New Here 4/4 Q’s!

[Chirokathleen]

Hi All,
I’ve been meaning to post my story on here and will do that very soon. I am 58 yo and nearing the end of a very stressful, contentious divorce. I’ve started working the Bredesen Protocol with earnest at the beginning of this year and am working with health coach Sarah Capece. I plan on signing up for one of the ReCODE programs soon and I have a cooperative, integrative practitioner. (Not trained in the protocolbit knowledgeable). I have our 3rd mediation Wednesday 2/13 and my attorney is suggesting that I reveal my APOE status and the associated estimated costs to come, in an attempt to reach a settlement agreement that is more equitable. One of the complications is that I own a business and my STBX husband has an extremely unrealistic expectation of what he is owed. If this mediation doesn’t work we’re then going to private arbitration. Does anyone feel comfortable sharing monthly or annual estimates of expense of non-insurance covered items? I will be able to continue to keep health insurance (he is a federal employee) but it will be expensive of course. I’m looking for what others are spending for supplements, groceries, uncovered testing etc. either monthly or an annually. Reading through this forum has been a Godsend for me during a dark time and I look forward to sharing resources and getting to know many of you in the near future.

[dcox]

Hi All,
I’ve been meaning to post my story on here and will do that very soon. I am 58 yo and nearing the end of a very stressful, contentious divorce. I’ve started working the Bredesen Protocol with earnest at the beginning of this year and am working with health coach Sarah Capece. I plan on signing up for one of the ReCODE programs soon and I have a cooperative, integrative practitioner. (Not trained in the protocolbit knowledgeable). I have our 3rd mediation Wednesday 2/13 and my attorney is suggesting that I reveal my APOE status and the associated estimated costs to come, in an attempt to reach a settlement agreement that is more equitable. One of the complications is that I own a business and my STBX husband has an extremely unrealistic expectation of what he is owed. If this mediation doesn’t work we’re then going to private arbitration. Does anyone feel comfortable sharing monthly or annual estimates of expense of non-insurance covered items? I will be able to continue to keep health insurance (he is a federal employee) but it will be expensive of course. I’m looking for what others are spending for supplements, groceries, uncovered testing etc. either monthly or an annually. Reading through this forum has been a Godsend for me during a dark time and I look forward to sharing resources and getting to know many of you in the near future.

Welcome Chirokathleen!
I'm amazed and inspired by your perseverance to tackle Dr. Bredesen's protocol while still working through your divorce. I'm glad you have found some peace and encouragement in the ApoE4 community. My prayers are with you as you see a light at the end of this "dark time", I encourage you to find joy in every day as you go forward.

I personally don't have any information for you on what monthly or yearly out of pocket costs might be other than the prices for doing the ReCode program through AHNP Precision Health, this will link you to their site where you can compare the prices of their programs, which include initial testing. Here is a post that has a couple of references to what some a paying monthly for supplements (bottom of first page and top of second). I love that you have found a knowledgeable integrative practitioner and a health coach to guide you along this journey. A great support team is very important to finding your individual path and what works best for you.

Here are a few pages that might help you as you begin your journey, you may have already come across them in your exploration of our community: The Primer , is amazing, giving you great information about ApoE4 and the journey to prevention, reversal and stopping AD, one of our of our most active members, Stavia, put it together she is a Dr. and E4/E4 herself, she truly put her heart into writing it. If you want to take a deeper dive into specific topics our Wiki Page is loaded with information. This page will help you to navigate the site more efficiently "How-To" Get the most out of the ApoE4.info website.

Please feel free to jump into the conversations, ask questions and keep us updated on your journey. Everyone here is passionate about preventing, reversing and stopping AD in its tracks, as they openly and willingly share their own journeys, their successes and even their setbacks with the intention and hope of encouraging and supporting others!

Just a thought, you might want to start a new topic in the Prevention and Treatment section about cost of uncovered expenses so more members might see it.

I hope you will find all the hope and encouragement you need, just know you are never alone in this amazing community.

Find your joy and hope in each new day and each new discovery along your path,
Deb

[Chirokathleen]

Thank you Deb! I’ll check out the link to the previous discussion. I wonder if anyone has ever brought Dr. Bredesen’s book to a divorce mediation before? It might be a first.

[NF52]

Hi All,
...I have our 3rd mediation Wednesday 2/13 and my attorney is suggesting that I reveal my APOE status and the associated estimated costs to come, in an attempt to reach a settlement agreement that is more equitable. One of the complications is that I own a business and my STBX husband has an extremely unrealistic expectation of what he is owed...

Welcome!

I'll just add one thought to the great welcome Deb, another of our great health coaches, gave you.
Currently the GINA law http://ginahelp.org/ prevents health insurance companies from discriminating on the basis of genetic information. That does not apply, however, to long-term care policies. You may want to talk to your lawyer about the potential downside if at some future point you want to invest in a LTC policy. As a business owner (Chiropractic Dr. maybe from your name?), is there any potential that your malpractice or other insurance could be affected if your STBX decided to share this information?

https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/genetic-information/index.html
And here is a "thread" discussing various options for LTC insurance and self-financing that may be of interest.
Long Term Care Insurance

Warm wishes for sunnier days ahead!

[Chirokathleen]

Thank you NF52, for this info and i’ll read up. I was wondering if my MD already having my APOE4 status in my medical records would negate my ability to qualify for LCT already.

[slacker]

Thank you NF52, for this info and i’ll read up. I was wondering if my MD already having my APOE4 status in my medical records would negate my ability to qualify for LCT already.

Most likely it would. There is of course a difference between a medical record containing sensitive medical information versus a legal document. I have no law training, and so do not know if your mediation records will be private or public.

What do you mean by signing up for one of the ReCode programs? It's possible that your knowledgeable integrative MD can order and interpret appropriate tests without you signing up for a "program", which can come with overhead costs and/or features that you as an individual may not find valuable. Are you looking for prevention or are you already experiencing cognition issues? Your current health status will determine how quickly you need to get all aspects of lab testing completed. If prevention is your goal, going in steps is a reasonable option.

The amount of lab testing, doctors visits, and supplements vary wildly depending on goals and targeted problem areas. It's probably rare to find two people who are taking exactly the same steps. Diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management are the foundation of any protocol. If you are not experiencing cognitive decline, the role of supplements may be less important, unless you have abnormal lab results that would improve with specific supplementation (ex Vit D for low Vit D level).

You are already dealing with a lot change and stress! If possible, try to keep things as simple as possible, and move forward in areas that seem the most "do-able" and cost effective. Your HC Sara will be a valuable ally in navigating through this very complex journey.

[Chirokathleen]

Hi Slacker,
Thanks for your input. I decided to sign up for the Reverse program because I do have reasons to be concerned. I'm not certain about cognition issues as stress has been very high for some time now which could explain fatigue symptoms and effect anyone's performance. I did have some sort of spot or deposit on the retinal scan show up that my eye doctor did when I went in to update my contact prescription. My MD has the scan and I haven't discussed it with him yet. I had a Boston heart test done recently and I am in the high risk category for Direct LDL-C (169), ApoB (124) and my LDL-P was (2244) so I think I have ample reason to work a plan aggressively rather than wait for potential CV or cognitive issues to motivate me to work a serious protocol. By the way, I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian since I was 14 yo and I've always eaten plenty of healthy foods although no doubt my carb consumption was too high. Just to wrap up, overall I'm finding that putting my energies into fine-tuning my diet and adding supplements is providing a much appreciated and needed diversion from the negativity of the divorce process.