Confused and SO HAPPY I FOUND THIS SITE

[markgoldstein]

I am a 71-year old male who has been having "memory" issues for years; although denying it all along. With my wife's URGING I began reading Dr. Bredesen's book - The End of Alzheimer's. I recently was able to consult with a LOCAL medical doctor (I live in Asheville NC) who studied under Dr. Bredesen and focuses on the RECODE. program. She did A LOT of testing and determined, among other things, that I am carrying one ApoE4 gene. My father suffered from Alzheimer's Disease and passed away at 95 last August. His last 5 years, in a nursing home, were in a state of let's say ... GONE. This was a lesson for me and is NOT how I want to spend the last 5 years of my life. With more URGING from my Health Coach wife, I realized that I have no choice but to move forward with RECODE and I just finished Chapter 9 where I read Julie's story. I have been frustrated that my Ketone level is too low and my Glycemic level is too high. Julie's story gave me some confidence that maybe I am moving alone in the right direction. I saw this site and immediately joined. I have reviewed a bit of the online material and all I can say is WOW. I am so glad I was introduced to this site. THANK YOU JULIE!

[floramaria]

I am a 71-year old male who has been having "memory" issues for years; although denying it all along. With my wife's URGING I began reading Dr. Bredesen's book - The End of Alzheimer's. I recently was able to consult with a LOCAL medical doctor (I live in Asheville NC) who studied under Dr. Bredesen and focuses on the RECODE. program. She did A LOT of testing and determined, among other things, that I am carrying one ApoE4 gene. My father suffered from Alzheimer's Disease and passed away at 95 last August. His last 5 years, in a nursing home, were in a state of let's say ... GONE. This was a lesson for me and is NOT how I want to spend the last 5 years of my life. With more URGING from my Health Coach wife, I realized that I have no choice but to move forward with RECODE and I just finished Chapter 9 where I read Julie's story. I have been frustrated that my Ketone level is too low and my Glycemic level is too high. Julie's story gave me some confidence that maybe I am moving alone in the right direction. I saw this site and immediately joined. I have reviewed a bit of the online material and all I can say is WOW. I am so glad I was introduced to this site. THANK YOU JULIE!

HI, markgoldstein!
Welcome to the ApoE4.Info website. We are happy you have joined us here. As you have already discovered,
there is a wealth of information and a warm community to provide you with support.
It is great that your Health Coach wife urged you to move forward to protect your cognitive health.
It is common for people to be in denial about their decline, most often attributing it to "normal aging". When there were no known successful interventions, denial may have been a good strategy. Now we know that we can modify our lifestyles in ways that are beneficial to cognitive function and overall well -being.

It is tremendously sad to be with a parent who is, as you say, gone. I am sorry so for your loss.... your double loss... losing your father first to AD, then to death. The knowledge we have now was not available to our parents and many here, including me, share that sad experience of losing a parent to dementia.

Julie's story has been an inspiration to all of us, and you will find that there is inspiration a-plenty on this site. Knowing that other people have faced the same challenges and have overcome them is so helpful. You will be able to read about individual experiences including how others have lowered their glycemic levels and raised ketones.

[MicheleCC]

I am a 71-year old male who has been having "memory" issues for years; although denying it all along. With my wife's URGING I began reading Dr. Bredesen's book - The End of Alzheimer's. I recently was able to consult with a LOCAL medical doctor (I live in Asheville NC) who studied under Dr. Bredesen and focuses on the RECODE. program. She did A LOT of testing and determined, among other things, that I am carrying one ApoE4 gene. My father suffered from Alzheimer's Disease and passed away at 95 last August. His last 5 years, in a nursing home, were in a state of let's say ... GONE. This was a lesson for me and is NOT how I want to spend the last 5 years of my life. With more URGING from my Health Coach wife, I realized that I have no choice but to move forward with RECODE and I just finished Chapter 9 where I read Julie's story. I have been frustrated that my Ketone level is too low and my Glycemic level is too high. Julie's story gave me some confidence that maybe I am moving alone in the right direction. I saw this site and immediately joined. I have reviewed a bit of the online material and all I can say is WOW. I am so glad I was introduced to this site. THANK YOU JULIE!

Hi Mark, So glad you found us! Your experience with your dad is shared by many on this site. We say, your genes are not your destiny! Your motivation to "grab the bull by its horns" and follow the RECODE program was both wise and brave. Having a supportive wife, who is also a health coach, is a great set up for success! We thank you for sharing your story and hope you will continue to as it unfolds, as one never knows the inspiration their story may be to others--just ask Julie!

A good starting point: The PRIMER
It sounds like you're doing great navigating the website and finding the plethora of useful information here. A good starting point, which you may have already read, is the PRIMER, written by Stavia, a medical doctor who also carries the apoe4 genes.

How-to get the most of the apoe4.info website
Learning how to use the site to find information, connect with others and stay on top of a particular thread can be found on the "How-to" page of our Wiki.

You mentioned that you have too low ketones and too high glycemic level. Have you received guidance from your doctor on this?

Again, welcome! We look forward to learning and growing with you. There is an incredibly knowledgeable and supportive community here at apoe4.info, and we're glad you're here!

Warm regards,
MicheleCC

[Tincup]

Hi Mark,

Welcome!

Assuming you aren't on meds that preclude this, you might read How to use your glucose meter as a fuel gauge by Marty Kendall. I know Marty and he got on this path to help his wife with her T1 diabetes. Marty brings an engineer's approach to solving problems.

[Julie G]

I am a 71-year old male who has been having "memory" issues for years; although denying it all along. With my wife's URGING I began reading Dr. Bredesen's book - The End of Alzheimer's. I recently was able to consult with a LOCAL medical doctor (I live in Asheville NC) who studied under Dr. Bredesen and focuses on the RECODE. program. She did A LOT of testing and determined, among other things, that I am carrying one ApoE4 gene. My father suffered from Alzheimer's Disease and passed away at 95 last August. His last 5 years, in a nursing home, were in a state of let's say ... GONE. This was a lesson for me and is NOT how I want to spend the last 5 years of my life. With more URGING from my Health Coach wife, I realized that I have no choice but to move forward with RECODE and I just finished Chapter 9 where I read Julie's story. I have been frustrated that my Ketone level is too low and my Glycemic level is too high. Julie's story gave me some confidence that maybe I am moving alone in the right direction. I saw this site and immediately joined. I have reviewed a bit of the online material and all I can say is WOW. I am so glad I was introduced to this site. THANK YOU JULIE!

Welcome, Mark! I'm pleased that my story has provided motivation for you. I share your determination to enjoy a long dementia-free life and plan to remain on my healing/health-optimization journey indefinitely. Congratulations for choosing this path. I've found that combining three strategies: a low carb (KetoFLEX 12/3) diet, a long daily fast & exercise all work synergistically together to get me into a decent level of ketosis every day. If you feel comfortable sharing: tell us about your current diet. Are you able to fast? What kind of exercise are you doing?