Had a blood test for dementia today...

[CTyankee]

I didn't know I was being tested for THAT.

I had reported to my primary care MD that I was having trouble with my memory. It's a problem when you are immersed in art history every day as I am and a caregiver for a partially handicapped husband. I had no idea he would run this test but I saw it on my order to the blood draw center.

It was shocking, I must say. Recently, the husband of a dear friend died of dementia and that was fresh in my mind.

I've decided to let you all know what the test reveals and how it is being treated for me. Maybe it will be of some use to you folks as we struggle through this tough, awful time during the Time of the Tyrant in the White House.

[pandr32]

1. Did the test reveal dementia?

I’m assuming so because you mentioned treatment, but you didn’t come out and say you have it.
Very scary stuff. Hugs.

[CTyankee]

2. No, I haven't received the test results yet. I just saw it written on the order as reason for test.

I haven't spoken with the doctor. He is our primary care doc and my husband had an appointment today with him and got the order from him then.

[pandr32]

33. I hope you get good news.

If not, forewarned is forearmed. There are drugs to slow it down and you can fight its onset with everything you’ve got.
Let us know!

[CTyankee]

34. Don't worry. I will. Onward!

[JoseBalow]

53. That's a relief

I was afraid you forgot to mention it.

[erronis]

3. Thank you for being open with this. We all need to confront it - for ourselves and others around us.

There is no shame in talking about a disease, no matter what it is. If one doesn't get us, another one will.

Fortunately there are a lot of support groups for dementia (and other ailments). I'm not yet diagnosed but as I live longer than I had planned, I expect to be - and I want to be prepared.

Best!!!

[Silent Type]

4. My diagnosis, you write too well to be at high risk. But might check with my doc.

[CTyankee]

5. Well, if it is dementia, I am in the early stages and writing is probably a great thing for my mind.

But what I DON'T want is to be all drugged up so I can't function normally. I do tire more easily than I used to, but I am 85 years old!

[Talitha]

30. God bless ya, CTyankee!!

I'm 72 and can only hope I'm as cool as you are when I'm 85.

[CTyankee]

35. well, it is nice being cool then!

[ananda]

6. This is why I play bridge.

You might think it's just a game, but it's
actually very complex with lots of parts
moving in different places, requiring
study, concentration and memory.

One teacher I studied with was also a
speech and language specialist, who told me
that studies have shown how good it is
for both body and mind.

It's fun too.

[BOSSHOG]

9. And do crossword puzzles with your non dominant hand

And when you are watching TV get up and walk during every commercial. And carry on casual conversations as much as possible. Old dog, new tricks.

[ananda]

13. Believe it or not, I play cryptic crosswords...

when my bridge partner is playng the hand.

That way I don't go crazy when she makes a mistake.

[BOSSHOG]

15. Good for you My Friend

I’m 71, I get up very morning planning to move as much as possible, and I do. I go to bed worn out, not because of my age but because of my activity.

[ananda]

18. Stayin active is great!

Plus one.

[BOSSHOG]

21. A GRUMPY Old Doctor

Told me this in December 2016 after he put my left arm back together. I’d like to share with all:

In a grumpy Drill Sgt Kind of voice MOVE, EVERY DAY AND WHEN YOU THINK YOU’VE MOVED ENOUGH MOVE SOME MORE.

I think it works.

[CTyankee]

36. With arthritis in my lower back it is a challenge.

But I do exercises in bed right before I get up in the morning to stretch and move before I stand. I learned those while in PT.

[OldBaldy1701E]

7. Both my hubby and myself need to do that.

I am pretty sure one of us is starting to feel that.

[irisblue]

8. What is exactly being tested by blood work?

Thx. The Google search was not fulfilling

[CTyankee]

37. I don''t know. I just saw it written in the box on the form. I'll ask next time I call the doc's office or when I get

his call with the results.

[multigraincracker]

52. I have a medical portal.

I log in and my results before my doctor does. Most blood test are posted that day. A few may take 3 days.
I try to donate blood as often as I can. That’s how learned about chronic dehydration. It got to the point where the tech was having a hard time drawing my blood and it took longer to fill the bag. Also it was hell on my kidneys.

[orleans]

10. you sound pretty easy going; i'd be really pissed off if they were testing me for something and didn't tell me or

get my permission

[CTyankee]

45. No, I had called his office a left a message about my memory concerns. I'm OK with how he handlled it.

[orleans]

50. well, that's good. i'm glad. nt

[Iamscrewed]

11. Hits home

Lost an uncle some years back "fast" been in myself because of memory problems. Nobody said that there was a blood test for that. I'll be going back and ask because I'm having issues. THANKS.

[3825-87867]

12. Memory...

the second thing to go at this age. Can't remember the first thing! Dang!

[Norrrm]

16. My mother told me that my sister bought some memory pills but kept forgetting to take them. Chuckling as she told it.

[CTyankee]

46. I have one of those little boxes with compartments of days Morning Noon Evening Night and hubby helps by arranging the

pills in the right box.

[yellowdogdemocrat1]

14. Watch What You Say to Your Doctor

I did medical transcription for years and rapidly found out that doctors will write down everything you say, and it stays in your medical file. Certain things you say can be used against you. Memory problems...do you want to lose your license? Balance problems...you really want to lose your license. Doctors can help you, but they also can take away your quality of life. I remember when my father's license was yanked, he was devastated.

[Norrrm]

17. They have a blood test for dementia?

[CTyankee]

47. Yep. That surprised me, too!

I'll google it later and find out more details. It's fascinating, if nothing else...

[JMCKUSICK]

19. That's really really generous of you CTyankee

To share what you can about this part of your journey will educate and ripple through in untold positive ways. Thank you

[CTyankee]

38. Well, I consider DU my extended family.

[malthaussen]

20. A blood test for dementia? I've never heard of such a thing.

I wonder how it works.

-- Mal

[highplainsdem]

24. The FDA just approved one. See reply 22.

[highplainsdem]

22. Please remember that even the most accurate tests can give false positives. Don't automatically

accept the results. The only FDA-approved test of this type was approved only a few weeks ago: https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/diagnosis/what-to-know-about-the-new-blood-test-for-alzheimers/

And keep in mind there can be other causes of memory problems.

Both older people in general and caregivers tend to be short of sleep, and that will cause problems with memory, but it is NOT dementia.

Problems with nutrition will also affect memory. B vitamins in particular are important.

Thyroid problems affect memory.

IMO your doctor was entirely too eager to order that test. But doctors are pressured by drug companies, as well as by their employers if they don't have their own practice, and there's money in ordering an expensive new test.

[womanofthehills]

40. Taking too many prescription drugs can also cause it

Drugs stay longer in an older person’s body and they can build up.

When the doc doubled my mom’s BP meds, she became psychotic. Went back to her normal prescription- mind returned to normal. Also look at the side effects on drugs labels - some anti anxiety meds can cause severe confusion so can statins. My neighbor had to go off statins because she didn’t remember the whole week she was on them - like amnesia. She drove out her rural driveway and instead of going right or left - she just drove straight going thru her neighbors fence and driving around her yard thru the trees.

[CTyankee]

48. I take very few drugs for an old person. I consider myself fortunate.

I stopped smoking 50 years ago and I stopped drinking any alcohol whatsoever just a few months ago. Hard to give up that glass of wine every night, but I did some research and found out that alcohol is terrible for human consumption! Don't drink it!

[10 Turtle Day]

42. Anxiety can also be detrimental to your memory

I’m currently in a research study about memory and anxiety in caretakers and their loved ones. We both have to go to the appointments together. It’s very interesting. Lots of memory tests and surveys about anxiety levels. Counting backwards by 7s really ratchets up my anxiety. There was another with line after line of the words red, green, and blue on a page, but the words were in a different color ink from the printed word and we were to say the color of the ink, not the printed word, as quickly as possible. Just to throw a wrench in it, some words had boxes around them and those we were to say the printed word, not the color of the ink. Very anxiety inducing!

Dehydration is another culprit of poor memory.

As a caretaker, you may be experiencing high levels of anxiety. It can be difficult and taxing. Make time to take care of yourself as well. I wish you the best possible prognosis!

[10 Turtle Day]

43. Anxiety can also cause memory problems

I’m currently in a research study about memory and anxiety in caretakers and their loved ones. We both have to go to the appointments together. It’s very interesting. Lots of memory tests and surveys about anxiety levels. Counting backwards by 7s really ratchets up my anxiety. There was another with line after line of the words red, green, and blue on a page, but the words were in a different color ink from the printed word and we were to say the color of the ink, not the printed word, as quickly as possible. Just to throw a wrench in it, some words had boxes around them and those we were to say the printed word, not the color of the ink. Very anxiety inducing!

Dehydration is another culprit of poor memory.

As a caretaker, you may be experiencing high levels of anxiety. It can be difficult and taxing. Make time to take care of yourself as well. I wish you the best possible prognosis!

[scipan]

49. Interesting, from your link:

A study of 499 individual plasma samples collected at multiple medical centers from adults who were cognitively impaired compared the Lumipulse blood test with results from PET brain scans or CSF samples. Nearly 92 percent of people who tested positive on the Lumipulse blood test had amyloid plaques that were confirmed by PET scans or CSF test results. More than 97 percent of those who had negative results with the Lumipulse blood test had negative amyloid findings on PET scans or CSF test results.

Sometimes results were inconclusive. Less than 20 percent of the 499 people tested had indeterminate results on the Lumipulse blood test.

[turbinetree]

25. My wife and I went to a seminar about dementia since her parents and my father and stepmother are developing

short term memory loss...............found out that everyone has some form of dementia, and that there are 65 different forms and where they have located them in the brain and that most dementia starts around the age of 35.
What was striking was that when someone has anger dementia the brain tries to defend its self from the discussion ( that's why you do not argue with older person with dementia) and the reason being is that there is a film around the brain to protect itself from harm and when it perceives that it is being attacked you might say...........the brain starts to shrinks to protect itself..........and then makes the dementia worse........and dementia is hereditary...........

[NNadir]

26. I discussed this very modern test elsewhere on this site, asking others, (and myself) if they would take it.

There's likely a test. Would you really want to know the result?

I wrote it in the Science forum.

This surprising find came in on my news feed. Just a few years ago, there was no biomarker; now apparently there are five

I am currently reading Charles Piller's Doctored, Fraud, Arrogance and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's.

I am peripherally interested in the science of Alzheimer's, having supported teams working in the area.

Piller does quite a nice job at addressing "preventive treatment" of dubious value and high risk.

According to the book, and I'll need to verify this in the literature if I have time, there are people who test positive for tau oligomers who don't get dementia. I know of whole families who are positive for the APOE2 gene where Alzheimer's is unknown. People are looking into the genome of these families to see what's going on. It's rare enough to have not been known, but a chance discovery showed the case to exist.

As for the disease itself, and worrying about getting it, and ruining the surprise by finding out...

I wouldn't want to be tempted to take take test, and I won't do so. There's no reason to do so. I recognize I'm in decline, but that's the fun of growing old. The alternative was dying young. I have noticed some changes to my memory, particularly for names, and certain technical terms and concepts. The other day, I couldn't remember that neutron absorption in ¹³⁸Ba results in the transmutation to lanthanum - the word "lanthanum" escaped me - but while I've always had a working knowledge of all the stable s, p, and d elements, I've sometimes stumbled, even when young, with the lanthanides. I can live without the word "lanthanum" on the tip of my tongue. Reciting the periodic table was always a cheap parlor trick anyway.

One will find out one's future by living it, maybe at the risk to not be cognizant enough to know it, in short order. What's the use of predicting the future? To me, mortality strikes me as a beautiful thing, as life is more precious in its presence.

As long as I know I love my wife, I'm OK and life, for whatever it is, is worth living.

[OAITW r.2.0]

29. "One will find out one's future by living it"

Well said, my friend.

[chouchou]

28. Why have you posted this 3 times?

Sorry....I couldn't resist.

[elleng]

31. Didn't know they could test for THAT, particularly.

I'm sure you're FINE!!!

[pacalo]

32. Your writing and expression are impeccable.

You're impressive at an impressive age.

[CTyankee]

39. Thank you!

[Canada Kid]

41. RE: Tyrant in the White House.

I don't think there is a test for abject stupidity! But for you I wish you good luck and good health!

[debm55]

44. I hope you get very good results. My husband mentioned to the Primary Care MD, that he was having with his memory. Now

he is scheduled to have a Brain Scan next week.

[bucolic_frolic]

51. You don't need a blood test. Here's the cheat sheet.

"Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV"

[MuseRider]

54. Good for you.

I hope anything that shows up is early enough for you to at least control.

I must make myself go to the doc. I know I have this (ex critical care nurse) but I have put it off. My heart ablation that was scheduled for 30 minutes took 5 1/2 hours. I had a stroke so...I had another and...........

It is frustrating. One thing though.....if you have any trouble with getting this site or you forget your numbers or sign in this site has the most wonderful admins. I thought I would lose my mind and I cried for a while because I could not post and I could not figure out how to get to them for help. I needed people to talk to. Remember that and be smarter than I was and keep your passwords where you can get them.

One more thing, stay happy and sing happy songs. It is hard but my life is SO SO much better because I can sing for joy. I helps you remember things too.

There are many things that can help if you do have that. Your docs will help you. Smile a lot (I would have punched someone that said that before, but just do it) and sing.

Good luck. You know where I am if you need some help. Stay strong and determined.

[CTyankee]

57. Forntunately, I spend a lot of my days in art history, which I started to do about 15 years ago.

It has been the most enriching thing I ever did, an experience that still enriches me every day. It is both exciting and soothing. I am thrilled and surprised every time I engage my mind in it.

[MuseRider]

58. Wonderful!

that sounds just wonderful!

[CTyankee]

59. With the internet SO much is possible. Just pick an artist you like and Google does its thing!

Pretty soon you see other artists who painted/sculpted like the one you like and you get more. And then you get others and it seems endless. Then you either stop or you risk getting HOOKED like me! (Not the worst addiction to have...)

[MuseRider]

60. I was thinking of that exact thing just now.

I read your response again and brought that into my space, music, and realized how many times I follow those kinds of threads putting music together. It sure helps you to understand what the composer or artist wanted you to get and the direction it took them. I can certainly see the addiction.

[CTyankee]

61. Most of Degas' ballet works were painted in the Opera Garnier in Paris which you can visit today.

Glorious architecture!

Mary Cassatt also painted some performances there, but Degas did lots and lots. He also painted the young dancers in the company in rehearsal with the Ballet Master and his large stick banging out the time. He even painted the Mamas of these dancers (some of whom were quite young) watching the rehearsals. They were often poor girls who were, sadly, exploited sexually by the older men who attended the performances in their evening finery and expected "favors" from their young prey. So Degas can be hard to view given today's consciousness of their socio-economic situation.

[MuseRider]

55. My experience

I hope anything that shows up is early enough for you to at least control.

I must make myself go to the doc. I know I have this (ex critical care nurse) but I have put it off. My heart ablation that was scheduled for 30 minutes took 5 1/2 hours. I had a stroke so...I had another and...........

It is frustrating. One thing though.....if you have any trouble with getting this site or you forget your numbers or sign in this site has the most wonderful admins. I thought I would lose my mind and I cried for a while because I could not post and I could not figure out how to get to them for help. I needed people to talk to. Remember that and be smarter than I was and keep your passwords where you can get them.

One more thing, stay happy and sing happy songs. It is hard but my life is SO SO much better because I can sing for joy. I helps you remember things too.

There are many things that can help if you do have that. Your docs will help you. Smile a lot (I would have punched someone that said that before, but just do it) and sing.

Good luck. You know where I am if you need some help. Stay strong and determined.

Again, our admins are the greatest people. They don't know it but they saved my life. I live in the boonies and I totally screwed my ability to get back here over and over and over again. No one to talk to most all the time. When we figured it out I messed it up over and over again. Stay calm and sing.

[MuseRider]

56. Posted twice and cant

figure out how to delete the first one. Sorry. Now there are 3