Canadian Newbie

[Anita]

Hi:

How thrilling to find this group!

My name is Anita. I'm 58 years old and live in Ontario, Canada.

I recently discovered that I have one copy of the APOE-ε4 allele. Family history; mother & 2 aunts have passed away from Alzheimer's, uncle has been diagnosed, 2 cousins with early onset-one recently passed away. This is all on my mother's side.

I started experiencing some cognitive challenges in the last few 1-2 years; memory difficulties-forgetting names & appointments, getting lost, word-finding difficulties, losing train of thought mid-sentence etc. I'm being followed by a geriatric psychiatrist and received cognitive testing in June 2019 which overall placed me in the borderline impaired range. Had MRI and SPECT scan in September 2019. Tests showed some encephalomalacia in the left temporal lobe, white matter hyperintensities & evidence of heterogeneous cortical activity. Some of this could be related to former brain trauma. I've had 3 head injuries-all decades ago; one was very serious in my early 20's with a fractured skull, subdural hematoma etc. I will be followed by this specialist every 6 months-seeing her again in March 2020.

Given all of this, my hubby and I decided to retire early so I could focus on my self-care. We sold our house in a big city in July 2019 and moved to a small town that is quiet, beautiful and very active with many opportunities to get involved.

I just finished reading Dr. Bredesen's book and feel very hopeful for the first time. I'm working closely with a Naturopath and implementing the Bredesen protocol. I'm looking forward to reading more about this wonderful site and connecting with some of you.

[PJD@4411]

Hi:

How thrilling to find this group!

My name is Anita. I'm 58 years old and live in Ontario, Canada.

I recently discovered that I have one copy of the APOE-ε4 allele. Family history; mother & 2 aunts have passed away from Alzheimer's, uncle has been diagnosed, 2 cousins with early onset-one recently passed away. This is all on my mother's side.

My hubby and I decided to retire early so I could focus on my self-care. We sold our house in a big city in July 2019 and moved to a small town that is quiet, beautiful and very active with many opportunities to get involved.

I just finished reading Dr. Bredesen's book and feel very hopeful for the first time. I'm working closely with a Naturopath and implementing the Bredesen protocol. I'm looking forward to reading more about this wonderful site and connecting with some of you.

Hello Anita!
Welcome to the forum! We are so happy to have you join this supportive community.

Thank you for sharing your story.

It sounds like you have a strong family history with AD and I applaud your proactive approach!

It takes a lot of courage to undergo testing ,evaluation, make life changes, and to sell your home!

Self-care is so important and I am thrilled that you have discovered the Bredesen protocol.

When searching this site the Primer is a great place to get started, it has a wealth of information and was written by the physician that started this forum. The Wikki Page is great too, it provides information regarding lifestyle behaviors, diet, and many other tips to promote cognitive health.

Another way to stay connected is by joining the facebook group.

In today's world we have epigenetic studies that provides evidence that our genes are not our destiny, there is hope!

Your strength, positive mindset, and supportive spouse are all wonderful blessings that will help support your success.

Again welcome!
PJ