Alzheimer's Disease Support Group
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration with declining activities of daily living and neuropsychiatric symptoms or behavioral changes. An early symptom is memory loss (amnesia), usually manifesting as minor forgetfulness that becomes pronounced with illness progression, with relative...
Hello All,
Almost 3 years ago I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer's. My mother was her primary caregiver but I played a large role in her care. We saw her through it till the end and it was a journey that shaped my life in many ways.
That being said, the doctors were clear that it was genetic. I know there is a test that can be done to determine if one carries the gene and at 25, I am considering it. I'd like to know how long I have with my wits fully about me-my grandmother was diagnosed at 65-ironically as she was about to retire and travel the world after running an adult foster care home caring for people her whole life.
I am much like her already and sort of already have my suspicions, but my greatest fear is fear itself. Knowing for sure would at least alleviate the wondering and I could plan for 40 more years of perfect cognition. It could help to be a huge motivation and give me a "yolo" attitude. I'm not saying it would be easy but I think I'm strong enough to know.
I was wondering if any of you are caring for a family member with the genetic early onset kind of Alzheimer's, if you've had the test, and how it has affected your lives. Any advice is welcome.
Almost 3 years ago I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer's. My mother was her primary caregiver but I played a large role in her care. We saw her through it till the end and it was a journey that shaped my life in many ways.
That being said, the doctors were clear that it was genetic. I know there is a test that can be done to determine if one carries the gene and at 25, I am considering it. I'd like to know how long I have with my wits fully about me-my grandmother was diagnosed at 65-ironically as she was about to retire and travel the world after running an adult foster care home caring for people her whole life.
I am much like her already and sort of already have my suspicions, but my greatest fear is fear itself. Knowing for sure would at least alleviate the wondering and I could plan for 40 more years of perfect cognition. It could help to be a huge motivation and give me a "yolo" attitude. I'm not saying it would be easy but I think I'm strong enough to know.
I was wondering if any of you are caring for a family member with the genetic early onset kind of Alzheimer's, if you've had the test, and how it has affected your lives. Any advice is welcome.
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Look at what my best friend did with my picture!
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We all have 24 hours in a day. How we spend these hours is important. Watching a little bit of a video about how sitting affects us made me aware of how much sitting and laying down I do. Gonna have to work on that.Your turn. Tell me another truth.
You would only need to get tested if for some reason you feel you NEED to know if you have any predisposing genes, Hopefully if you choose this route you will have counseling before and after, as is advised. Also, please remember that some genes are RISK genes and some are DETERMINANT genes....
Good luck and peace with whatever you decide....
That's the choice I think I would have made. So many things that happen in life are random and a test doesn't tell you everything. Peace with whatever decision you make - butI would just continuel living my life and without any expectations. Life is a gamble.
Best
Can I ask how the doctor knows it's genetic? I'm just curious if they had done the genetic testing on your grandmother herself or if your mom had the testing done. My mother was just diagnosed, right after her 69th birthday, but she showed symptoms for about 5 years prior. Her doctor doesn't consider it "early onset" just the early stages, and doesn't believe it to be genetic, so my siblings and I are not too freaked out about it being genetic, but with that said, we're also curious about the role of genetics.
Thanks for any insight you have!
But, of course, the internet does not substitute for thorough and competent medical evaluation.
We've both become really interested in brain health, as a consequence.
My brother is crazy and has a whole regimen, involving:
1) Curcumin: http://alzheimer.neurology.ucla.edu/Curcumin.html
2) Methylene Blue (obtained here: https://www.bluebrainboost.com/p/methylene-blue-nootropic/)
Methylene Blue is actually a drug under clinical development for the treatment of Alzheimer's, but I think there is some evidence that it might have some preventive effects. It is a pretty benign substance overall.
3) Blueberries and dark chocolate. There's a lot of evidence about these foods being neuroprotective, e.g., http://www.brainprotips.com/article/best-brain-foods-an-evidence-based-approach/