Think Out Loud

One week ago, Lois and I were interviewed live on Think Out Loud, a daily interview show on our local public radio station, OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting). A recording of the interview can be found here. Both of us were a little nervous.  You can’t count on editing to fix your goofs on live radio. But the 23-minute interview went well.  The questions were thoughtful, and I think we were able to make our point that Alzheimer’s is a long disease that starts in the brain up to 20 years before cognitive symptoms appear. We talked about the lifestyle modifications that can slow the disease significantly and the likelihood that future treatments will probably be most effective in the earliest stages, perhaps even before cognitive impairment has started. Lois fielded some questions about caregiving and the challenges of living with someone with cognitive issues. As a thank you for our appearance, we received a coffee mug that reads OPB on one side and Think Out Loud on the other. The next morning as I was drinking my coffee in my new mug, I realized how appropriate that admonishment was: THINK OUT LOUD. That is exactly what I am doing more and more when I get confused, especially first thing in the morning. I have learned that I need to slow down and start talking out loud to myself. What a calming organizational tool this has become for me.  Thank you OPB!