“Doc, look at me. I must have chemo brain. My yoga pants are backwards and I have on two different socks!” I quickly glance down at my own socks because any given day….”Marlene, you never had chemo. But it doesn’t mean that your cancer therapy isn’t the culprit”. Chemo brain is a real phenomenon that physicians are finally discussing. Also, general surgery anesthesia has brain effects. Hence why, after age 70 I always recommend avoiding it, unless for necessary surgeries. I will never forget Fran. She had a hysterectomy 25 years ago and presented to me a different person post op. It was the first I recognized this and so have preached about it for years. You can finally now find research to confirm negative effects of general anesthesia.

Even with a large, hard bone of a skull, we must give this sweet special organ some love and protection.

Now, there is research warning of the coming dementia “tsunami”. As we survive major health issues, and with great improvement on every front, the brain still ages and all of us fear that silent, devastating decline. Many of us have witnessed this in loved ones, contributing even more to the sandwich generation caring for both ends of the age spectrum.

We cannot battle everything everywhere all at once (Oscar). It’s too chaotic, confusing and exhausting. But we can make small decisions while we still recall where we hid extra cash or the second car key.

A few suggestions:

Simplify everything.

Make a list today of all insurances and assets. Peggy was shocked to find her husband’s finances a problem when we had been battling his cancer for three years. He just would not consider making arrangements.

Write down directives for care. Have a living will; you can get one on line and fill out. Tell your loved ones where it is so they can take to the hospital in case an over zealous code team is working against your wishes.

Take vitamin D3- do not count on sunshine. It’s definitely needed for brain health and isn’t found in food.

Clean out the gut. It’s a mess and inflammation starting there affects all health issues. Take probiotics.

The brain is affected by poor dental health as well.

Crossword puzzles don’t solve everything. Get moving. Include 6, then work up to 11 minutes per day of aerobic exercise. Proven to aid brain health for life, so no, you don’t get to rest at 90. We can’t be couch potatoes then be surprised when we become a vegetable (too harsh?)

Walk in nature without head phones.

Talk with friends, relatives, people at the gym or the store daily. Interactions are critical to aging well.

Laugh. We did a laughology yoga session in the cancer clinic. You just start laughing and it perpetuates itself. I am now trying pickle ball. With no hand eye coordination I am lousy at it, but the camaraderie, joking and laughter (even at my expense) is amazing.

Drink alcohol less or not at all (I know buzz killer).

Eat less processed food and sugar. Beware artificial sweeteners now also found to enhance dementia.

Once the decline starts it can be dramatically fast and irreversible.

If memory issues are already happening, do something simple: Walk in nature, take Vitamin D, stop alcohol and clean your gut. That you can easily do. We want to stay sharp, smart, sassy and smiling. Let’s put some effort to keep the other “s” word (starts w ‘S’ rhymes with nile) away from our amazingly brilliant future.