My Third Attempt to Write my Story

[aanderson]

I have tried two other times to write this story, but have been stopped by what I call FOTAF (fear of trying and failing), but eventually I realize that not trying is certain to fail. So, here is the third and last attempt.

I am 78 years old and was diagnosed with MCI a few years ago (incidentally about a year after a major surgery to replace my aortic valve). My father (who I am sure was the person who passed along my APOE4 gene) also started going down hill after a hip replacement surgery at age 75. Between the MCI diagnosis and now I own and have read Bredesen's first two books and am part way through his latest book. I also have started with three different Functional Medicine doctors, but having moved three times, I am now in Utah near Salt Lake City looking again for a functional medicine doctor. The third doctor I tried is in this area. I liked him, but he practices in his home. After a few months with him a health problem, that may or may not have been caused by something at his home office, caused a significant request by my wife and two of my grown daughters to find someone else, so the doctor and I parted amicably a month or so ago.

I do not drive our car anymore because I tend to freeze if I don't recognize what is happening, so my dear wife is willing to drive me anywhere at any time, but she works full time plus out of our home. Accordingly, I have no problem working with a doctor remotely much of the time.

There is a lot more I could say, but this is plenty for a start. Instead I will spend more time going through this website.

Thank you for following this little missive,
Robert (Andy) Anderson

[NF52]

I have tried two other times to write this story, but have been stopped by what I call FOTAF (fear of trying and failing), but eventually I realize that not trying is certain to fail. So, here is the third and last attempt.... I also have started with three different Functional Medicine doctors, but having moved three times, I am now in Utah near Salt Lake City looking again for a functional medicine doctor...
I do not drive our car anymore because I tend to freeze if I don't recognize what is happening, so my dear wife is willing to drive me anywhere at any time, but she works full time plus out of our home. Accordingly, I have no problem working with a doctor remotely much of the time.

There is a lot more I could say, but this is plenty for a start. Instead I will spend more time going through this website.

Thank you for following this little missive,
Robert (Andy) Anderson

Welcome, Andy I'm going out on a limb here and guessing that your friends call you Andy, although Robert is also a great name.

I'm so glad that you swung and landed a home run with your third attempt! Your story is packed with great information and is a testament to your reading and writing skills. Too many people don't realize that having a Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is just that: MILD! It can vary from day to day; all of us have varying skills from day to day. Driving requires a lot more than simply obeying red lights. I applaud you for recognizing that it's fine to allow your wife to drive, or maybe sometimes to ask a friend or even Uber! Those of us in our 70's (or tip-toeing to that birthday) deserve to enjoy life and choose to focus on who and what we enjoy--and find workarounds for the rest.

In case you would still prefer to find someone to see in person closer to home, here's a list from the Institute for Functional Medicine, which allows you to search by location, using the Advanced Search option of including doctors who have completed their Advanced Clinical Training: Reversing Cognitive Decline. That course was developed in conjunction with Dr. Bredesen, who taught much of the coursework. Here is their list from the Salt Lake City area:

IFM: St. Lake City: Advanced Clinical Training in Reversing Cognitive Decline certified M.D.

We have some other resources on the forum that may be helpful in seeking an FM doctor who is willing to see you mostly through tele-health:
Searching for a Practitioner has links to Dr. Bredesen's current Apollo Health site and the IFM site.

ApoE4-Aware Healthcare Practitioners is not a complete list of everyone in the US who is knowledgeable about ApoE4, and unfortunately, none of the practitioners currently listed is in Utah, although one is in Ketchum, ID.

Since you had your aortic valve replaced, I would guess that you might also have a high Lp(a) score, which is a different lipid measure that typical LDL cholesterol. Whether someone has a high score or low is mostly inherited, and not the result of anything you ate or did, but a high score is associated with a higher risk of aortic valve stenosis. Like you, I got one copy of ApoE 4 from my dad, and a bonus one from my mom! My father also had a sticky aortic valve, although he had more problems with coronary artery disease. Sadly, he was from the generation before us, when cardiologists didn't even see you until something bad had happened. Your new valve should put you in good shape for getting blood to your brain; the surgery may have been a coincidental factor, not the cause of your MCI.

It might be a good idea to share your ApoE 3/4 status with your cardiologist; they may want to check your coronary artery calcium score using a quick and painless CT scan to see if you're showing some coronary plaques that are being sneakily silent.

If you are interested in clinical trials for non-drug interventions (like aerobic exercise) or drugs designed to reduce biomarkers of amyloid and tau in people with MCI and hopefully keep their cognition stable, let us know and we can share links of studies in your area. Most don't involve a lot of time for your spouse once you get past the initial screening period. To my knowledge, ALL studies welcome lifestyle strategies and use of functional medicine before or during trial participation. I've been in a clinical trial myself and thought it was fascinating. I felt like I might be helping myself and was definitely helping find answers to big questions.

Keep posting, Andy! We'd love to hear more about who you are, where you've been and what brings you joy. (Andy Anderson sounds like a former Minnesotan to me, but only because I lived there when every other person was Scandinavian!)

Warmly,
Nancy (NF52)

[Nicnac0526]

I have tried two other times to write this story, but have been stopped by what I call FOTAF (fear of trying and failing), but eventually I realize that not trying is certain to fail. So, here is the third and last attempt.

There is a lot more I could say, but this is plenty for a start. Instead I will spend more time going through this website.

Thank you for following this little missive,
Robert (Andy) Anderson

Good Morning Robert/Andy, I say good morning because I am in the UK, so I apologize for being slow to respond to your wonderful post. Welcome! I am glad that Nancy (NF52) has replied, partly to welcome you but also with the technical stuff. We all understand the difficulties that people have with their first post, so I congratulate you with writing so beautifully and deeply.
I am a 'welcome intern' for this forum, so it is my job to show you around the sites that people find most useful. Apologies if you already know these.
Our Primer is a detailed and informative resource written by a practicing M.D. with ApoE4/4. It includes information about the biochemistry of the ApoE4 gene and offers a variety of research-based prevention strategies.
The The How to Guide offers tips on how to navigate forums and respond to posts including how to quote members (use the quotation icon in the upper right of any post) so they get an email notification of your post. It also demonstrates how to use the Search function for topics, and how to subscribe to topics of interest in the forums.
Finally, Our Stories where you can share more details about your own story or learn about other community members' experiences.
Please do celebrate the fact that you have made your first post and continue as and when you feel like it. It is a welcoming community and we all benefit from hearing from others.
Should you have any questions, please do reach out.
Warmly
Nicky (Nicnac0526)

[aanderson]

Thanks to both of you for the rapid responses and suggestions. I am now spending a few days going over the website and following many of your suggestions as to where to look and/or what to do.

I will get back to you in whatever the "few days" mentioned above are finished.

And yes, I go by Andy whenever possible.

[mike]

I am 78 years old and was diagnosed with MCI a few years ago

Andy, Can you tell us how you were diagnosed? What tests were run and what were your results? Did you ever have an MRI done to see if you have brain shrinkage? That could help us help you.

Mike