I consider myself lucky to have found Jeff to work with me on this project! He exceeded all of my expectations with the thoroughness of his research and the report that he produced. With that said, the thing that most impressed me was his passion for doing great work. I operate the same way, so I think that is why we connected. If I have another job of the same type, I will undoubtedly contact Jeff Reynolds!
Jeff has been a delight to work with. He started his contract with us by writing one rather difficult survey instrument and went on to help with multiple contracts. He has been fast to respond, thorough, and insightful. We really enjoyed working with him and if there is an opportunity to work again in the future, will be re-hiring him!
We hired Jeff to interview some of our clients to see how we’re doing and where we could improve. He did a great job and gave us a report full of really good feedback. We would absolutely hire him again.
Jeff assisted us throughout the completion of a marketing research project for one of our clients. He was easily accessible, professional and well-prepared at every step of the process. If we pursue another project similar to this one, Jeff will be the first person we call.
My cardiologist scheduled a stress test to understand what was making me so tired. My first thought was a side effect from medication. Google said it was a primary side effect. It was easy to blame the medication.
I went to the nuclear med lab. I received an IV. I went into a room with a bed, several computers and a treadmill. After removing my shirt, I was wired to an EKG. They measured my heart rate while seated and standing.
Then the torture began.
I was told I needed to go on the treadmill until my heart rate hit 142 beats per minute. Usually, this was not a big deal, but the same medication I thought was causing my fatigue also caused my heart rate to go down. My normal heart rate is around 70 beats per minute. With the medication, it was around 55. It was tough getting to 142, but I did it.
At 142 I was injected with a radioactive dye. This was to track the movement of my blood through my heart. They needed to know how my stents were doing. It was an odd sensation – it radiated heat through my body.
Next, I was ushered to an imaging room. They scanned my heart from the front and the back. That was not pleasant. I don’t normally lay on my stomach with my hands above my head. After the scanning was done, the ordeal was completed.
What to expect
This is what to expect during your stress test:
Be prepared to receive an IV port for the radioactive material. Drinking water ahead of time will keep you from being dehydrated. This will help with the IV.
Wear comfortable/workout clothes with walking shoes.
Wear a shirt that is loose or can be removed for the EKG.
Bring water for after the treadmill test.
Plan to be there for an hour.
Conclusion
A stress test is unpleasant, but it’s not the end of the world. Be prepared to take the test, and know what to expect, you’ll be fine.
I recently had my heart medication changed. I was having problems with tiredness and fatigue that never dissipated. My cardiologist suggested it was due to a certain medication. After nearly a year of “dealing with it”, I asked her to change the medication. She prescribed a new medication that was supposed to lower my blood pressure (not really), lower my heart rate (It did the opposite), and treat angina (again, it did the opposite). It also made me tired (go figure).
Don’t be afraid to ask for a change.
I waited to complain. I mentioned the issues at an appointment last year. The original medication did a lot for my heart, she said, and to try to deal with it. Other medications would work, but they were not as heavy-duty. It was only after about nine months that it started to be a problem for me. I was unable to do anything – drive, exercise, and work. My patience had worn thin.
My New Medication.
My cardiologist prescribed a new medication to replace the one that was causing the tiredness and fatigue. I started taking the new medication on a Friday. By Saturday of that week, things weren’t going well. My arms hurt, my blood pressure was higher than normal, my heart rate wouldn’t go down, and I was as tired as before. I also had angina, which is chest pain. My doctor suggested waiting another week. She said that it would take care of the issues.
It’s Getting Better.
After another week, my heart rate is still higher than average. My blood pressure is still higher than before. The angina seems to have dissipated. I’m still tired, though. When you change medications, tiredness is a side effect. I’m hoping my tiredness and fatigue dissipate as well.
Conclusion
Don’t be afraid to ask for a different medication when you have problems. The transition is not fun, but it will be different in the long run. Hang in there, it’s worth it!
I can’t speak. There are times when my speech is very fluid. There are times when it’s not, like right now. When I first had my stroke, I was assigned to a speech therapist. I had two appointments. I would work on speaking slowly and clearly. I would work on reading out loud. I had specific tasks I was supposed to follow to help me work through my speech problems.
The problem was that when I am tired (medication) or my allergies kicked up (brain fog), I had a hard time speaking clearly. My speech therapist seemed to think it had something to do with my childhood stuttering, which I conquered. I am convinced that it’s due to my stroke. Either way, it’s frustrating.
I lost my speech therapist.
After only a second appointment, I was told she would follow up with me regarding her schedule. She was a contractor, and her schedule was not regular. After several weeks, I read in my medical record that I had not scheduled another appointment and bailed on the speech therapist. Which was utter bullshit. I was waiting for her to call me.
I hooked up with a chiropractor who did hyperbaric oxygen therapy. I would sit in a chamber that was pressurized to double the standard atmospheric pressure. Oxygen was added to the chamber through a cannula. The combination of pressurized air and oxygen would work together to heal my brain. Unfortunately, I was unable to keep my appointments for more than 10 sessions due to finances. Interestingly, it seemed to work while it lasted.
Not being able to speak has affected my home life.
One thing where not being able to speak has been my home life. My wife has a way of saying things that make my brain stop being able to communicate well. She tries, and I try to communicate with her, but sometimes my inability to communicate gets in the way. My kids (they are all adults) do the same, but they lose their patience at times. I can see it in their eyes. Just this evening, I tried to have a conversation with my wife about my son’s bank account being overdrawn. I tried to explain to her what happened, but I was unable to effectively describe the issue. It was frustrating for me.
I’m unable to get a job.
My inability to speak has made it very difficult to find a job. Imagine trying to have an interview when you can’t communicate your skills and strengths. Couple this with being tired due to medication and it’s nearly impossible. I’m not complaining. It’s up to me to get things done no matter how I feel. It’s just difficult.
Conclusion
If your therapist or doctor, whoever, wants to put you off, don’t let them. Stay on them. Don’t let them take advantage of you. Make sure you get what you need for your quality of life.
It started with a diagnosis. Stroke. MULTIPLE strokes at only 52 years old. I had suffered with them for some time, although it took me about four years to recognize them. The pandemic brought with it challenges. The first one was a hit to my fledgling freelance business. I was laid off from my market research job of 19 years in 2019. I started freelancing in market research not soon after and saw moderate success.
Second, my son, who was finishing high school, was forced to attend school remotely. That did not go over well. He’s still trying to finish.
Third, I began to see symptoms from strokes. I lost my ability to speak without stuttering, making it very difficult to find new work. I thought it was due to stress from the pandemic. I was wrong. I suffered strokes years ago as well as more recent ones.
That started my adventure in navigating the healthcare industry and the perils that come with it.
Medications can be a lifesaver and a curse.
My first experience with the healthcare industry was with medications. I take six pills morning and night, which are supposed to control my blood pressure. The problem was that a particular medication, Metoprolol, made me tired all the time. A quick Google search and I learned that tiredness was a primary side effect. Not to mention muscle aches and other more severe side effects. I guess that the side effects were not as significant a deal as what it was treating.
I can’t work.
The problem is that this side effect did not allow me to WORK. That makes things difficult to pay for things and live a fulfilling life. My wife has been a champ, working three jobs to make ends meet. I’ve done my best to be a good “house husband” except for cooking (I’m not very good at it). She recently helped her mom move out of her house and in with her brother for a while. When that was done, she wanted to return to her “old” duties, which makes me feel less than fulfilled as a “house husband”.
Medium helps me find something to do.
I’ve started writing things down for Medium and my own website. Doing so helps me cope and also impart some wisdom to you, the reader. It helps me use my brain for good and not evil ?. It helps me use my communication skills. It does not make me speak out loud (fortunately). I hope I am able to make some money to ease the financial pain.
So where are we now?
I’ve tried to reach my doctor about switching out the metoprolol. Stay tuned for that. Either way, it will be necessary to make a change, because I can’t go on this way. There aren’t enough hours in the day to add work for my wife. Not working is contributing to a strained relationship with my parents, who are helping us out. It leaves me with the unenviable task of making my children pull their weight despite anxiety (more on that later).
Conclusion
That makes medication change a necessity. I HAVE to work and contribute to my family. There is no way around it or we’ll end up homeless on the street. And THAT is not an option.
It goes without saying that starting and running a business is filled with choices, both easy and hard. Either way, you need the right information to make those choices. And the information you need is to do research. That’s right – do your research! Either online research, qualitative interviews, or quantitative surveys.
Online research
Online research is probably the easiest way to test your choices. Do searches around your topic and read as much as you can. Read other people’s opinions, their articles, and their blog posts. Understand what they are thinking, and why they made the decisions they did. Use your intuition to understand their viewpoints and if they apply to you.
Qualitative interviews
Qualitative interviews are the second most important way to research. Your main concern is whom you will interview. It’s important to interview potential customers who have a reason to buy your product or service. Be sure you aren’t leading the interviewees and allow them to answer candidly. Best to work with an independent interviewer to ensure this not the case.
Quantitative surveys
This method is probably the best way to ask people their opinions. They allows you not lead the conversation (as long as you form the questions correctly) and do so with a statistically significant number of people. The best way to understand how people think is to combine quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. This gives you the flexibility to understand customers and conduct interviews will them.
Conclusion
It’s important to make decisions based on data, not just your gut feeling. Gut feelings are important, but not as important as understanding the data and opinions of people who would purchase from you. Take your time and perform one of the methods outlined in this article. It will make a world of difference!
Do you have enough marketing business that you don’t know what to do with yourself? Or do you want to increase your business by adding to your offerings to your clients? If you are part of the first group, I’m impressed, wish you luck, and understand if you stop reading.
If, however, you want to increase your business, read on!
Market research can be segmented into several categories by the types of information you and your client are seeking. Some examples of quantitative methods (larger audiences = more representative responses) for existing clients include:
Concept Testing: Test new or product or service ideas among current or prospective clients
Segmentation: Understand who the customer audience is and how to effectively market to them.
Content Development: Sometimes called “original research” or “storytelling”. Use this method to identify the themes your customers need or want to hear about and tell the stories they want to hear from your brand.
Competitive: Find out what competitors are doing and where the gaps exist you can exploit. Works for primary and secondary research.
Keep in mind, this research is geared toward established businesses, not startups that are looking for basic market information to start their business. The clients that would be most likely to hire you are those who already know their business plans are solid and need marketing help.
Steps needed to conduct research
Although the ideas behind market research are fairly straightforward, the steps you need to take are specific and important to realizing your research goals.
Survey Creation: Seems easy, right? People who think survey writing is easy usually make the most mistakes. Do the questions make sense? Does everyone have a valid response option? Are all the necessary parts here? If the survey is not written well, the answers will not be valid and tell the right story. Garbage in, garbage out, right?
Data Collection: It is extremely important to choose your audience to get the most valid responses. It is not enough just to send invitations and sit back waiting for the world to respond. Does your survey audience match the intended customer profile? Are they likely to be customers in the future? These are important considerations.
Data Analysis: Who is going to analyze your data after its collected? This step can be tricky as you need either data analysis software or advanced Excel skills. You will also need to know which questions relate to each other and why. This step is optional when working with a freelancer but can make or break your results and the quality of your promised survey.
Reporting: If you have experience working in PowerPoint or Google Slides, this step can also be optional, but good reporting is essential in getting the information to your client. Make sure it answers the goals and objectives of the research and is easy to understand. The overall goal is not to try to impress your client with your language or skills, it is to present the information in a way that anyone can understand and relate to.
Conclusion
This straightforward information is intended to help you start offering a market research service for your clients. Reynolds Consulting specializes in helping independent marketing companies create a market research practice that provides additional services to increase your offerings.
This is the stage where Alzheimer’s starts, but no symptoms are noticed. This stage occurs mostly in research settings. You won’t notice the symptoms and no one else will either. This stage can last for years or decades. Imaging tests can be run that look for amyloid-beta protein deposits, which are a hallmark of the disease. Patients at this stage are typically not noticed.
Mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease
Patients at this stage have mild changes to their memory and thinking ability that are not significant enough to work or relationships yet. They may have memory lapses for easily remembered information, such as conversations, recent events, or appointments.
It’s important to note that not everything is due to Alzheimer’s. This requires a thorough medical review, review of the symptoms, and the professional judgment of a physician.
Mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is usually found in this stage. It’s because, at this stage, a patient can have significant trouble with memory and thinking that impacts daily functioning and life. People in this stage, patients may experience:
Memory loss of recent events.
Difficulty with problem-solving, complex tasks, and sound judgments.
Personality changes.
Difficulty organizing and expressing thoughts.
Getting lost.
Misplacing belongings.
Moderate dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease
Patients at this stage need more help with daily activities and self-care. At this stage, patients may experience:
Increasingly poor judgment and deepening confusion.
Even greater memory loss.
Help with some daily activities.
Significant changes in personality and behavior.
Patients at this stage usually develop unfounded suspicions, such as friends, family or professional caregivers are stealing from them or that a spouse is having an affair. Other may grow restless or agitated, especially late in the day, or have outbursts of aggressive behavior.
Severe dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease
In this late stage of the disease, mental function continues to decline and has an impact on movement and physical capabilities. Patients at this stage may experience:
Loss of ability to communicate coherently – no longer able to converse or make sense.
Daily assistance with personal care – eating, dressing, using the bathroom, and all other daily self-care activities.
Decline in physical abilities. Walk without assistance, unable to sit or hold up their head without support. Rigid muscles and reflexes are abnormal. Eventually losing the ability to swallow, and control their bladder and bowel functions.
Conclusion
The rate of these stages varies widely. On average, people live three to 11 years after diagnosis. But people can live 20 years or more. Physical issues, including hypertension, are associated with a faster rate of progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Pneumonia is a common cause of death due to issues with swallowing problems such as dysphagia. Dehydration, malnutrition, falls, and other infections.
It’s important as a caregiver to understand the stages of the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, so you understand your role and what might be next.
Almost a year ago, my mother-in-law started having memory and functional issues. It started off mostly innocuous. She was having issues with technology. After her husband passed away almost 4 years ago and being in her 80’s, it was to be expected. She also was “retired” against her will almost a year ago. So, with her life changes, we expected a few challenges. But nothing prepared us for the issues she would have. She appears to have dementia due to her thought processes and lack of her ability to have clear sentences.
What is dementia?
According to an article by Medline Plus, “…dementia is a loss of mental functions that is severe enough to affect your daily life and activities.” These functions include:
Memory Language skills Visual perception (your ability to make sense of what you see) Problem-solving Trouble with everyday tasks The ability to focus and pay attention
Loss of memory is the most obvious. When your loved one can’t remember family members or YOUR name, it can be disheartening. In my case, besides not being able to remember how a cell phone or computer work, she was unable to describe basic concepts. It can be very difficult trying to work describe her phone or computer when she was unable to follow our instructions.
My wife is taking the brunt of the issues
My wife is her primary family member in this area of the country. Her brother, her only other family member, is in Wyoming. My wife pays her bills and acts as her advocate whenever she needs it. She rents a home with two other women. Unfortunately, she is moving next month. Since she is unable to pack her things on her own, my wife is responsible for packing her belongings. She calls daily, sometimes more than once. Often it is just to say “hi,” but it’s often because she can’t remember how to do things. My wife is the main point of contact for things like internet access, telephone problems, and the TV. My wife travels to her house 30 minutes away to pick up her mail (she pays the bills) and help her pack.
My wife deals with her mom daily on things that she doesn’t remember. She gets frustrated when she can’t form a clear sentence. She’s as active as before, which is a problem. She tries to do things that are beyond her mental capacity.
My wife refuses to take her to the doctor
Despite my insistence, my wife refuses to take her to the doctor. Her excuse? That it would make her mom feel insecure and “less than”, causing her to regress further. She was also concerned about her losing her driver’s license, but she’s not driving anyway after an accident. There is a possibility that lifestyle changes will help her, but she needs a doctor to tell her that. Bottom line, she needs to see a doctor to receive the care she needs.
She’s moving in
Even though we don’t have enough room, we’re making plans for her to move in. My adult kids will need to make other arrangements. My concern is for my wife. She tends to lose patience with her mom, even when she’s at our house. This worries me for her mental health (my wife’s). She needs to figure out how to deal with her mom or take her to a doctor to get a plan going forward.
Doing so will help her mom by getting medication or making changes that will help her get better. I have hope that this will make things better and easier to deal with.
Dementia is a catch-all term that includes Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia. It describes a loss of memory and other changes that are related to abnormal brain changes. According to the Alzheimer’s Association: “….these changes trigger a decline in thinking skills, also known as cognitive abilities, severe enough to impair daily life and independent function.” Dementia is not due to the normal aging process, called “senile dementia”.
Symptoms and signs of dementia
Symptoms can vary greatly, but they can include:
Short-term memory problems.
Keeping track of a purse or wallet.
Paying bills at all or on time.
Preparing meals and keeping track of your nutrition.
Trouble remembering appointments.
Traveling out of the neighborhood when not intended.
Conditions can be progressive (start slowly and gradually get worse). Seeing a doctor may confirm dementia or help determine a cause for cognitive issues.
Causes
Damage to brain cells is a hallmark of dementia. This damage interferes with the ability to communicate with each other. This reminds me of strokes. Damaged brain cells cannot communicate normally, thinking, behavior and feelings can get affected. Different brain regions are responsible for different functions. When these particular regions are damaged, they could not carry out these functions normally. For example, the hippocampus is the center of memory and learning. Damage to this region is often the first to go, which is why memory loss is often the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia can worsen over time, but treatment of the following can less these concerns:
Depression
Medication side effects
Excess use of alcohol
Thyroid problems
Vitamin deficiencies
Diagnosis of dementia
Diagnosing dementia can be difficult. No one test is used for this purpose. Doctors use the following:
Careful medical history
Physical examination
Laboratory tests
Characteristic changes in thinking, day-to-day function
Behavior associated with each type of change
Doctors can determine whether a person has dementia with a great deal of certainty, but which type of dementia is difficult because symptoms may overlap. A doctor may diagnose “dementia” and not specify a type. A specialist such as a neurologist, psychiatrist, psychologist, or geriatric specialist may be needed to define the type of dementia.
Treatment and care
In the case of progressive dementias, such as Alzheimer’s disease, there is no cure. Recent treatment modalities (aducanumab), however, show promise in slowing down and lessening the impacts of memory loss and functional decline. Other treatments can slow the symptoms and improve the quality of life for those who suffer from dementia. Non-drug therapies can also alleviate some symptoms of dementia. Increased research funding and participation in clinical studies are needed to improve treatment.
Risk and prevention
Age and genetics cannot be changed, of course. But researchers continue to find other risk factors on brain health and the prevention of dementia:
Adopting healthy lifestyle choices
Healthy diet
Stop smoking
Regular exercise
Cognitive stimulation such as hobbies or games designed to stimulate your brain
Conclusion
It’s important not to ignore the signs of dementia. There are treatments available that can help. Call your doctor or specialist to find out what you can do, medication or otherwise, to lessen the symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Several risk factors contribute to dementia. Further than what you would expect, several risk factors are associated with dementia. Articles by Stanford Medicine spell these risk factors out. Let’s take a look at some risk factors that have an impact.
Age
The older you get the more likely you are to experience dementia. This goes without saying. People of advancing age are much more likely to have dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, which makes life more of a challenge. This does not doom older people from experiencing dementia, but age plays a role.
Genetics / Family History
There is a correlation with family history, but not everyone who have families with the disease will get it. Certain genes can cause dementia, including those with Down Syndrome may develop it by middle age. Abnormal genes can cause Huntington’s Disease and other types of dementia. Family history may have an impact, but not necessarily.
Smoking and alcohol use
Smoking can cause atherosclerosis, which is linked with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. Drinking heavily can is associated with an increased likelihood of dementia, studies have shown. Moderate drinking, or not drinking at all, has no appreciable impact on dementia.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is deposits of fatty materials, cholesterol, or other substances (plaques) on the linings of blood vessels. These can lead to a loss of blood to the brain, which can lead to strokes and dementia, and have a tremendous impact on Alzheimer’s Disease.
Cholesterol
High levels of low-density (bad) cholesterol appear to contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease and vascular dementia.
Diabetes
Diabetes has a known impact on vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. Control your diabetes and lessen your chances of dementia.
Mild cognitive impairment
While not a cause of dementia all of the time, people with mild cognitive impairment are significantly more likely to suffer dementia than the rest of the population. Studies have shown that “…approximately 40 percent of people over age 65 who were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment developed dementia within three years.”
Conclusion
There are several risk factors that are under your control. Other than age, hereditary, and mild cognitive impairment, all other issues can be dealt through lifestyle changes. Working on your cholesterol, limiting your smoking and drinking, and managing your diabetes, may limit your exposure to dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
