Posted 9/26/22
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. -Gal. 6:9
First I want to repeat what I posted from my own Facebook account:
It takes several things that most do not have to be a neurologist.
Patience and endurance, for one: get a 4-year bachelor’s degree (and perform nearly flawlessly) and do some volunteering while you are at it. Then slaughter the 7.5 hour Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) to get into a highly competitive meds school. Spend at least 4 years there getting a medical degree. Next, you slaughter the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) which has 7 sixty minute blocks. Next you hop in and work in an internship for a year or more. Getting close? Note really….next you need the 3-4 year (some up to 8 years) residency work. Last, many get certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. That is 12-17 years, or more, of your life preparing. Oh, and you have to be ok with the yucky medical stuff. (I threw that in as someone who still has my wife put on my band-aids.)
Bottom line: it is a life calling to become a neurologist. Why do I bring this up? We raised an impressive $91,xxx in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s. RIGHTFULLY SO, a neurologist makes a solid living for giving so much of his/her life in this pursuit. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the average of the 7,120 employed neurologist makes $267,660 per year. (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291217.htm)
Our Walk in Springfield “covered” the equivalent of over 700+ hours labor from one of these folks who are literally some of the most intelligent and driven people on the planet. The money is divided up differently and actually covers sooo many things: training, materials, advocacy, care staff and much, much more….and research including some to provide grants for these geniuses to do their thing and find a cure! (Note: Ironically I had to use spell check to accurately spell “intelligent” and “geniuses”).
Thank you all soooooooooooo much for your work on this event, on the event next weekend in Joplin and elsewhere, and at all of the Walks. This is the biggest set of fundraising that the Alzheimer’s Association does. Please keep sending cash and spreading the word. A cure is coming soon! 🙂 Some sweet day when we finally #EndALZ , we can all celebrate!
Thank you to neurologists everywhere as well! Your work, while not rocket science, is brain surgery…and you are appreciated more than you know. I know from talking to dozens of you that you are frustrated that there is no cure and you are trying…Thank you.
Thank you all! Thank you, thank you, thank you! (Sorry for the million I forget to thank!)
Thank you to the Greater Missouri Alzheimer’s Association for putting this event on, to Samantha Whitaker for being the fearless leader, and to my fellow committee members. Thank you to the Sigma Kappa Sorority without whom we would have NEVER left…they worked sooo hard and were super selfless and kind! Thank you for all of the sponsors very much!!! Thank you Ethan for being a great emcee and to the DJ who kept us going to the end!
Thank you as well to SeniorAge Area Agency on Aging for your support, your sponsorship, and for the multitude you do for seniors with and without dementia.
Here is our Walk info if anyone has some spare coin to contribute. I know times are uncertain. I appreciate every penny!!! :
https://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk2022/MO-GreaterMissouri?team_id=723055&pg=team&fr_id=15694
#Walk2EndAlz
#runnintilimpurple
#walktoendalzheimers
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So, now what? We raised some money, we walked the walk. Is there more? 🙂 Yup…so much more. It will take billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of people-hours to beat this disease. If you can continue helping, please do. Here is a great link for you to find your niche:
https://www.alz.org/get_involved
Or email or call me any time. 🙂 mark.applegate@senioragemo.org and/or 417-955-2513
Clinical studies, advocacy, ombudsman work, helping your neighbor. There are a million things that need to be done every day 🙂 Thank you very much for taking a few of these as your own. 🙂
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Update: Hospice drama continues. We are in limbo. Mom, as I have mentioned in previous posts, is hospice stage 7F on a scale from 1a-7f. If health was a grade card, mom has a 59.5% on her score card where they round to 60% for a D-. She is a fighter and could live another year like this. She has been on hospice care now for years…and they just now decided she isn’t declining enough the last 6 months to warrant care. So we will appeal yet again. We have been approved, then rejected the next day, twice now. I’ll take “Things that Add Insult to Injury for $1,000, Alex”
Stinking disease 🙁 I look forward to seeing mom tonight for some Alan Jackson hymns and supper.
More to come…much.
