by Kevin Wolfe | Jun 30, 2019 | Uncategorized
Roy’s response due to the Bredesen Protocol was documented by Maria, a community advisor for Alzheimer’s in Northland, New Zealand who said it was a privilege to have Roy and one of her clients. As she watched the change in Roy under the Bredesen Protocol,...As a former school teacher, I have always been proud of my memory, but my memory seems to have declined significantly since I retired. I still read a lot of books to stay busy and keep my mind sharp, but I often have trouble remembering whether or not I have read a particular book. The information on the jacket often sounds familiar, but I cannot tell if I have read it until I get into the first chapter or so.
My mother had Alzheimer’s for years before she died of cancer, so it has always been something I worried about having to deal with myself. I finally decided to be tested and was thrilled to find out that I was above normal on 2 out of 3 scores, and normal on the 3rd score for my age.
Everyone knows that it is “normal” to lose cognitive function as we age, but how are we supposed to know what is “normal function for our age”? I am very surprised that this is not available as part of my annual wellness visit. For all of the factual information about my physical health that that is monitored each year (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.) I am surprised that my doctor is not more concerned about getting an objective measurement of my cognitive function, especially since that has been one of my top health concerns for years!
Of all of the things we try to self-evaluate as patients, I think our cognitive function is the hardest. I am very glad to have an objective evaluation that has put my mind at ease. At the age of 75, it is a relief to know it is very unlikely that I will develop cognitive issues based upon my scores.
I collapsed in the shower about 2 years ago and after a brief stay in the hospital I was diagnosed with a-fib and released. My physical health is a fraction of what it used to be—I was very physically active and had a lot of energy before these health issues. However, the dramatic change to my physical health overshadowed what was happening with my mind. My wife became my backup memory. Had I taken my pills? Did I send that thank you note?
Eventually, we agreed that I needed an independent evaluation of my mental health. I prefer to do the driving and was worried about what could happen to my license. Fortunately, Mind Your Memory has a confidential test that I was willing to take because would not affect my autonomy.
Unfortunately, the results were not good. I was below normal on 2 out of 3 categories and the test results recommended that I have a full neuropsychological evaluation. My wife believes that I have had mini-strokes that are affecting my judgement. It does not seem that I will worsen over time, but given the results of the test, it has helped me to realize that I cannot put off certain decisions any longer.
I could not procrastinate any longer and have made my wife my financial power of attorney and we are making plans for her to be responsible for other areas of my life now that I know my decision-making abilities are compromised. Knowing your cognitive limitations is important so that you can make these decisions while you still can.