Oh to be young

 My grandson is a skier, and an athlete at 11 years old he is, according to the experts who have been talking to my daughter and her partner, one of the top four athletes for his age in the world. The good news is that he is not allowed by the athletic governing body to compete until he is 13. So, he can have fun, and practice his craft but not be tied into the gruelling life of a world-class athlete for a couple of more years.

My grandson, is, to this point self-taught and wants to learn more and become better at his craft. He watches YouTube videos of his heroes and breaks down what they do and then practices what they do until he can do what they do on the snow. He loves what he does, I watched him when he came to Canada, a few months ago, practicing tricks with his Dad videotaping and every time he did it, he came and checked the video to see what he needed to correct. I saw him do one trick over 50 times until he did it correctly. His Dad and I put no pressure on him, but he persevered.

The life of a professional athlete, no matter what sport is a tough one and one that I am glad he is not allowed to compete until he is older. Young men and women should be allowed to experience childhood, without the extreme pressure that comes from trying to compete at the world level.

All of the words below are used to describe the latest and greatest athletes in whatever sport, and many will be used to describe my grandson when and if he joins the world stage in a year and a half.

Bright lite

in a new way

latest and greatest

new and improved

gifted

talented

up-and-coming

rising star

exhilarating

fresh

invigorating

sharp

stimulating

awesome

His parents and we as grandparents are very proud of him and he should be, and I hope is very proud of himself. I am proud of him, not because he is as good as he is, I am proud of him for the passion and for the joy he finds in life and the passion with which he pursues life. I hope that his grandmother and I will be around to see him reach his dreams and we will do whatever we need to do to help him reach them.

Sleep apnea and heart failure

 What to know about sleep apnea and heart failure? This is from Medical News Today and it is a summary of the article found in the link below.

Sleep apnea and heart failure

Doctors link sleep apnea to heart failure. Repeated pauses in breathing during sleep may damage a person’s heart. Sleep apnea also commonly occurs in people with heart disorders. Managing the symptoms of one condition may help the other.

Sleep apnea is a type of disordered breathing in which a person repeatedly stops and starts breathing during their sleep. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, in which the upper breathing passage closes partially or totally when the person is sleeping.

Heart failure is a serious condition that develops when a person’s heart does not pump enough blood to meet their body’s needs.

Sleep apnea and heart failure share some similar symptoms, including difficulty falling or staying asleep, frequent nighttime urination, and waking with shortness of breath or gasping.

Treating sleep apnea can help improve health problems such as heart failure, and treating heart failure can help improve sleep apnea.

This article will look at sleep apnea’s link to heart failure and how managing sleep apnea can help a person stop heart failure from developing or worsening.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder in which a person repeatedly stops and starts breathing during their sleep.

Apnea causes breathing to stop for 10 seconds or more. The brain responds to apnea by waking up just enough to breathe. Usually, the person is not aware of these waking episodes that may last only a few seconds.

The link between sleep apnea and heart failure

Repeated stops in breathing temporarily reduce the supply of oxygen to a person’s heart and lungs. This repetitive lack of oxygen triggers the release of stress hormones, leading to stress on the heart. In addition, blood pressure might increase, putting further strain on the heart.

The American Heart Association (AHA) associates sleep restriction with inflammation, which they say can elevate the risk of damage to the heart. People with sleeping disorders such as sleep apnea are far more likely to have heart disease and heart disorders.

Sleep apnea may also increase a person’s risk for other health conditions, such as:

·        high blood pressure

·        stroke

·        glaucoma and dry eyes

·        type 2 diabetes

·        metabolic syndrome

·        kidney disease

·        dementia

·        depression

Heart disease

Around 40–80% of people in the United States with cardiovascular disease also have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) yet it is underrecognized and undertreated.

Heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions, including:

·        heart failure

·        coronary artery disease

·        myocardial infarction or heart attack

·        arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat

·        cardiomyopathy

·        heart valve disease

A 2018 review focusing on the relationship between OSA and heart failure states that OSA contributes substantially to the development and progression of heart failure.

The symptoms of sleep apnea include:

·        waking up with a morning headache

·        snoring, sometimes loudly, 

·        witnessed episodes of apnea

·        waking up several times a night to urinate, also known as nocturia

·        frequent awakenings during the sleep cycle

·        a dry mouth

·        excessive daytime sleepiness

·        problems with memory and concentration

·        irritability

·        decrease in sex drive or erectile dysfunction

·        falling asleep while reading, watching TV, during class, or while driving

For mild OSA, a doctor may suggest a person adopts certain lifestyle changes, such as:

·        maintaining a moderate weight

·        staying physically active and getting regular exercise

·        limiting alcohol and caffeine consumption, where applicable

·        reviewing and changing medications that may cause sleep apnea

·        sleeping on one side

·        quitting smoking if the person smokes

Besides lifestyle changes, doctors typically recommend continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines to treat moderate to severe OSA. CSA is often more difficult to treat and may require more complex pressure delivery systems. It is best for people to receive this therapy through a sleep clinic.

Risk factors for heart failure

Sleep apnea can occur alongside heart failure. Certain conditions and genetic and lifestyle factors can increase the risks. Medical conditions that may increase a person’s chance of developing heart failure include:  

·        diabetes

·        high blood pressure

·        obesity

·        conditions related to heart disease such as angina, atrial fibrillation,

·        Marfan syndrome, and congenital heart defects

Behaviours that can increase a person’s risk for heart failure include:

·        smoking tobacco

·        eating foods high in fat and salt

·        not doing an adequate amount of physical activity

·        excessive alcohol intake

Sleep apnea is a sleep-related breathing disorder that doctors link to heart failure.

Heart failure is a serious condition that develops when a person’s heart does not pump enough blood to meet their body’s needs.

Treating sleep apnea can relieve some symptoms of heart failure and may stop the condition from worsening. In turn, if a person can manage symptoms of heart disease, this can reduce their risk of developing sleep apnea.

Retirement planning

One of the problems many of us face when we retire is how do we keep our money to help us pay our bills and maybe have some left for our family when we die. It appears from the research that younger people are starting to recognize the steps they need to make to have a retirement nest egg. The question as to whether we are doing it is a different question and one that is not as positive as the first. The research indicates that although 73% understand the need to save only about 58% are saving.

The Alliance for Lifetime Income and HerMoney's latest research finds that nearly three in four (73%) women know what steps to take to build their retirement nest egg, and less than half (47%) know how to make their money last throughout retirement. 

How you manage your retirement funds is an important part of your retirement if you do not have a good pension plan. So where does one go for help? Women can learn a lot about retirement income planning by going to the right online resources and tools that are objective and simple to use. The Alliance and HerMoney have a variety of tools and guides to help demystify retirement income planning.

Retirement planning involves firstly determining how and where you want to live when you retire, and especially determining how much money you need to live on for your life expectancy (your income goals).  You need to figure out the actions and decisions needed to achieve these goals.  This includes identifying sources of income, estimating expenses, implementing a savings program and managing the assets you have.

Many of us cannot afford a financial planner to help us with this important task.   Luckily the Government of Canada provides various resources to help you with your retirement planning.  The headings below are links to click on to connect to services and information for each of these parts of retirement planning for those of us in Canada

Government of Canada – Retirement Planning – Services and information

Determining how much money you need for retirement

How much money you need to retire, the impact of inflation on your retirement income and more.

Sources of retirement income

Public pensions, OAS, CPP, employer pensions, RRSPs and other sources of personal savings.

Tax deductions, credits and expenses

Claiming tax deductions, credits and expenses to reduce the amount of tax you must pay.

Public pensions

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS) pension and other income allowances and benefits.

Living and travelling abroad when you retire

The potential implications for your taxes, benefits and insurance when living abroad during your retirement.

Saving for retirement

When, why and how to start saving for your retirement and tips to help balance your financial priorities.

Working while collecting a pension

The impact of working during your retirement on your OAS, CPP or other pension income.

Housing options for seniors

Housing costs, options and choosing where to live when you retire.

Budgeting during retirement

Making and following a budget during your retirement years.

If you are in the United States you can go to https://www.usa.gov/retirement 

 

Thoughts on Faith

 Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. — Martin Luther King Jr.

I am not a religious person, and I find it interesting that some people equate Faith with religion. In my mind, it is not necessary to make that equation. Faith, is derived from the Latin fides and Old French feid, is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. 

I have friends who in the Spring plant their garden, they have faith that it will grow. 

When you visit with a person and say to them on leaving, I will see you next week, you have faith that you and that person will be around to see or be seen.

I have a friend who is a list maker, and every night before he goes to bed, he checks his list and takes anything he has not completed to his list to do the next day. He has faith that the next day will come and that he will be able to complete his tasks.

When you make an appointment to see a Doctor or a friend you have faith that you will be able to complete the appointment.

Belief is another verb that can be substituted for faith.  A belief is an attitude that something is the case, or it is an opinion or something that a person holds to be true. Humans are by nature optimists as we believe and have faith, in our future. If we did not have faith or belief, we would not make plans, plant gardens, or say "see you tomorrow". Keep your faith, it helps us take the first step on a staircase we are unsure about.