Hello from new Intern, Lisa G!

[Lisa G]

Hello all. I am excited to be sharing with you on this site for the next six months as a support intern.
I am fortunate not to carry the ApoE4 allele. My mother died 8 years ago as a result of her AD. I was in the midst of raising a family, working full-time and living 350 miles away so I could not be involved with her day-to-day care. She lived with my family for about a month but she asked incessantly to go home and I truly couldn’t deal with her being so upset so I took her back to her home, and eventually to an assisted living. (Now I understand much more about the role of diversion related to the question, “When will you take me home?” or the command “I want to go home.”)

Yet, I still feel guilty about that time in our lives. That feeling of helplessness has inspired me to learn as much as I can about preventing AD as I intuited that my mom’s lifestyle choices were not the healthiest and that her concomitant chronic and autoimmune diseases also played a role. I guess that is why I sit here today introducing myself as an intern on the ApoE4.info forum!

I am a health and wellness coach by profession (after varied other professions!) and volunteer at Memory Matters on Hilton Head when I am in South Carolina for the winter. I also had weekly visits with my mother and father-in-law, who we moved from Connecticut to South Carolina when my father-in-law was demonstrating early signs of AD. I always brought things for him to do, music for us to dance to, colored pencils to make cards for the love of his life, etc. It brought me much joy to work with and care for him in his cognitive decline. Unlike with my mom, I was available for my in-laws at this stage of my life. (He passed away in October of ’18 and I miss him every day as he was such a kind and gentle man who loved me like a daughter.)

I just received my national board certification in health and wellness coaching! I earned a BS in Business from Georgetown University. I have two Masters degree in Spirituality and Health Studies and in Theology. My husband and I enjoy our homes in South Carolina and New Jersey. Our three grown children are “OTP, off the payroll,” as my husband says!

I look forward to getting to know you over the coming months and to learning lots more from all you citizen scientists!

[TheresaB]

That's quite a background you bring. So glad you are here!! Looking forward to your contributions.