Buck Institute's RE:Mind

[hill dweller]

June 27 - 30, 2016 RE:Mind details

RE:Mind – Memory Enhancement through Science & Lifestyle

We are very excited to announce June dates for the RE:Mind immersion program on memory enhancement. We had a very enthusiastic response and are currently building a waitlist of interested participants for the next 2016 program not yet scheduled. I am writing to give you additional information and also ask that you please reply by Monday, February 29, 2016. You currently have a guaranteed spot for this June program. If we do not hear from you by next Monday, we will open up registration to the waitlist and will confirm participation on a “first come, first serve” basis.

Please mark your calendars for June 27-30, 2016. A full agenda is forthcoming, however, you should plan to arrive at The Lodge at Sonoma a Renaissance Resort and Spa in Sonoma at 1 p.m. Our first day of activities will end with a reception at 5 p.m. The rest of the program will unfold in Sonoma, ending June 30 at 3 p.m. Your registration is all-inclusive for you and your companion, including meals.

Your participation in the program begins when you RSVP to this invitation with a completed registration form attached. This registration form includes a place for you to give us your full name and contact information, your companion’s name, and your credit card information. This form will hold your place in the program. Your credit card will not be charged until April 11, 2016, 10 weeks prior to program start. On April 11th you will be charged $7,500 registration plus $750 for testing. April 11, 2016 is the last day to cancel, since we cannot backfill the program after this date. Please fill out completely and return to me either by fax or email. My direct fax number is 707-996-9965. If you are uncomfortable with any of these options, feel free to give me a call and I will take the information by phone.

Also attached is a MoCA assessment and an AD-21 questionnaire. It would be great if the Companion would complete the AD-21 questionnaire and return this with registration form. It is best if the MoCA is administered by a professional. If this is not possible, the Companion may administer. If you already have a recent MoCA test, feel free to forward. No need to repeat. This will be used as a baseline from which to measure improvement. It would be great if this could also be returned with the registration form.

Ten weeks prior to program start date, you will receive information regarding lab tests and questionnaires that you will want to complete by their deadline. If you want to get a jump on things, please order your genome test kit from 23andMe. You may go to www.23andme.com and order your test kit at any time. It can take up to 10 weeks to complete the process, and we need a two-weeks to prepare your personalized care plan in advance of your visit.

By participating in the RE:Mind program, you are making a decision to adopt a healthy lifestyle that we believe will not only enable memory enhancement, it will put you on a path to increasing your healthy years of life – a core value of the Buck Institute. We look forward to walking alongside you in this journey.

All the best,

Denise M Kalos

[Tiramisu1984]

If this weren't so ridiculous I would find this funny. Evidently my name must be on some ban list because I cannot get an effing reply from any of these people. First, bredesen replies to my emails- but fails to tell me about any programs. I speak to his office and to be included on whatever distribution that may exist. Nothing.

Now I don't get the invite to the RE-mind program after several emails with the coordinator.

Yeah, yeah, I may be on the wait list but I am pussed.

[Julie G]

(((Tiramisu))) I doubt it's a conspiracy...more likely a comedy of errors . Definitely contact Denise Kalos: dkalos@buckinstitute.org to once again express your desire to attend.

P.S. From the exercise thread... Don't give up pilates!!! IMHO, it's an amazing way to maintain core strength- so important as we age. Just mix it up with some aerobic exercise. I'm a huge fan of walking/running outside- no matter what the weather. I find it incredibly healing to spend time in nature. Dealing with harsh conditions is my way of practicing hormesis. Today we are expecting 40-50 mile an hour winds and 12 inches of snow. I can't wait to get out there.

[Thx4thegenes]

Juliegee, your talk made me tear up. Thank you for sharing that and it's nice to meet you!

[Tiramisu1984]

12 inches of snow? Wow. yes, I'm with you about outdoor exercise. On top of the cardio benefits, it's a huge stress reliever (more so than the gym). Thanks for the reply. I was livid, as you can tell. I will reach out again.

In terms of exercise, there is only a limited amount of time and I want to optimize the time....thank you though!

[Tiramisu1984]

So, does anyone have feedback on this program? It's quite pricey (especially since I live in the mid Atlantic and need to account for travel time). Really interested in hearing from people who attended.

Hill dweller, are you going?

Thanks!

[hill dweller]

No. Too expensive. And their email protocol is sloppy; unacceptable under US health privacy standards. If I was made of money, I'd decline based on the email snafu alone.

[Tiramisu1984]

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I agree it was pretty sloppy, as is the information. I'd really like to hear from someone that made the investment though.

[Julie G]

i DO hope some who've attended will chime in and describe your experiences. Here's a previously written assessment by buck3Maureen:

Hi, I went to the Seminar in Sonoma that was held in Dec of 2015. I am not sure if there have been any since. In Feb of 2015, I read Dr. Bredesen's paper published in the Fall of 2015. I started to try and implement everything on my own. I contacted Dr. Bredesen to see if there was some help. As a result, I received an invite to the conference in November. Like you, I was shocked by the cost of this and, feeling I was implementing a lot of it on my own, I said thanks, but no thanks. Then I had a few new very frightenting memory problems and I changed my mind and was able to get into the Dec seminar.

I felt it was totaly worth it. What was most impressive ,to me, was Dr. Bredesen himself. I was overwhelmed by his dedication and humanity. Everything was lovely and the speakers were great. The protocol created by Muses Labs was given out when you have a 45 minute one on one with Dr. Bredesen. You get two copies, one for you and one for your doctor. Obviously this is Muses Labs doing. I found this offensive and of course imediately opened the doctor's sealed copy and duplicated everything they included in his copy that was not in mine. We found out at the conference that Dr. Bredesen and Muses Labs were parting company. I heard that Dr. Bredesen would be starting his own company and I decided to not sign up with Muses, and to wait to sign up, if possible, with Dr. B's new complany.

So, I am very happy I went -- having said that - I don't know if I would feel this way if the conference did not include Dr. Bredesen.

FWIW, I've heard mixed reviews. The biggest criticism has centered around the lack of follow-up. We're created a private forum to help with that, but (of course) we're not a substitute for formal help. If you've previously attended, PLEASE share your experience with the group to help others who are deciding whether or not to attend.

Tiramisu, we know about your experience TRYING to get invited, but I'm curious about the snafu that hill dweller is referring to... Was there a group email sent without undisclosed recipients? Yikes. If so, did you make your concern known to the coordinator- Denise Kalos? If not, would you mind if I did?

[hill dweller]

Juliegee, you nailed it:

Was there a group email sent without undisclosed recipients? Yikes.

I guess you got one, too. How f8ckng unprofessional for a medical facility, not to mention probably an actionable HIPAA violation. No thanks, Buck.