i promised to document my journey
a long journey to slow down the possibility
of having alzheimers disease
i am sure someone somewhere has done this before
i am probably not the first
i do have the unique view though of
having multiple family members who have or have had
alzheimers disease
including cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents etc
having as a physician treated some alzheimers patients
although as i say
knowing what i know now i didnt do a good job
having maybe alzheimers disease
if i do
i am past the presymptom stage called prodromal alzheimers
now into the phase of early mild cognitive impairment
possibly due to alzheimers disease
i am doing what i can to slow things down
as soon as i was diagnosed
i got aggressive taking care of my health
i got aggressive controlling blood pressure cholesterol etc
i also added recommended supplements that may help
although not proven to work they havent been disproved yet
i watch as much of the new drug treatment studies that
i can find
watching for one that is promising
that may show up in time to help me
knowing what i know
looking at family who have had the disease
that old clock is ticking
i want one that will slow down father time
a few years ago
i spotted one that i have kept my eye on
i even skipped a amyvid pet scan for beta amyloid in the
study i was in
knowing it might disqualify me for the new treatment study
the study
biogen aducanumab study
an antibody was isolated from old folks who dont get alzhemers
it is
a monoclonal anitbody that grabs the bad beta amyloid from
the brain
it actually removes also the plaques from the brain as well as
the bad beta amyloid in the brain
the beta amyloid scans going from abnormal to normal
in early studies
the study subjects memory improved
so as i look at what is on the horizon
and
there is a lot out there
this for me is the one
so there are four steps or hurdles i have to jump
step one
passing the review of all my medical records
by the research nurse and the chief investigator
done
passed
step two
undergoing lengthy memory testing as well as my wife she being
interviewed plus a ton of blood that got drawn then
having a thorough neurological exam
5 hours total
done
passed
got the word yesterday
am i ever elated
you bet
now
step three
more memory testing and my wife she answering questions
then a mri of the brain
looking for things that are wrong upstairs like tumors strokes masses
brain shrinkage etc
all total 5 more hours of testing
to be done
in the next two weeks
step four
if i pass the above
i finally will get the beta amyloid pet scan brain scan
that i have been waiting for for months
if its positive
im in the study
if its negative
im one lucky guy
then if i pass or should i say flunk this step
im in
then its on to
step five
infusions monthly of the aducanumab antibody against beta amyloid
for maybe 4 1/2 years
im stoked
im ready
game on
i got next
the organicgreen doctor
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