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PODCAST · health

Old Man Lunch.org

In October of 2023, Matt Allen, one of my oldest and closest friends was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 55. He was given eight years, but life expectancy can range from three to 20 years with Alzheimer’s.When a doctor puts a timeframe on someone’s life, it tends to bring things into focus, which is how Old Man Lunch was born. Your hosts, Mark Vallet (me), Matt Allen, and Brad Nilles, decided they needed to spend more time together, have some fun, and make some memories while Matt’s disease progresses.Our goal is to provide a deep look into how Alzheimer’s impacts Matt's life as well as his family, friends, wife, and children. We want to talk about the daily challenges, frustrations, and believe it or not, freedoms (Matt’s words), that Alzheimer’s has brought into his lifeHowever, this is not just a podcast about Alzheimer’s, we will be covering several topics as well as simply talking about our lives, and what is going o

  1. 8

    My Anal Fistula

    This is round two of the card question prompts when Matt and I were on the Powder Highway. We talk about a variety of things ranging from spending the day as a woman or dog to the zipper related scar on Matt’s penis, and his bout of anal fistula so buckle up, it gets pretty gross. Don't expect a ton of Alzheimer’s related content, but there is one dementia related question that gets a bit emotional. As always, keep coming back. We recently updated the website and will be sending out our first newsletter soon so sign up on the website which is www.oldmanlunch.org. Drop us a note to tell us what you like, don’t like or just how your life is going, I think we personally know everyone that is on our mailing list at this point. Send us Fan MailCheck www.oldmanlunch.org for more details on us, Alzheimer's, and the podcast. Bluesky: @oldmanlunch.bsky.socialInstagram: @oldm.lunch

  2. 7

    Old Man Lunch Hits the Powder Highway

    Matt and I toured the Powder Highway in Canada in February. We had a great time, skied four resorts, and knocked out a day of CAT skiing in B.C. It took out ​We had planned on doing a bit of recording while we were gone but only managed a couple of hours as apparently, we are older than we think. This episode is fairly light on Alzheimer's content, its mainly concerned with Matt's younger years, and background information for lack of a better word. If you want to get to know Matt better and hear about his life, this is an excellent episode. Give it a listen and drop us a note to tell us what you think.Check out the photos and videos of our trip on our website www.oldmanlunch.orgSend us a textCheck www.oldmanlunch.org for more details on us, Alzheimer's, and the podcast.Bluesky: @oldmanlunch.bsky.socialInstagram: @oldm.lunchSend us Fan MailCheck www.oldmanlunch.org for more details on us, Alzheimer's, and the podcast. Bluesky: @oldmanlunch.bsky.socialInstagram: @oldm.lunch

  3. 6

    Old Man Lunch Goes to Moab or Purgatory is a Strong Word

    A couple of weeks ago Old Man Lunch went to Moab with some friends from Dubuque who came out to visit. We visited Arches National Park, Canyonlands NP, and Dead Horse State Park. Fucking gorgeous, we hiked a bit, took a bunch of photos, and almost ran out of gas in the middle of a national park. We also boozed and weeded it up at night, played pool, sat in a hot tub, and talked about our lives and everything happening in the world. This episode covers several subjects, petty crimes we got away with as teens, the podcast, and the Blue Cross in Dubuque. We also talk about religion, death, my war with Dubuque, Alzheimer’s, our own health and anxiety issues, how we met, Grandparents, and Super High Night Hikes. Matt also pitches a Naked Lunch episode, which makes me nervous. As a warning, this episode is explicit. The language is very explict. We talk of drugs, boozy nights, minor crimes, death, religion, and any number of things that could offend you so be warned. The Moab episodes may be less interesting to people who don’t know us as they refer back to our teen years frequently. These episodes could probably be filed away as remembrances, or what I am referring to as background because the word remembrance is emotionally loaded for me at this point in time. This episode will serve as something for us to listen to in the future to recall some good times or for our children to hear some of our childhood stories directly from us. Give it a listen, let us know what you think, follow us on Bluesky, Instagram or Facebook and check out photos and merchandise at www.oldmanlunch.org.Send us Fan MailCheck www.oldmanlunch.org for more details on us, Alzheimer's, and the podcast. Bluesky: @oldmanlunch.bsky.socialInstagram: @oldm.lunch

  4. 5

    It's Raining Gifts or Lucy the Wonder Dog

    In this episode, we talk about Lucy the Wonder Dog, Matt's constant companion, who brings him a ton of comfort when the anxiety gets bad. We also discuss how Matt's journaling with a work colleague helps him work through issues related to his diagnosis and other life events. We talk about the importance of a positive attitude and Matt reads a couple of entries from his journal. Send us Fan MailCheck www.oldmanlunch.org for more details on us, Alzheimer's, and the podcast. Bluesky: @oldmanlunch.bsky.socialInstagram: @oldm.lunch

  5. 4

    A Million Little Cuts

    As we launch this podcast, we wanted to give everyone a starting point for where Matt is at in the disease. Today, we will talk about events leading up to Matt's diagnosis, and the deficits he experiences on a daily basis, as well as discuss situations where Matt no longer feels as comfortable as he once did, thanks to Alzheimer's. We will also talk about how the concept of death is a near-daily companion in Matt’s life and to wrap things up, Matt reads an excerpt from his journal. Send us Fan MailCheck www.oldmanlunch.org for more details on us, Alzheimer's, and the podcast. Bluesky: @oldmanlunch.bsky.socialInstagram: @oldm.lunch

  6. 3

    Matt and Mark Tiny Houses - We Have No Control

    According to Matt, Alzheimer’s has brought him some new clarity regarding how much control we have in this world, and the answer is zero. Just because Matt has Alzheimer’s, it doesn’t mean we will all be present for his funeral. Death could come for any one of us at any time, and there are certainly decent odds that Brad or I will kick it well before Matt expires.  In the end, we honestly have no idea what is to come and while I still find that thought discomforting, Matt seems ready to embrace the fact that we have no control over anything in this world. We are living on a giant ball of Chaos.Send us Fan MailCheck www.oldmanlunch.org for more details on us, Alzheimer's, and the podcast. Bluesky: @oldmanlunch.bsky.socialInstagram: @oldm.lunch

  7. 2

    The Tiny House Tapes: I Feel Free

    The Tiny House Tapes are short recordings, edited from a much longer and very boozy recording, covering a somewhat specific topic related to Alzheimer’s. This is Volume One - I Feel Free Matt's diagnosis has brought certain freedoms and benefits into his life. Awareness of his mortality has led to an openness and lust for life that many of us may never know, at least until we reach our deathbed. Send us Fan MailCheck www.oldmanlunch.org for more details on us, Alzheimer's, and the podcast. Bluesky: @oldmanlunch.bsky.socialInstagram: @oldm.lunch

  8. 1

    Old Man Lunch: Episode 1: What Old Man Lunch is all about

    Old Man Lunch is a podcast about three old friends, the twist is that one of us, Matt Allen, was recently diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at 55.​Our goal is to provide a deep look into how Alzheimer’s impacts Matt's life as well as his family, friends, wife, and children. We want to talk about the daily challenges, frustrations, and believe it or not, freedoms (Matt’s words), that Alzheimer’s has brought into his lifeIn this episode, our first, we are looking at what we want to get out of this podcast and how talking about his diagnosis, both on this podcast and in other settings, helps Matt deal with the anxiety that comes with Alzheimer's.We also discuss future episode ideas, support groups, and where Matt is his happiest.  ​Join us for some laughing, some crying, and some brutal honesty about what early-onset Alzheimer's does to Matt, his family, friends, and caregivers. This podcast will be rated explicit due to swearing, and possible sexual content as well as dealing with sensitive subjects such as religion, atheism, death, and fatal diseases. It will be both emotional and funny if everything goes to plan. Send us Fan MailCheck www.oldmanlunch.org for more details on us, Alzheimer's, and the podcast. Bluesky: @oldmanlunch.bsky.socialInstagram: @oldm.lunch

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

In October of 2023, Matt Allen, one of my oldest and closest friends was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 55. He was given eight years, but life expectancy can range from three to 20 years with Alzheimer’s.When a doctor puts a timeframe on someone’s life, it tends to bring things into focus, which is how Old Man Lunch was born. Your hosts, Mark Vallet (me), Matt Allen, and Brad Nilles, decided they needed to spend more time together, have some fun, and make some memories while Matt’s disease progresses.Our goal is to provide a deep look into how Alzheimer’s impacts Matt's life as well as his family, friends, wife, and children. We want to talk about the daily challenges, frustrations, and believe it or not, freedoms (Matt’s words), that Alzheimer’s has brought into his lifeHowever, this is not just a podcast about Alzheimer’s, we will be covering several topics as well as simply talking about our lives, and what is going o

HOSTED BY

Mark Vallet, Matt Allen, Brad Nilles

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Old Man Lunch.org have?

Old Man Lunch.org currently has 8 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Old Man Lunch.org about?

In October of 2023, Matt Allen, one of my oldest and closest friends was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 55. He was given eight years, but life expectancy can range from three to 20 years with Alzheimer’s.When a doctor puts a timeframe on someone’s life, it tends to bring...

How often does Old Man Lunch.org release new episodes?

Old Man Lunch.org has 8 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Old Man Lunch.org?

You can listen to Old Man Lunch.org on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Old Man Lunch.org?

Old Man Lunch.org is created and hosted by Mark Vallet, Matt Allen, Brad Nilles.
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