New member intro - here I am

[betterallthetime]

Hi there. My name is Betsy and I'm a new member. I feel like I have been suffering from brain drain for most of my life. I learned to accept it and didn't think that much about it. But my mother had Alzheimer's and I believe my grandmother had some form of dementia. I did the 23andme test for a lot of reasons, but I did find out that I am heterogeneous (I think that is the right word) for Apoe4. If I run my 23andme data through the selfdecode website it says that my grade for getting Alzheimers is "F", which is the worst grade you can get. LOL.

I just finished reading Bredesen's book but I am also looking into different things. My current doctor mentioned post concussion syndrome and I am scheduled to begin seeing a neurologist at the beginning of January. I'm not really freaking out (yet) but my brain is so bad right now, that I feel like I can't function some days. I need to try to at least get to a place where I can take care of myself OR make plans for my long term care and I believe that finding the right diet and supplements might get me there. My doctor just ordered a bunch of blood tests and I will check those against. Bredesen's suggestions.

I know I don't eat right but I have no idea what to eat anymore. And I don't get enough exercise and I don't get out and socialize much (because of fatigue and the brain fog). Sugar isn't really a vice of mine but caffeine is (because I am always so tired). And I believe the caffeine causes inflammation which, of course, is bad.

I'm only 62, by the way, which is quite a bit younger than my mother was when she started showing signs of dementia. At least as far as I can recall (which isn't very far...haha).

Anyway, that's enough of my story for now, I guess.

[betterallthetime]

Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that I have previously tested positive for Lyme disease and I had some mold in my house, although it wasn't black mold. So I probably need more testing for both of those things.

[Starfish77]

Welcome, Better, you have already made some very positive steps toward better health. Consulting your doctor and getting a referal to a neurologist, getting blood tests, reading Dr. Bredesens's book. Looking into the mold issure and
Lyme issues is a good idea. I'm glad you found our site. I'm an E4/E4 who found the site almost four years ago. I will be 81 soon and am in much better health from the information I've learned here. Keep up the good work and let us know how you are doing.

[betterallthetime]

Thank you. Its nice to know that you have seen improvement. There is SOOO much information on this site its pretty difficult to wade through with a brain that isn't firing on all cylinders.

[floramaria]

Thank you. Its nice to know that you have seen improvement. There is SOOO much information on this site its pretty difficult to wade through with a brain that isn't firing on all cylinders.

Hello, betterallthetime

Welcome to the website. As Starfish says, you have already made some important steps towards improving your health. Many people have found that their brain fog clears substantially as they put some of the suggestions into practice for reducing the risk to cognition that comes with the ApoE4 allele. You are absolutely correct that thee is a lot of information on the site, and one good way to get started is to read through the Primer which is written by a physician member. It lays out important areas to work on and prioritizes steps you can take. For example, you'll find a list of blood tests that are recommended.
Since you read Dr. Bredesen’s book, you are familiar with his protocol, and all the tests he recommends. The Primer can give you excellent starting points, and might be a good place to begin “wading in”, rather than doing a dive into the deep end of the pool!

Here is a link to the Primer: viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1418

You mention having no idea what to eat anymore; the Primer will give you some basic guidelines. Plus there is a (somewhat hidden) Search function that you can access by tapping or clicking the three stacked vertical dots just to the right of your user name. There is a thread now where members are contributing Recipes, and you may find some ideas there. Typing “Recipes” into the search function will get you to that thread and also other references to recipes that are scattered throughout the website.

As you are reading and making changes, take it slow and easy. Be gentle with yourself. Please ask questions as they arise. There is a lot of accumulated knowledge and experience you can gain from by putting questions our to the community here. We are all here to help and support one another. We are happy you have joined us.

Flora