Adding on: NASA, good death and meditation

We're rolling into our second week of my dad's rehabilitation with great vigor, picking up ideas as we go. Dr. DeMartino has contacted the creator of Quantum Neurology, Dr. George Gonzalez, and gotten the okay for me to interview him. Details to come.

Dad got his first lessons on the Taylormade driving range today with pro, Eric Meeks. Eric was very impressed with what he saw from my dad and was able to offer some quick tips that delivered immediate results.

"I hit some balls better today than I have in a long time," my dad said. 

Dad will continue to swing the clubs twice a week with Eric for the next few weeks. Though there's a temptation to do more, dad's taking it slowly for now.

Nathan Adelson CEO (Las Vegas), Carole Fischer

I interviewed Nathan Adelson Hospice CEO in Las Vegas, Carole Fischer on Monday morning. We had an excellent discussion about the value of discussing death in living a better life. Carole has seen many people pass on under her hospice care and is clearly moved by the experience. We talked a lot about the idea of a "good death" much as people talk about having a good day, a good career or even a good life. The fact of the matter is death is inevitable for all of us. Pretending we won't some day be gone creates a tremendous burden upon those left behind who should be dealing with the emotional loss. It's interesting, too, as I've been teaching the primacy/recency theory to some of my film students, expressing the value in memory humans have for things first and last in a list. If a life is thought of that way, who would want his lasting memory to be one of difficulty, guilt, questioning, financial burden, etc. when it could be laughter, tears of joy, knowledge and a fullness that the passing that occurred was as peaceful and undramatic as possible?

Dr. DeMartino brought up some further studies about the value of infrared light therapy and its use by NASA. Between that, the recent scholarly work by MIT, I'm hoping to push the use of this technology/treatment off of the cynical block to at least healthy skepticism for practitioners and patients alike. I appreciate, again, that Dr. DeMartino hasn't backed away from any of my challenges or questions about what is being done. He fully acknowledges the difficulty both in his own group of peers (naturopaths and chiropractors) as well as with those who use other modalities (particularly those considered "western" or AMA doctors). It's going to take time, results and constant messaging. I hope we're part of a positive movement with our documentary.

Finally, meditation is the newest addition to dad's treatment. We're going to visit the Zen Center in Las Vegas and make that a regular part of dad's practice. If meditation is like a workout for your brain and the brain is the area most affected - or most immediately affected -- by Parkinson's, it only makes sense to put dad on the mediation treadmill and make his grey matter sweat. If it's good enough for the Dalai Lama, it's good enough for us.