volunteers

VOLUNTEERS

two years ago i volunteered to enter an alzheimers research study

as a normal volunteer to be in the normal control group

this was done because i wanted to do my part in fighting this 

terrible disease

since my mother had the disease and my father probably had it and 

my younger brother now has it

they need people as normal volunteers so they can have results

to compare to those people with symptoms or those with the 

disease

i also wanted to be monitored on a regular basis because of my 

family history of alzheimers disease

so early on i would know if i was having symptoms of the disease

in my case i just didnt realize that that time had already arrived

after my diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment i reentered the 

study called  the alzheimers disease neuroimaging inititative

not now in the normal group but in the mild cognitive impairment 

group 

i will be in the study for at least 5 years and if the study is 

extended i will be in the study even longer

this is the most important study done yet on alzheimers disesase

without volunteers with and without the disease the study 

could not go on and the results that are coming out of this

study would not happen

yes it takes time and effort to be in these studies but in the end

you will feel like you have contributed your small part in 

fighting this disease

in some cases some of the studies actually have treatments that 

have helped some 

the iv gamma globulin study eg when given at high doses stabilized

the disease for three years without significant changes

if that was your dad or your mom that would have meant that

they would not have progressed in those 3 years

thats a long time when it comes to someone with the disease

as some  people can go from driving a car to being institutionalized

in a long term care facility in those three years

those treatments could not be tested without those volunteers

soon in the future this is how they will find treatments for this disease

so please volunteer and help

we cant do it without you

you can go to www.alz.org and click on research to find studies

near you or click here

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY WIFE SHE

the organicgreen doctor