Joining the conversation

Newcomer introductions, personal anecdotes, caregiver issues, lab results, and n=1 experimentation.
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conniemack
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Joining the conversation

Post by conniemack »

Hello,

I was listening to my copy of The End of Alzheimer's in the car and I caught the apoe web address during the end of chapter 10 I think. It's a great addition to How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease. I am finding though, that the End of Alzheimer's protocol discussion is a bit overwhelming. I'm so glad to find this site to commiserate or celebrate with others who have a family history and/or APOE+.

My father was diagnosed with late onset and we watched the progression from there until today while he lay in nursing care. His mother wasn't diagnosed until she was in her early 70's and passed when she was 85. It has had a profound impact on me.

Prior to 65 Dad was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, was slightly overweight, and on Simvastatin. He and my mother both are non-social and he worked almost until he was 67. On my mother's side, there is a cocktail of warfarin/Coumadin and other hypertension type meds like Amlodipine-benazepril, Digoxin, Flecainide- but she does get some physical exercise daily even with that mix!

So either way, any genetic testing isn't going to counter or supplant the obvious. It is vital to my well being to understand the connections between my lifestyle and the good thing is, I'm 53 and do not suffer from chronic disease. I attempt to take care of myself, eating right, exercise - although when listening to books or reading posts here, it seems like nothing is enough. I couldn't afford the "protocol" even if I tried. I eat algae daily and stick to very meat limited plant-based diet. I definitely have to get a printed copy of the book and read the posts herein to discover how you could self-recode with minimal tests expense.

I had a hugely stressful job and although I was living a very comfortable lifestyle, I quit in 2017 after witnessing what an Alz diagnosis does to a family. I watched Dad power through a government job for several years and experience undue stress for what? I am looking to find true satisfaction my work with big impact. I did odd jobs for a while and am now consulting for a company while providing my technical expertise as a volunteer to other companies. I went without health insurance for some time and it just so happened that it caused me to bulldoze through peri-meno like a tank. Sans-mense for over 12 months without the benefit of any hormones, valium, Xanax...now that just seems ridiculous (joking). That stressful job looks pretty good when you have access to cheap healthcare and free prescription drugs.

So now I focus on the things I can control. Diet, physical, sleep, inflammation, allergies, etc etc. I now have a medical plan that only has a $6,000 deductible so surely my annual wellness exam will cover three-month homocysteine checks and trimethylglycine (TMG). Kidding of course. I'm glad to find apoe4.info to compare notes just like Bredesen mentions in Chapter 10. Finding others who are the 1-off test and describe how lifestyle changes impact not only how they feel but the optimism perhaps. Periods of staring into the eyes of AD cause a certain feeling of hopelessness and isolation so I was pleased to read some posts herein.

I guess the final question is: how can I enjoy dessert now?

:D :lol:

ConnieMack
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Post by Starfish77 »

You can certainly enjoy desert now. Just choose a healthful one.

How great that you were able to retire from your stressful job and do work that you enjoy. I retired at 60 and will be 82 next month. I'm so glad I had all those years to do what I enjoy doing. Being in good spirits and enjoying your life is a great start to getting yourself in the best health possible for you. Many of us follow the Beredesen protocol to varying degrees. Every step you take in the right direction, moves you closer toward your goal.
Starfisn77 e4/e4
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conniemack
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Post by conniemack »

Thank you Starfish.
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fxmedcoach
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Post by fxmedcoach »

Conniemack, welcome to the forum!! I'm sorry to hear of your father's recent passing. My grandfather had Alzheimer's and though I didn't deal with the progression on a daily basis, it was hard to see it when I did visit him. You mention wanting to understand "the connection between my lifestyle." It sounds like you are already doing quite a bit with regards to your lifestyle -- "eating right, exercise." Some other areas of lifestyle for consideration are stress management (which sounds like you may also be addressing by quitting your job, but there may be other areas of stress to consider as well. Let me just add how HUGE it is that you were able to recognize your job as a stressor and make the change in this area. It's usually one of the hardest areas to address for obvious reasons. Way to go!!!). Toxin exposure (personal care products/makeup, cleaning products, plastic storage containers, etc.) and sleep are two other areas for consideration. I usually recommend choosing one area an start to make small changes until you feel like you have a good handle on it, and then choose the next area to address. Sometimes they overlap and you can address more than one thing at a time (for instance sleep and stress management).

To answer your question -- you most certainly can enjoy desserts!! The key is to choose desserts that minimize sugar, and don't include gluten. When consuming sugar consider alternatives like honey. Here's one recipe you might like -- https://www.jillcarnahan.com/recipe/alm ... ey-crisps/.

Thank you for sharing your family history with Alzheimer's. I am sure you are going to find this group super supportive and helpful.
Deborrah Cisneros
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Post by Magda »

conniemack wrote:Hello,


So now I focus on the things I can control. Diet, physical, sleep, inflammation, allergies, etc etc. I now have a medical plan that only has a $6,000 deductible so surely my annual wellness exam will cover three-month homocysteine checks and trimethylglycine (TMG). Kidding of course. I'm glad to find apoe4.info to compare notes just like Bredesen mentions in Chapter 10. Finding others who are the 1-off test and describe how lifestyle changes impact not only how they feel but the optimism perhaps. Periods of staring into the eyes of AD cause a certain feeling of hopelessness and isolation so I was pleased to read some posts herein.

I guess the final question is: how can I enjoy dessert now?

:D :lol:

ConnieMack
Welcome to the community ConnieMack!
Thank you for your introduction, and I am so sorry that you watch your family members suffer! Dr. Bredesen says " Alzheimer's should be a rare disease!" We, as a nation and individuals should do everything to stop this epidemic!

I absolutely love you empathizing that you mainly focus on what you can control! I always say that to my family, friends and clients! Control what you can right now while you work towards your other health goals! Very important.
Have you found the PRIMER yet?
It has been put together by our member, Dr. Stavia. It a great place to start exploring our site, get ideas on prevention strategies, learn and understand better the science behind the Apoe4 allele, and simply get inspire to take your health into your own hands.
If you are looking for dessert and other recipes, we have collected a few ideas here:
https://wiki.apoe4.info/wiki/Recipes_from_our_members

We are very glad to have you here and I hope you will keep contributing to our discussions.

Magda
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach & MS Clinical Nutrition Student
IFM/Bredesen Trained, Reversing Cognitive Decline
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conniemack
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Post by conniemack »

That is awesome Magda! I will give those a look! I started the primer but haven't finished. Thanks for the warm welcome!
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conniemack
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Post by conniemack »

Thanks Deborah, good point about small changes. I definitely have started to reevaluate the things around me that I've never even considered (like plastic). Sleep is a huge one for me as I haven't found much luck yet but I will keep looking for solutions. Thanks for the tips and welcome!
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