Newbie introduction

Newcomer introductions, personal anecdotes, caregiver issues, lab results, and n=1 experimentation.
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Metta4
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Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2019 5:05 pm

Newbie introduction

Post by Metta4 »

Hi everyone,

I'm Metta4, a 60 year-old woman in Northern California. I finally got tested last year and learned my 3/4 status, following my mother's death from Alzheimer's, quickly followed by her younger brother's death from the same. Their mother also had the disease (we think, no diagnosis) and their father died early of CVD. So it's possible Mom was a 4/4, but we don't know.

I found the Bredesen book and the wiki around that time and started to educate myself, then found a protocol doctor to work with. So I've been more on less on the protocol for a little over a year. I still need to be more rigorous about calorie restriction, but I am in ketosis every morning -- in fact today I hit my all-time high of 3 mmol/L!

I have benefitted enormously from the forums and the wiki and decided it was time to stop lurking. I am so appreciative of the expertise here, and for the fellowship on the journey.

One other thing that may be of interest to this group is the fact that I was already "self-treating' for an environmental illness that has a lot of overlap with the mechanisms talked about here, electrical-sensitivity. There is good evidence now that microwave radiation and electromagnetic fields affect the blood brain barrier, the mitochondrial machinery, ROS generation, DNA breakage, and voltage-gated calcium transport in and out of cells. I am not an expert on any of this, but I bring this up in case there are others out there who have this too, or who are interested in the possibility that this is an unexplored vulnerability for APOE4. A lot of the recommended supplements overlap. If anyone has any questions about this (that I can answer) I'd be happy to point others to resources.

Wanted to say hello and thank you to everyone. :)
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floramaria
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Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 11:22 am
Location: Northern New Mexico

Re: Newbie introduction

Post by floramaria »

Metta4 wrote:Hi everyone,

I'm Metta4, a 60 year-old woman in Northern California. I finally got tested last year and learned my 3/4 status, following my mother's death from Alzheimer's, quickly followed by her younger brother's death from the same. Their mother also had the disease (we think, no diagnosis) and their father died early of CVD. So it's possible Mom was a 4/4, but we don't know.

I found the Bredesen book and the wiki around that time and started to educate myself, then found a protocol doctor to work with. So I've been more on less on the protocol for a little over a year. I still need to be more rigorous about calorie restriction, but I am in ketosis every morning -- in fact today I hit my all-time high of 3 mmol/L!

I have benefitted enormously from the forums and the wiki and decided it was time to stop lurking. I am so appreciative of the expertise here, and for the fellowship on the journey.

One other thing that may be of interest to this group is the fact that I was already "self-treating' for an environmental illness that has a lot of overlap with the mechanisms talked about here, electrical-sensitivity. There is good evidence now that microwave radiation and electromagnetic fields affect the blood brain barrier, the mitochondrial machinery, ROS generation, DNA breakage, and voltage-gated calcium transport in and out of cells. I am not an expert on any of this, but I bring this up in case there are others out there who have this too, or who are interested in the possibility that this is an unexplored vulnerability for APOE4. A lot of the recommended supplements overlap. If anyone has any questions about this (that I can answer) I'd be happy to point others to resources.

Wanted to say hello and thank you to everyone. :)
Thanks for posting this, Metta4, and letting us get to know a bit about you.

I am so sorry to hear about your losing your mother and then your uncle to AD. Like you I am a 3/4 with a long, strong family history. It is great that you are being proactive and taking care of your own cognitive health. We are so fortunate to have information and tools that were not available to our mothers. Sometimes I feel like I owe it to my mom (as well as to myself) to adhere to what I believe are best practices for preserving cognitive function. She would have, if she’d had the chance.

Thank you also for “coming out of the shadows” and joining the conversation. Each person’s contribution helps the community. Most likely there are many others who will be interested in your self treatment for environmental illness. Not surprising that there are many overlaps.
Congratulations on hitting that 3mmol reading today! If the Bredesen-trained doctor you are working with is not already in the WiKi, would you add that contact to the Wiki? There are always members searching for a recommended physician in their area.

Best wishes to you!
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
IFM/ Bredesen Training in Reversing Cognitive Decline (March 2017)
ReCODE 2.0 Health Coach with Apollo Health
Anna
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Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 2:16 pm

Re: Newbie introduction

Post by Anna »

Welcome Metta4! I love your username :)

I'm sorry about your mom and her brother. Both of my parents gifted me a copy of ApoE4, and they are both doing OK at ages 79 and 80 in spite of a strong family history otherwise. My mom eats a healthy diet and takes a lot of supplements, and my dad keeps physically active and enjoys gardening. So lifestyle makes a difference. Keep up the good work!

I suspect the impact of EMF exposure in our population may be underappreciated -- in this community and in general. I have not dug into the research, but I have encountered the belief that ApoE4's may be more vulnerable to the effects. Anyway, I'd love to hear more discussion about this. Same with heavy metals -- more vulnerability yet not enough discussion.
~Anna
4/4 but so much more
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