Starfish77 Intro

Newcomer introductions, personal anecdotes, caregiver issues, lab results, and n=1 experimentation.
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Starfish77
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Starfish77 Intro

Post by Starfish77 »

I was so fortunate that I joined 23andme for genealogical purposes and that allowed me to find out that I am a 4/4
and get the benefit of you single and double fours discussions. I am 76 and am in good health. I had breast cancer
at age 43, sarcoidosis at age 61 and have been in remission since age 66. I discovered I had ADD at age 60. I was
concerned about getting a baseline so that it could be determined if i get AD in the future that it isn't just my ADD.
I looked online and found that Stanford University combines with the VA to offer free testing. They do a thorough
exam for 2 1/2 hours. I had no problems with any of the verbal or written tests. I did have problems with one physical test. When the doctor hits my right knee with the little hammer, nothing happens. My primary physican found the same thing. I've been referred to an endocrinologist. My doctor thinks it could be a Vitamin 12 defficency.

I'm a 76 year old female who retired from programming at age 60. I worked on mainframes and rely on my significant
other to keep our home system up, running and virus free. He has less than average chace for getting Alzheimer's
(according to 23andme) and is seven years younger. I am thankful for the potential help if needed.

I just had very successful cataract surgery on my right eye. That is the reason I didn't sign up when your forum started a couple of weeks ago. I drove for the first time today and was able to see well enough to sign up here. I get my left eye corrected in three weeks. Right now I'm wearing my eyeglasses with the right eye removed.

I feel as if I know many of you from your posts on 23andme. I'm so impressed with Juliegee and others fortitude
in sticking to their diet plans and seeing their new test results showing improvement. I gave up wheat almost two
years ago. I had always had problems with my weight. I've lost and gained tons. I think I personally had an addiction
to wheat. If I ate any, I wanted a lot more. I've lost over 50 pounds and would like to loose a few more because
my knees and back are so improved with this loss, I want to keep them that way.
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Julie G
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Re: Starfish77 Intro

Post by Julie G »

(((Starfish))) 76 years old, a 4/4, and doing so well!!! YOU are my new role model. :D I know lots of us would love to hear more about what kind of a diet you've eaten over the years, any regular supplements, exercise? You're obviously very bright- given your career as a programmer. And, you're a survivor, overcoming cancer TWICE. I'm beyond impressed...and filled with hope.

You are so brave and smart to have done the Sanford testing. Very odd about the lack of reflexes in your knee. A B-12 deficiency could spell bad news for your homocysteine level. You are wise to follow up on that.

Wow, DXed with ADD at age 60? Do you think you had it your whole life or it just showed up later in life? I ask as I also exhibit symptoms. I have to work very hard to stay focused on one task at a time. Left to my own devices, I can have a different project in every room of the house, and work on them all simultaneously :roll: Do you take medication?

And cataract surgery :shock: I know that's a much bigger deal than expected. My Mom is your same age and just recently had her first eye done. She was very distressed by her constantly changing vision...and the incredibly long wait to see how her vision was ultimately impacted. I sympathize with you on that; and to be facing the next eye so soon! I know you'll be relieved to have that behind you.

We are delighted to have you here. Please pass along ANYTHING you think that's contributed to your success in overcoming your 4/4. Thank you for spreading HOPE to us all.
Starfish77
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Re: Starfish77 Intro

Post by Starfish77 »

Julie,
Thanks for the welcome. About ADD, I graduated third in a senior class of 550. We were grouped by ability, but I didn't know this. I always felt everyone else was so much brighter. I had to read everything several times to learn it or I didn't know it at all. I went to UC Berkeley. I had a very difficult time taking notes. When I was writing, I was not
hearing what was being said. I think I must have had an auditory processing difficulty. I used to find a helpful person and claim I lost my notes and borrow theirs. I couldn't read my writing either. Now I would know that I needed to rewrite them at home while I could remember what was being said. I always spent way more time that other people studying and doing homework. I'm sure I always had ADD. I could focus at work because there were fewer choices to be made.

I got diagnosed when I was 60 because my husband had died and I had to do a number of things to get things appraised to file the estate taxes on time. I couldn't figure out why I couldn't get things done and thought I might be depressed. I went to a counselor who after seeing me, decided I was not depressed. She thought I might have ADD and sent me to a specialist.

I not only have it, I have a lot of it. I have tried medication and it doesn't do much for me. I've learned lots of coping skills. If you didn't see the chaos of my home you might not know the extent of my problems because I try really hard to make up for deficiencies like trying to arrive early because my ability to judge the time something takes is poor.

I have a severe clutter problem. I love art and art objects and always have big plans about organizing and making use of all these great things. Knowing that I am a 4/4 and will be turning 77 in two months is a very good incentive to make a big effort to stay on track and get some organization into my life. I'll keep you posted.

I'm not eating anything special. I'm hoping to learn from all of you. I've never tried coconut oil. Would grated coconut
be just as good as oil? I would love an excuse to be eating it. I've always avoided it because of the calories.
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SusanJ
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Re: Starfish77 Intro

Post by SusanJ »

One of my family was diagnosed as an adult, and I read "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder" by Kate Kelly & Peggy Ramundo.

Highly recommend it for useful tips and strategies for getting organized.
Starfish77
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Post by Starfish77 »

It was one of the earliest books on ADD and still one of the best.
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Julie G
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Post by Julie G »

Greetings Starfish. I KNOW you say you don't eat "anything special," but you're clearly doing something right :D I'm eager to learn any of your secrets. FWIW, I would guess you have tremendous cognitive reserve, doing so well in school, despite your challenges. THAT has to have served you well.

I'm intrigued by your possible auditory processing disorder. My son is DXed with that... and developmental dyslexia. I was stunned to see that I carry the risk allele for dyslexia. I'm a voracious reader, never had a problem...but my poor son struggles. He is very much like you. He works incredibly hard; seems so unfair. School (reading in particular) is very difficult for him, but you'd never know it. He's a junior in college and has almost gotten straight A's so far. Do you have dyslexia or carry the risk allele?

I'd love to see your art and clutter. It's wonderful to be surrounded by pieces you love, that mean something to you... and to always have a project ready at hand. Keep posting and sharing with us all. I want to grow up to be YOU.
Starfish77
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Re: Starfish77 Intro

Post by Starfish77 »

@Julie
I don't have dyslexia. I was too young to get into public school kindergarten so my mother put me in first grade in a
Lutheran school. They let me in because I could read and they didn't have an age limit. We weren't even Lutherans.
I had no trouble with reading. I had to read things over and over to learn them. I didn't know that other people didn't have to do that until I was in high school. I had no social life so I had enough time to do it. In college where material was given in lectures, that was not in the book was a problem for me. As I mentioned I couldn't write and listen at the same time.
Your son's determination will serve him well. I was just talking to someone I knew in my first year in college. We were talking about people we knew almost 60 years ago. There are such a huge number of factors that determine how one's life will turn out. So many of the things we look at when we see students in school are only part of the picture. Have you read the book "Emotional Intelligence"? The person for whom school is extremely easy might have a difficult time
in real life because they haven't had a chance to deal with failure. Those of us who had to work really hard in school might develop some extra empathy. A little humility might be one of our lessons too. Having a mom who is a good researcher and communicator like you and a kind supportive father like your husband should give your son some real advantages.

I will think about your questions and try to answer them. I've just gotten the results from my yearly physical and I think there is a discussion category for resutls. I'm interested in posting them because I have to see the endocrinologist
on Monday and perhaps our fellow E4s have some suggestions.
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