alzheimers news-this is me

 ALZHEIMERS NEWS-THIS IS ME

that is my wife she and i hugging at the covid walk to end alzheimers in santa barbara in i think 2020
a friend did this jacket for her
she always wears it at the alzheimers walks

as i was reading this article from the american heart association interview with dr daniel gibbs i thought
this is me

i realized that our history is similar
i seem to be a few years behind him

i have followed dr gibbs for several years since he wrote his book a tattoo on my brain

he is a retired neurologist
he was on the faculty for the university of oregon and was a research scientist

he quit because he struggled with part of what sounds like a neuropsychological memory test
he developed a 50% drop in his verbal memory
i quit because i did the same thing

he didnt want to cause harm
i didnt want to cause harm

he has the homozygous apoe4 gene
so do i

he writes a blog on his journey
so do i

he entered the biogen aduhelm treatment study
so did i

he had a massive brain bleed with his treatments
his mri showed small stains where he had the bleeds that he calls a tattoo on his brain
i only had ocular migraines
my mri hasnt changed since 2010

he almost died
i didnt

he dropped out of the study
i finished the study

he had amyloid plaques and still does
his disease has progressed some since i have been following him

my amyloid pet scan initially was positive for amyloid plaques
now it is negative
my memory has improved and has remained normal
however
recently i have noticed some subtle things that suggest my disease is taking off some
his has too but as he describes in this article he still functions so many folks dont notice anything unusual
but his wife does

he now has mild dementia
i am stil at mild cognitive impairment which is earlier in the disease process

he still writes and does interviews but his wife screens things and helps him
he no longer drives and does any financial stuff

i still drive
i still write
i still do all our financial stuff
that isnt affected 
yet
but i know its coming i just dont know when
what i notice is more subtle things 

i plan to follow him closely as he progresses since i seem to be following his course somewhat
i seem to be a few years behind him
we were diagnosed about the same time and are about the same age 

however
each alzheimers patient can do things differently
when youve seen one alzheimers patient youve seen one alzheimers patient

i feel i am lucky to have made it this far intact
I am hoping ill stay that way for awhile

I also use to say my younger brother was a mirror i saw myself
he and i were a year apart in our age
he as diagnosed with mild alzheimers in his mid 50s and the disease progressed into the final stages about 8 years later

it was disturbing whenever i saw him as i know thats where i will be one day
it also is disturbing when i read about dr gibbs
knowing that i am headed that way soon 

i am just glad i have had these last 15 years intact and hope for a few more years like this
knowing
when it does happen i will feel good that i had those extra years that he and others didnt get


this is me 
now
happy to be here intact so far
enjoying life for now

the organicgreen doctor