Wise counsel

I saw a warm-hearted physician today who tells me the best defense against age-related cognitive decline is blipping. 

Well, almost. She said, “Keeping a daily blog, challenging yourself to write something cogent and interesting enough for others to read, is an excellent way to keep your brain agile.” 

Before Palesa died I had begun to fear I was losing my edge, and since her death I’ve been a mess: I forget appointments, lose my words, repeat myself, read the same articles twice. Dr. Sukumar studied an MRI of my brain, gave me some tests, asked some questions, and concluded that I have a good-enough brain. She prescribed an antidepressant for a few months to help me deal with Palesa’s death, and she thinks I need to cut back on antihistamines. I’m allergic to evergreens, and Portland is surrounded by them, so I’ve been taking three different antihistamines, each twice a day. She says antihistamines can cause memory loss and brain fog, so it’s a trade-off. I might have to blow my nose and clear my throat more often if I want to keep my brain honed.

She says healthy relationships (in person and online) are the best line of defense against cognitive decline; and blogging, exercise, good sleep, and healthy diet are also useful. “And photography,” I added. She nodded enthusiastically. “Especially if photography gets you out of the house and keeps you moving.”

The Barred Owl showed up at my apartment building soon after I left the doctor’s office. I only have a 35mm lens, so it's cropped about 300% but you can still recognize it as a Barred Owl.