet, it's nothing more than a pile of parts and bolts. :-)
Ciao,Csab
"the Regulars"
A Trail Called Hope - I - Mont Blanc - 2006
Friday, February 22, 2008
Time Gives & Time Steals
This computer screen was black, and every stroke cuts away at the dark.
I was wondering what I might tell you this week, what was on my mind and then I went to type and it all went blank.
My fingers start moving and white letters start subtracting away from this void that was this computer screen, and it re-teaches me that even if I’m not sure where I’m going, what I’m doing or what I want to say, just starting breeds accomplishment.
The screen was blank only a moment ago, and with time now the letters are beginning to spell progress.
There is so much to say, but how do I say it and where do I begin? What have I been up to in the last few months on up to this very week?
Rest? No, not really.
It’s a blur on the inside, and the only thing I’m sure of is that I will keep trying.
I guess that’s the key, isn’t it?
"Trying"
My wife is wondering what I’m doing now, that seems to be more important than laying down to watch TV with her.
I have so much to do ...like everyone else.
My situation is not so different. We all feel like we’re overloaded sometimes. Life is the spider web we always seem to find ourselves tangled in. I am not independently wealthy so I need to keep working my day job. I am only an apprentice so I need to keep studying until my architecture exams have all been passed.
It is a bit of a guilty feeling, stealing my focus from concentrating on one thing at a time but I have never really done one thing at a time.
All through out life it has always been multitasking for me. It makes me slower...yes I know, but in the end I believe I have learned so much more through the experiences of running myself ragged, as I have become more rounded. Time is part of the journey. Until then I will remain an apprentice and keep inching ahead.
On my back there is a tattoo which is written in Latin. Part of it says "TU ES ULTIMUS FINIS" which translates loosely to "You are your own ultimate challenge". This can also be taken to mean that "the race is always with yourself". In my race if slow and steady is what works best for me, then that’s the speed I need to keep in order to succeed.
What else have I been up to? Hummm let me see.
One of my relatives has worked hard all through life and has helped me at points through mine, so I have been drawing plans for his vacation home on Grand Cayman. It’s beautiful. When I tell you it’s a castle...I’m not lying. It really is. There is currently one castle-like home on the island, and his goal is to build one which is even more romantic and still have the aire of a stone fort from the old days.
I have also been drawing plans for my brothers home addition. He and his wife are expecting a baby any day now and the should really have a little more room for the family to grow. I’m sure when the plans are approved my family (all my uncles and some of my cousins) will be there on occasion to drive nails into the backdrop of the stage being set on a new life for a little someone we haven’t even met yet.
I am a firm believer that you can give to friends and family but you should try never to take, so when ever possible family works for family - for free. They can always use a hand with things and I believe it should always be made unconditionally available to them. Doing this does of course move my life ahead at a somewhat "slower pace" then it could go if I would abandon everything which is extracurricular in life to focus on my own family. Even though this would absolutely simply family life in my own home...it will never happen. Doing so means leaving these people to fend for themselves at the hands of a stranger when by a little effort of my own their goals can be reached and then enjoyed.
Let me see, there must be something else which has been keeping me so busy lately.
Ah....
I’ve also been researching an idea for a business of my own. Strangely enough it’s not architecture. Even more strange is that the architecture I may seem to abandon after pursuing it through the last 23 years - will still be there for me in this business. Maybe I’ll burn the bridges behind me and force myself to move ahead with it sooner than I think. I love the idea and I work a little more at it every night, dividing the time between studying, & drawing. Someday soon it will happen.
I’ll make it happen.
But, it is a bit of a guilty feeling stealing my focus away from a commitment to do my part in helping to conquer Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s disease.
I’m sure I’ve said it a hundred times before, but I really wish there was someone to give me advice when it comes to what needs to be done next with our charity efforts. This is not such a simple world to maneuver through even when your goal is simply to raise awareness and funds to help conquer Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
It started out as one climbing expedition to "The Wettest Place on Earth". It was a mountain called Wai’ale’ale, and it had not been reached on foot for more than 28 to 30 years. That wasn’t a big goal was it? In the midst of all the emotion I was feeling there in the jungle, I thought, "Damn, this hurts! But you know what? I think I can do this again, and again until a cure is found". My friend Ken and I fell short of reaching the summit, but in this failure was born the idea for the 10 Mountains - 10 Years (a quest for the cure) project. As a bonus we did play a roll in helping two other climbers to reach the summit only one day later, but that’s a story for another time.
Even though I decided to link 10 years worth of charity climbing expeditions together in this newer bigger project I still thought it would be simple. Climb mountains & Conquer these diseases.
What a surprise I had.
It was like discovering all the intricacies I already knew went into designing the dream house and country estate for someone wealthy enough to want a simple life away from the city. The interesting thing is that the simple life takes a lot of thought, planning and work ahead of time. It’s not simple for everyone involved in making it seem that way.
My simple expeditions have become lesson upon lesson, laced with trial and error, tough luck, and stubborn determination.
Organizing an expedition, meant learning everything possible about your mountain, your gear, your route, the logistics, etc. It meant collecting a team and having patience enough to sift through all the people who say they want to climb with you, then back out at the last minute. It’s funny because at times I might have 2 dozen people who all want to be a part of the action for the charity on the mountain. They come across as so hard core serious about doing it, then one after the next they fall off the bandwagon for a thousand different reasons and excuses. Some just don’t even bother to tell me they are no longer following through on their promise to be a part of the team’s effort. I used to get mad it the lack of commitment, following the heavy "I am so serious for this" facade. Now I have learned that people just break sometimes, and they can’t be faulted for it.
Lucky for me, I have collected some good team mates who have come out time and time again and have also helped to coordinate some of the logistics.
But, climbing is not the beginning and end of it all.
It seems everyday I need to learn a little more about how to simply raise awareness, which as it turns out isn’t simple.
There is marketing,
there is writing,
there is research,
there is staying current on your subject (Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s),
there is public speaking,
there is mailing,
there is Emailing,
there is creating graphics which will inspire people,
there is real politics, there is association politics, there is team politics,
there is learning to recognize when someone has that little extra spark which has the potential to really burn brightly with a little encouragement and cultivation,
there is learning how to deal with the new and varied personalities involved in helping my cause, there is learning how to create and keep relationships,
there is this, there is that, there is the other thing.
Then there is evolution.
By this I mean that at the urging of my team mates we have now branched out to doing more than just climbing expeditions to raise awareness and funds for research. We have spent months sorting through, then developing ideas for social events where anyone interested in the cause could join us in a great old time while raising fund for the Alzheimer’s Association and the Michael J. Fox Foundation (for Parkinson’s Research).
I never imagined 4 years ago that my team would do anything more than climb, but apparently we’re only just scratching the surface of what can be done to raise awareness in public and the funds needed for research. Every day it seems we write our own "How To" guide book on interesting ways to support the cause.
It’s all so exciting, sometimes scary, and always a little confusing, but we’re finding our way.
I always think to myself, this is no place for someone who grew up as a shy kid; who would rather hide behind his parents legs than say hi to the person he was being introduced to when he was young.
But here I am anyway.
If these diseases are to be conquered we’re all going to have to come out of our shells and push harder against our own shy, docile or introverted manner in order to succeed. Before we can go on to conquer anything in this world, we must learn to conquer ourselves first.
I still have quite a bit of a guilty feeling stealing my focus away from my wife who sometimes not so quietly waits for me to drop the world and lay still to relax and watch TV with her.
Time gives, and time steals.
World up,
Enzo
I was wondering what I might tell you this week, what was on my mind and then I went to type and it all went blank.
My fingers start moving and white letters start subtracting away from this void that was this computer screen, and it re-teaches me that even if I’m not sure where I’m going, what I’m doing or what I want to say, just starting breeds accomplishment.
The screen was blank only a moment ago, and with time now the letters are beginning to spell progress.
There is so much to say, but how do I say it and where do I begin? What have I been up to in the last few months on up to this very week?
Rest? No, not really.
It’s a blur on the inside, and the only thing I’m sure of is that I will keep trying.
I guess that’s the key, isn’t it?
"Trying"
My wife is wondering what I’m doing now, that seems to be more important than laying down to watch TV with her.
I have so much to do ...like everyone else.
My situation is not so different. We all feel like we’re overloaded sometimes. Life is the spider web we always seem to find ourselves tangled in. I am not independently wealthy so I need to keep working my day job. I am only an apprentice so I need to keep studying until my architecture exams have all been passed.
It is a bit of a guilty feeling, stealing my focus from concentrating on one thing at a time but I have never really done one thing at a time.
All through out life it has always been multitasking for me. It makes me slower...yes I know, but in the end I believe I have learned so much more through the experiences of running myself ragged, as I have become more rounded. Time is part of the journey. Until then I will remain an apprentice and keep inching ahead.
On my back there is a tattoo which is written in Latin. Part of it says "TU ES ULTIMUS FINIS" which translates loosely to "You are your own ultimate challenge". This can also be taken to mean that "the race is always with yourself". In my race if slow and steady is what works best for me, then that’s the speed I need to keep in order to succeed.
What else have I been up to? Hummm let me see.
One of my relatives has worked hard all through life and has helped me at points through mine, so I have been drawing plans for his vacation home on Grand Cayman. It’s beautiful. When I tell you it’s a castle...I’m not lying. It really is. There is currently one castle-like home on the island, and his goal is to build one which is even more romantic and still have the aire of a stone fort from the old days.
I have also been drawing plans for my brothers home addition. He and his wife are expecting a baby any day now and the should really have a little more room for the family to grow. I’m sure when the plans are approved my family (all my uncles and some of my cousins) will be there on occasion to drive nails into the backdrop of the stage being set on a new life for a little someone we haven’t even met yet.
I am a firm believer that you can give to friends and family but you should try never to take, so when ever possible family works for family - for free. They can always use a hand with things and I believe it should always be made unconditionally available to them. Doing this does of course move my life ahead at a somewhat "slower pace" then it could go if I would abandon everything which is extracurricular in life to focus on my own family. Even though this would absolutely simply family life in my own home...it will never happen. Doing so means leaving these people to fend for themselves at the hands of a stranger when by a little effort of my own their goals can be reached and then enjoyed.
Let me see, there must be something else which has been keeping me so busy lately.
Ah....
I’ve also been researching an idea for a business of my own. Strangely enough it’s not architecture. Even more strange is that the architecture I may seem to abandon after pursuing it through the last 23 years - will still be there for me in this business. Maybe I’ll burn the bridges behind me and force myself to move ahead with it sooner than I think. I love the idea and I work a little more at it every night, dividing the time between studying, & drawing. Someday soon it will happen.
I’ll make it happen.
But, it is a bit of a guilty feeling stealing my focus away from a commitment to do my part in helping to conquer Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s disease.
I’m sure I’ve said it a hundred times before, but I really wish there was someone to give me advice when it comes to what needs to be done next with our charity efforts. This is not such a simple world to maneuver through even when your goal is simply to raise awareness and funds to help conquer Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
It started out as one climbing expedition to "The Wettest Place on Earth". It was a mountain called Wai’ale’ale, and it had not been reached on foot for more than 28 to 30 years. That wasn’t a big goal was it? In the midst of all the emotion I was feeling there in the jungle, I thought, "Damn, this hurts! But you know what? I think I can do this again, and again until a cure is found". My friend Ken and I fell short of reaching the summit, but in this failure was born the idea for the 10 Mountains - 10 Years (a quest for the cure) project. As a bonus we did play a roll in helping two other climbers to reach the summit only one day later, but that’s a story for another time.
Even though I decided to link 10 years worth of charity climbing expeditions together in this newer bigger project I still thought it would be simple. Climb mountains & Conquer these diseases.
What a surprise I had.
It was like discovering all the intricacies I already knew went into designing the dream house and country estate for someone wealthy enough to want a simple life away from the city. The interesting thing is that the simple life takes a lot of thought, planning and work ahead of time. It’s not simple for everyone involved in making it seem that way.
My simple expeditions have become lesson upon lesson, laced with trial and error, tough luck, and stubborn determination.
Organizing an expedition, meant learning everything possible about your mountain, your gear, your route, the logistics, etc. It meant collecting a team and having patience enough to sift through all the people who say they want to climb with you, then back out at the last minute. It’s funny because at times I might have 2 dozen people who all want to be a part of the action for the charity on the mountain. They come across as so hard core serious about doing it, then one after the next they fall off the bandwagon for a thousand different reasons and excuses. Some just don’t even bother to tell me they are no longer following through on their promise to be a part of the team’s effort. I used to get mad it the lack of commitment, following the heavy "I am so serious for this" facade. Now I have learned that people just break sometimes, and they can’t be faulted for it.
Lucky for me, I have collected some good team mates who have come out time and time again and have also helped to coordinate some of the logistics.
But, climbing is not the beginning and end of it all.
It seems everyday I need to learn a little more about how to simply raise awareness, which as it turns out isn’t simple.
There is marketing,
there is writing,
there is research,
there is staying current on your subject (Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s),
there is public speaking,
there is mailing,
there is Emailing,
there is creating graphics which will inspire people,
there is real politics, there is association politics, there is team politics,
there is learning to recognize when someone has that little extra spark which has the potential to really burn brightly with a little encouragement and cultivation,
there is learning how to deal with the new and varied personalities involved in helping my cause, there is learning how to create and keep relationships,
there is this, there is that, there is the other thing.
Then there is evolution.
By this I mean that at the urging of my team mates we have now branched out to doing more than just climbing expeditions to raise awareness and funds for research. We have spent months sorting through, then developing ideas for social events where anyone interested in the cause could join us in a great old time while raising fund for the Alzheimer’s Association and the Michael J. Fox Foundation (for Parkinson’s Research).
I never imagined 4 years ago that my team would do anything more than climb, but apparently we’re only just scratching the surface of what can be done to raise awareness in public and the funds needed for research. Every day it seems we write our own "How To" guide book on interesting ways to support the cause.
It’s all so exciting, sometimes scary, and always a little confusing, but we’re finding our way.
I always think to myself, this is no place for someone who grew up as a shy kid; who would rather hide behind his parents legs than say hi to the person he was being introduced to when he was young.
But here I am anyway.
If these diseases are to be conquered we’re all going to have to come out of our shells and push harder against our own shy, docile or introverted manner in order to succeed. Before we can go on to conquer anything in this world, we must learn to conquer ourselves first.
I still have quite a bit of a guilty feeling stealing my focus away from my wife who sometimes not so quietly waits for me to drop the world and lay still to relax and watch TV with her.
Time gives, and time steals.
World up,
Enzo
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Matt
Well guys, this is Matt. It took me awhile to post anything because honestly, I hate writing. But I finally sucked it up and decided to post something.
Recently I’ve had a real life change. Nothing is like it used to be. But it’s for the best. Part of this change is because of my faith. Part of this is because of events that have happened to me during the past few years. And another part of this is because of Enzo.
Enzo showed me that there is a fight out there. A fight bigger than any one of us. I met E on myspace a few years ago. See I believe that everything happens for a reason. Just the fact that we met on myspace of all places strengthens that belief. Why did he add me? Why did I add him? I usually delete anyone who isn’t a friend of mine in real life. I could have simply hit “DENY” and my life would be completely different from what it is now. It’s a trip just thinking’ about it.
I soon started talking to E and learning more about Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. My God, I had no idea that these diseases affected so many millions. Then I realized that I could do something with my life that truly meant something. I mean, I won’t lie to ya, I’m lazy. I’m really lazy. But to be apart of this is an honor. To be on a team with such inspiring people willing to fight so hard. I tell you this right now; there is nothing “regular” about these people. This team, “The Regulars” is what separates everyday people from great people. Peter Parker is a “regular” guy in the day, but once trouble strikes he puts on his mask and becomes Spider-Man, a hero. That’s the kind of people this team is made of. People willing to sacrifice for others. I see people like Enzo who has put this whole quest together while taking care of family, building a house, and going to school. Then there’s Eileen. She takes care of three boys! I barely finished my teenage life so I know how much trouble us guys can be. Props to ya Eileen. These "regular" people inspire me so much.
Thankfully I do not have any family or friends who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. But I hope that by my being on the team people can see that you don’t have to be directly affected to stand up and make a difference. E once said that our children should never have to grow up knowing the words “Alzheimer’s” or “Parkinson’s”. This is my goal. This is our goal. If you’re reading this then I hope it’s you’re goal as well.
-Matt
Knee-knack!
So, i'm currently in Puerto Natales after 4 days hiking in Torres del Paine, I had a great time. The views and the vistas amazing, the weather very very changable, one moment the sun is shining, the next moment the rain is falling. I experienced some of the strongest winds I ever have, at one point we were sitting by the lake and we got soaked from a gush we saw coming in, another we were hiking obove a cliff and had to sit down to stop us getting blow right off. I suppose its normal given the location, close to the Pacific and not that far from the Atlantic and Antarctica! Its pretty hard to know what to wear, but you get used to being too hot one moment and too cold the next. Some of the camp-grounds are amazing, you literally wake up with the Torres just in front of you.
We saw some very cool stuff; a glacier the size of Litchenstien (according to a guy from there travelling with me that day), mini twisters on the lake itself (honestly), free-roaming horses, and of course the torres, three massive granite summits that can be climbed in 12 hours, and then can be descended in 12 hours. I hiked with some very nice people from all nations, Argentines, Russians, English, Americans, Australians. For me the biggest problem, is the number of tourists, and the prices, but then this is the price you pay for such views, I hope to head off to a location a little less touristy soon.
Si, i´ve seen what is going to be the biggest problem in travelling for 6 months before Mount Hood in July - keeping injury free. Already my knee is a little painful, I guess i´ll just have to make sure i´m careful, and don´t push myself too hard. One of my goals with this trip is to arrive in tip-top condition so that I can help the team push for the summit and do my bit in our battle against Parkinsons and Alzheimers!
Anyway, will blog again soon,
Brett
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Visionary Bullet
Harm is not in the crosshairs but life is.
My sights are on a time and a place many may wish for but cannot see.
Shoot high, aim low.
With my heart on my sleave and holding on to everything I loved when I was young, I climb into the barrel and bathe in the cylindrical blue light.
It swirls around as I turn my site toward my goal.
Is this not a big war worth fighting I ask myself, stepping into the ranks of those soon to be moving unison on the front lines against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Yes it is.
Am I here to take prisoners?
No I'm here to do everything in my power to set them free.
Thank God for the renegades with eyes big enough to see the goal from a global perspective, and kid gloves enough to hold hands with those who need holding.
Thank God as well for those willing to stand out on the line and do a little more.
My weathered veins feel old, but strong enough to pump nitro into the engines of this big machine. Tired but still moving. It feels as though I first set eyes on this world a thousand years ago, and lived ten lives all trying to get something right. There must be some score to settle in this spirit, and I'm chasing a ghost through time, going down on one battle field only to be born to try again.
I feel that success and then rest is at hand.
This may not be Concord but the shot will still in fact be heard around the world.
Let those visionary bullets shot from arms in all nations find their target.
Together as one.
Let the giants fall. They have already taken too many with them.
Let's give all that we have as if there were one chance to get it right and the only time was now.
I was born, I live and I'm here to end this.
30 million lives in the new generation should never know the words Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
The battle should not be theirs…it is ours.
World up,
Enzo
My sights are on a time and a place many may wish for but cannot see.
Shoot high, aim low.
With my heart on my sleave and holding on to everything I loved when I was young, I climb into the barrel and bathe in the cylindrical blue light.
It swirls around as I turn my site toward my goal.
Is this not a big war worth fighting I ask myself, stepping into the ranks of those soon to be moving unison on the front lines against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Yes it is.
Am I here to take prisoners?
No I'm here to do everything in my power to set them free.
Thank God for the renegades with eyes big enough to see the goal from a global perspective, and kid gloves enough to hold hands with those who need holding.
Thank God as well for those willing to stand out on the line and do a little more.
My weathered veins feel old, but strong enough to pump nitro into the engines of this big machine. Tired but still moving. It feels as though I first set eyes on this world a thousand years ago, and lived ten lives all trying to get something right. There must be some score to settle in this spirit, and I'm chasing a ghost through time, going down on one battle field only to be born to try again.
I feel that success and then rest is at hand.
This may not be Concord but the shot will still in fact be heard around the world.
Let those visionary bullets shot from arms in all nations find their target.
Together as one.
Let the giants fall. They have already taken too many with them.
Let's give all that we have as if there were one chance to get it right and the only time was now.
I was born, I live and I'm here to end this.
30 million lives in the new generation should never know the words Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
The battle should not be theirs…it is ours.
World up,
Enzo
Monday, February 18, 2008
Heads Up!
Drug 'can reverse Alzheimer's symptoms in minutes'
January 10, 2008
A drug used for arthritis can reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's "in minutes".
It appears to tackle one of the main features of the disease - inflammation in the brain.
The drug, called Enbrel, is injected into the spine where it blocks a chemical responsible for damaging the brain and other organs.
A pilot study carried out by U.S. researchers found one patient had his symptoms reversed "in minutes". Other patients have shown some improvements in symptoms such as forgetfulness and confusion after weekly injections over six months.
The study of 15 patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's has just been published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation by online publishers Biomed Central.
The experiment showed that Enbrel can deactivate TNF (tumour necrosis factor) - a chemical in the fluid surrounding the brain that is found in Alzheimer's sufferers.
When used by arthritis sufferers, the drug is self-administered by injection and researchers had to develop a way of injecting it into the spine to affect the brain cells.
Sue Griffin, a researcher at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said: 'It is unprecedented to see cognitive and behavioural improvement in a patient with established dementia within minutes of therapeutic intervention.
'This gives all of us in Alzheimer research a tremendous new clue about new avenues of research.' Enbrel is not approved for treating Alzheimer's in the U.S. or the UK and is regarded as highly experimental, said Dr Griffin.
'Even though this report predominantly discusses a single patient it is of significant scientific interest because of the potential insight it may give into the processes involved in the brain dysfunction of Alzheimer's,' she added.
Lead author of the study Edward Tobinick, of the University of California and Director of the Institute for Neurological Research, said the drug had 'a very rapid effect that's never been reported in a human being before'.
He added: 'It makes practical changes that are significant and perceptible, making a difference to his daily living.
'Some patients have been able to start driving again. They don't come back to normal but the change is good enough for patients to want to continue treatment.'
He said top-up injections were necessary but some patients had them a month apart.
Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, affecting more than 700,000 Britons with about 500 cases diagnosed every day.
Neil Hunt, of the Alzheimer's Society charity, said: 'The pursuit of a miracle cure for Alzheimer's continues to drive research into a variety of potential treatment targets. These include a possible link between inflammatory reactions in the brain and Alzheimer's.'
Children exposed to lead in old paint, Victorian pipes and toys could be at risk of Alzheimer's later in life, scientists said yesterday.
A study shows that even small amounts of the metal in the first few years can build up plaques around the brain.
Scientists at the University of Rhode Island told the New Scientist that they fed infant formula milk laced with low doses of lead to baby monkeys, then followed their progress for 23 years. A post mortem of the brains revealed plaques - harmful deposits of protein found in Alzheimer's patients.
January 10, 2008
A drug used for arthritis can reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's "in minutes".
It appears to tackle one of the main features of the disease - inflammation in the brain.
The drug, called Enbrel, is injected into the spine where it blocks a chemical responsible for damaging the brain and other organs.
A pilot study carried out by U.S. researchers found one patient had his symptoms reversed "in minutes". Other patients have shown some improvements in symptoms such as forgetfulness and confusion after weekly injections over six months.
The study of 15 patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's has just been published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation by online publishers Biomed Central.
The experiment showed that Enbrel can deactivate TNF (tumour necrosis factor) - a chemical in the fluid surrounding the brain that is found in Alzheimer's sufferers.
When used by arthritis sufferers, the drug is self-administered by injection and researchers had to develop a way of injecting it into the spine to affect the brain cells.
Sue Griffin, a researcher at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said: 'It is unprecedented to see cognitive and behavioural improvement in a patient with established dementia within minutes of therapeutic intervention.
'This gives all of us in Alzheimer research a tremendous new clue about new avenues of research.' Enbrel is not approved for treating Alzheimer's in the U.S. or the UK and is regarded as highly experimental, said Dr Griffin.
'Even though this report predominantly discusses a single patient it is of significant scientific interest because of the potential insight it may give into the processes involved in the brain dysfunction of Alzheimer's,' she added.
Lead author of the study Edward Tobinick, of the University of California and Director of the Institute for Neurological Research, said the drug had 'a very rapid effect that's never been reported in a human being before'.
He added: 'It makes practical changes that are significant and perceptible, making a difference to his daily living.
'Some patients have been able to start driving again. They don't come back to normal but the change is good enough for patients to want to continue treatment.'
He said top-up injections were necessary but some patients had them a month apart.
Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, affecting more than 700,000 Britons with about 500 cases diagnosed every day.
Neil Hunt, of the Alzheimer's Society charity, said: 'The pursuit of a miracle cure for Alzheimer's continues to drive research into a variety of potential treatment targets. These include a possible link between inflammatory reactions in the brain and Alzheimer's.'
Children exposed to lead in old paint, Victorian pipes and toys could be at risk of Alzheimer's later in life, scientists said yesterday.
A study shows that even small amounts of the metal in the first few years can build up plaques around the brain.
Scientists at the University of Rhode Island told the New Scientist that they fed infant formula milk laced with low doses of lead to baby monkeys, then followed their progress for 23 years. A post mortem of the brains revealed plaques - harmful deposits of protein found in Alzheimer's patients.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Brett in South America 1
Well, after one week in SA and im just about to write my first blog. Ive had a great week, Ushuai was stunning, the flight in spectacular, Ushuai is a lovely little town overlooking the Beagle Channel (yes the same Beagle that Charles Darwin took) to the South, and surrounded by mountains on the other sides. The hostel was great and I met a nice group of people for a couple of nights out. The highlight was the trip on the channel, we saw penguis, Albatross, Sealions and seals, as well as the mountains everywhere - stunning!
After that I took the trip down to Punto Arenas, 12 hours of nothingness, it really is incredible to see that people do actually live in these massive Patagonian steps, now im in Puerton Natales, and in a few hours the trip to Torres del PAine National PArk for 5 days hiking, its going to be frustrating not being able to climb there, but its probably out of my depth!
I cant really say ive had a cultural experience so far, as its very easy to meet foreigners, however so far the people have been very kind, the hostels clean and the bus services clean and effecient. However by far the best thing about Patagonia is the views and the emptiness.
Will post again soon
,Brett
After that I took the trip down to Punto Arenas, 12 hours of nothingness, it really is incredible to see that people do actually live in these massive Patagonian steps, now im in Puerton Natales, and in a few hours the trip to Torres del PAine National PArk for 5 days hiking, its going to be frustrating not being able to climb there, but its probably out of my depth!
I cant really say ive had a cultural experience so far, as its very easy to meet foreigners, however so far the people have been very kind, the hostels clean and the bus services clean and effecient. However by far the best thing about Patagonia is the views and the emptiness.
Will post again soon
,Brett
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Where Am I?
Where Am I?
Where am I may sound like a ridiculous question to ask. Of course I am right here in New Jersey. Where else would I be? But you see it’s not that simple. As in the words of Bono from U2 in the song “Walk On”, I am going to a place where none of us has been. By that I mean, a frame of mind one must be in to accomplish what I am getting ready to accomplish. To answer “The Call” which Enzo sent out almost a year ago to me, one must put themselves in a place of belief that this phenomenal experience that I have been handed is something that can be accomplished. There are so many emotions to prepare yourself along with the physical conditioning of your body. Your faith in yourself, the trust in your teammates, the support from everyone around you, all have to come into play. I train in the martial arts and there is a term in Korean that we practice on a daily basis and it is “Moo Shim”, which is “Empty Mind”. You train your mind to block out all negativity around you in order to accomplish things. You discipline yourself to going after things without hesitation. This doesn’t mean you never think about anything, it means you persevere and you push and you let your inner strength guide you. I have been doing this. This is where I am.
I am home raising three growing boys. I am getting my youngest prepared physically and mentally for his second degree rank of Black Belt in karate. I am setting things up for my middle son to get prepared for the upcoming baseball season. And I am helping my oldest find a job and stay focused and on track with football even though it is off season. I am also working, running a household. But most importantly, I am training. Training in the gym or training in karate or just training my mind to be prepared for climbing Mt. Hood in July. I have a ton of questions that run through my mind. You may think fear plays a role but it doesn’t. It should since I have never climbed a mountain before. But I have an amazing role model, someone who believes in me and calls me “the strong one”. This would be Enzo. From the time he asked me to do this my life has changed. My outlook has changed. My personality has changed. Even my looks have changed. It is because I have thrown myself in a place of total faith in myself and total belief in why I am doing this. “If God brought me to it, He will get me through it”. And my “angel” above, my mother, is waiting for me at the top, so I can reach up my hand into the clouds and touch hers, if only for a second in my mind, but to be remembered for the rest of my life.
This all sounds like something that is unbelievable, right? But this is where I am in my journey to climb Mt. Hood. I hope in my heart that cures are discovered from our efforts and to prove, if even only to one, that anything you want in life you can do it. I am really a “regular” person. Not someone that wants the glory of the accomplishment but the satisfaction of the journey and the chance to say that I have made a difference and I will have the ones I love that carry with them the burden of these diseases everyday, to be cured. To ensure my own children will never have to face this in there life or that I won’t even be stricken. Maybe, just maybe this will happen. My intuition and my faith is strong. I have already reached the top. Now it lies in the hands of the ones who can truly make a medical breakthrough in these diseases and help the millions who suffer. I will continue my journey long after I climb Mt. Hood. I will continue to do other things to draw awareness to Alzheimer;s and Parkinson’s. But for now my focus is on the mountain. To reach the top, to draw awareness, to raise funds, to show that with combined efforts of everyone we can and will make a differnce. To be continued.
World Up!
Eileen - The Regulars - ’08
Where am I may sound like a ridiculous question to ask. Of course I am right here in New Jersey. Where else would I be? But you see it’s not that simple. As in the words of Bono from U2 in the song “Walk On”, I am going to a place where none of us has been. By that I mean, a frame of mind one must be in to accomplish what I am getting ready to accomplish. To answer “The Call” which Enzo sent out almost a year ago to me, one must put themselves in a place of belief that this phenomenal experience that I have been handed is something that can be accomplished. There are so many emotions to prepare yourself along with the physical conditioning of your body. Your faith in yourself, the trust in your teammates, the support from everyone around you, all have to come into play. I train in the martial arts and there is a term in Korean that we practice on a daily basis and it is “Moo Shim”, which is “Empty Mind”. You train your mind to block out all negativity around you in order to accomplish things. You discipline yourself to going after things without hesitation. This doesn’t mean you never think about anything, it means you persevere and you push and you let your inner strength guide you. I have been doing this. This is where I am.
I am home raising three growing boys. I am getting my youngest prepared physically and mentally for his second degree rank of Black Belt in karate. I am setting things up for my middle son to get prepared for the upcoming baseball season. And I am helping my oldest find a job and stay focused and on track with football even though it is off season. I am also working, running a household. But most importantly, I am training. Training in the gym or training in karate or just training my mind to be prepared for climbing Mt. Hood in July. I have a ton of questions that run through my mind. You may think fear plays a role but it doesn’t. It should since I have never climbed a mountain before. But I have an amazing role model, someone who believes in me and calls me “the strong one”. This would be Enzo. From the time he asked me to do this my life has changed. My outlook has changed. My personality has changed. Even my looks have changed. It is because I have thrown myself in a place of total faith in myself and total belief in why I am doing this. “If God brought me to it, He will get me through it”. And my “angel” above, my mother, is waiting for me at the top, so I can reach up my hand into the clouds and touch hers, if only for a second in my mind, but to be remembered for the rest of my life.
This all sounds like something that is unbelievable, right? But this is where I am in my journey to climb Mt. Hood. I hope in my heart that cures are discovered from our efforts and to prove, if even only to one, that anything you want in life you can do it. I am really a “regular” person. Not someone that wants the glory of the accomplishment but the satisfaction of the journey and the chance to say that I have made a difference and I will have the ones I love that carry with them the burden of these diseases everyday, to be cured. To ensure my own children will never have to face this in there life or that I won’t even be stricken. Maybe, just maybe this will happen. My intuition and my faith is strong. I have already reached the top. Now it lies in the hands of the ones who can truly make a medical breakthrough in these diseases and help the millions who suffer. I will continue my journey long after I climb Mt. Hood. I will continue to do other things to draw awareness to Alzheimer;s and Parkinson’s. But for now my focus is on the mountain. To reach the top, to draw awareness, to raise funds, to show that with combined efforts of everyone we can and will make a differnce. To be continued.
World Up!
Eileen - The Regulars - ’08
Friday, February 8, 2008
Blind
"Blind"
It is a state of being, and it’s how I feel sometimes.
I feel like a blind man wandering the streets of a city where I’ve never been. Yet I am looking for something. Feeling and fumbling my way, and finding a good foot hold on occasion, but more often than not falling on my face then getting up to try again.
I have bestowed upon myself an epic the likes of which have not been seen in a charity / fund raising event. I have not asked for this, and I would stop in a heart beat given the promise of two cures, but with that being said I will continue on and beyond this epic if circumstances call upon me to do so.
10 Mountains – 10 Years (A quest for the Cure) is what I have named the challenge before my team and I. Together there is a way to find the cures for Alzheimer’s disease & Parkinson’s disease. Somewhere out there bathed in fluorescent light is a scientist climbing his own mountains of research on route to the same summit we both call a cure.
It sounds simple enough doesn’t it? Climb mountains, raise awareness, raise funds for research and conquer these giant diseases. But, I find myself asking the same initial question over and again. In the case of “the Regulars” I wonder where’s our instruction book? How do we orchestrate the entire world of issues needed to be successful? The reality is that there are more questions than soldiers in the conquerors army.
What am I up against? What do I need to know and how will I learn it? What mistakes will I make? How will this evolve over time? Who is with me and who is not? Will I even make it? How will my own life changes affect my ability to carry on with all this? Will anything I do help the cause to find these cures? Will anything I do help to save my mother from Alzheimer’s and my Father-in-Law from Parkinson’s? Will I doubt myself? Am I doubting myself now?
I’m sure the same questions haunt my team mates as well. I hope they take the same time and effort to write in this blog their own daily experiences riding the roller coaster of emotions through life on this journey….this quest for a cure.
Let us write the book together along the way.
World up,
Enzo
It is a state of being, and it’s how I feel sometimes.
I feel like a blind man wandering the streets of a city where I’ve never been. Yet I am looking for something. Feeling and fumbling my way, and finding a good foot hold on occasion, but more often than not falling on my face then getting up to try again.
I have bestowed upon myself an epic the likes of which have not been seen in a charity / fund raising event. I have not asked for this, and I would stop in a heart beat given the promise of two cures, but with that being said I will continue on and beyond this epic if circumstances call upon me to do so.
10 Mountains – 10 Years (A quest for the Cure) is what I have named the challenge before my team and I. Together there is a way to find the cures for Alzheimer’s disease & Parkinson’s disease. Somewhere out there bathed in fluorescent light is a scientist climbing his own mountains of research on route to the same summit we both call a cure.
It sounds simple enough doesn’t it? Climb mountains, raise awareness, raise funds for research and conquer these giant diseases. But, I find myself asking the same initial question over and again. In the case of “the Regulars” I wonder where’s our instruction book? How do we orchestrate the entire world of issues needed to be successful? The reality is that there are more questions than soldiers in the conquerors army.
What am I up against? What do I need to know and how will I learn it? What mistakes will I make? How will this evolve over time? Who is with me and who is not? Will I even make it? How will my own life changes affect my ability to carry on with all this? Will anything I do help the cause to find these cures? Will anything I do help to save my mother from Alzheimer’s and my Father-in-Law from Parkinson’s? Will I doubt myself? Am I doubting myself now?
I’m sure the same questions haunt my team mates as well. I hope they take the same time and effort to write in this blog their own daily experiences riding the roller coaster of emotions through life on this journey….this quest for a cure.
Let us write the book together along the way.
World up,
Enzo
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Alzheimer's Parkinson's & You
Alzheimer's disease
It's a tragedy to loose the one thing in life, which is ours and ours alone – our memory. The ability to open the book of our own lives only to fumble through blank pages of memories, stories, and experiences we may never be able to recall. Loose our sense of self-reliance. Loose the recognition of those people nearest and dearest to us in a sea of obscure and nameless faces usually reserved for one looking out upon a busy street in a city one has never been. Anyone who has known another person with Alzheimer's knows first hand the devastating affect it ultimately has on the person and his or her family.
Currently an estimated 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease.
Currently, it is estimated that 24 million people worldwide are suffering with Alzheimer's disease (dementia).
By 2050 the number of individuals in the United States with Alzheimer's could range from 11.3 million to 16 million.
Alzheimer's disease usually begins after age 60.
While rare, it can affect people in their 40's and 50's as early onset dementia.
In progressed stages of Alzheimer's disease people fail to recognize familiar people and places including family and friends.
People with Alzheimer's disease will also begin to have problems speaking, understanding, reading, and writing.
In later stages, people with Alzheimer's disease may become anxious, aggressive, may wander away from home, and eventually patients need total care.
The typical Alzheimer's Caregiver is a 46-year-old married woman who works outside the home, reports the San Francisco-based Family Caregiver Alliance.
Parkinson's disease
Likewise, the sometimes unkind stares from strangers watching as a person with Parkinson's disease struggles against ones own body. His or her body tremors and jitters uncontrollably, or alternately slows down virtually to a halt and becomes captive to the ice like rigidity of a body frozen in slow motion. The simplest of tasks become almost impossible. All the while one recalls in complete lucidity a time not long ago, when the same hands and feet they now battle to control, moved with utter grace and steady conviction.
Currently more than six million people worldwide are living with Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's affects 1 person in 100 over the age of 60 years old.
40% of those people are under the age of sixty.
Over the course of this year 60,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States alone.
Young onset Parkinson's disease usually affects people 40 years old and younger.
One of the youngest people ever diagnosed with Parkinson's disease was 7 years old. I personally know her.
Parkinson's disease is a chronic degenerative neurological disorder which usually progresses from mild tremors to complete physical incapacitation.
Parkinson's disease is characterized by four major features: Rest tremor of a limb (shaking with the limb at rest). Slowness of movement (Bradykinesia). Rigidity (stiffness, increased resistance to passive movement) of the limbs or trunk. Poor balance (postural instability).
Ultimately Parkinson's disease leaves people unable to move, speak or swallow.
Here is a thought: 24,000,000 + 6,000,000=30,000,000 people world-wide
30,000,000 x 3.14 ( Avg. Size of an American Family ) = 94,200,000
The collective average number of family members affected by Alzheimer's & Parkinson's . . .
94,200,000 people.
What an army for positive change this could be if we all did just a little to fight these.
Together We Can Find A Way .
World up,
Enzo
It's a tragedy to loose the one thing in life, which is ours and ours alone – our memory. The ability to open the book of our own lives only to fumble through blank pages of memories, stories, and experiences we may never be able to recall. Loose our sense of self-reliance. Loose the recognition of those people nearest and dearest to us in a sea of obscure and nameless faces usually reserved for one looking out upon a busy street in a city one has never been. Anyone who has known another person with Alzheimer's knows first hand the devastating affect it ultimately has on the person and his or her family.
Currently an estimated 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease.
Currently, it is estimated that 24 million people worldwide are suffering with Alzheimer's disease (dementia).
By 2050 the number of individuals in the United States with Alzheimer's could range from 11.3 million to 16 million.
Alzheimer's disease usually begins after age 60.
While rare, it can affect people in their 40's and 50's as early onset dementia.
In progressed stages of Alzheimer's disease people fail to recognize familiar people and places including family and friends.
People with Alzheimer's disease will also begin to have problems speaking, understanding, reading, and writing.
In later stages, people with Alzheimer's disease may become anxious, aggressive, may wander away from home, and eventually patients need total care.
The typical Alzheimer's Caregiver is a 46-year-old married woman who works outside the home, reports the San Francisco-based Family Caregiver Alliance.
Parkinson's disease
Likewise, the sometimes unkind stares from strangers watching as a person with Parkinson's disease struggles against ones own body. His or her body tremors and jitters uncontrollably, or alternately slows down virtually to a halt and becomes captive to the ice like rigidity of a body frozen in slow motion. The simplest of tasks become almost impossible. All the while one recalls in complete lucidity a time not long ago, when the same hands and feet they now battle to control, moved with utter grace and steady conviction.
Currently more than six million people worldwide are living with Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's affects 1 person in 100 over the age of 60 years old.
40% of those people are under the age of sixty.
Over the course of this year 60,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States alone.
Young onset Parkinson's disease usually affects people 40 years old and younger.
One of the youngest people ever diagnosed with Parkinson's disease was 7 years old. I personally know her.
Parkinson's disease is a chronic degenerative neurological disorder which usually progresses from mild tremors to complete physical incapacitation.
Parkinson's disease is characterized by four major features: Rest tremor of a limb (shaking with the limb at rest). Slowness of movement (Bradykinesia). Rigidity (stiffness, increased resistance to passive movement) of the limbs or trunk. Poor balance (postural instability).
Ultimately Parkinson's disease leaves people unable to move, speak or swallow.
Here is a thought: 24,000,000 + 6,000,000=30,000,000 people world-wide
30,000,000 x 3.14 ( Avg. Size of an American Family ) = 94,200,000
The collective average number of family members affected by Alzheimer's & Parkinson's . . .
94,200,000 people.
What an army for positive change this could be if we all did just a little to fight these.
Together We Can Find A Way .
World up,
Enzo
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