It's been a month since I last posted. Is something going wrong with me? No, I'm fine. I guess that, after more than seven years and more than 550 posts, posting has become something of a chore. My heart isn't in it as it was before.
Now, I'm not closing down the blog. I believe I committed in Beating the Dementia Monster to at least keeping people updated on my case. Does continuing my lifestyle changes have durability with respect to maintaining my memory and cognition? Will (as some propose) my lifestyle changes use up all of the available stem cells in my hippocampus and revert me to an evolving dementia? I want to know the answers as much as any of you! So when I encounter new milestones, I'll share those.
At the moment, my sense is that my memory and cognition is consistent with healthy men my age. This doesn't mean that things don't happen that cause me concern, but overall I think I'm fine. My care team has not evaluated me for two years, and they say they won't test me again until a year from now. I plan to share that outcome because it will say a lot about the durability of my strategy.
In the meantime, I am participating in a number of research studies that test me, and I expect to get some kind of insights from them. Yesterday, I had an amyloid PET scan that will say something about where my brain is at. They tell me I can have the results in about 90 days. Before then, I should also have a tau PET scan and another MRI. Even though these are for research, the radiologist's reports are entered into my medical record, and I have access to them. I also expect more psychometric testing for these studies. So I'll share what I learn.
Will I occasionally come across some news important enough to prompt me to discuss it here? Maybe. But, always watching for news and then translating into something my Mom can understand (even though she's pretty smart) has been an increasing source of stress. So I feel a lot better after giving up on tracking research.
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I remember when you spoke at my church, which led me to your book and this blog. I have been following along and doing the work (minus the poking a prodding). I can't say where my mind would have been without the program, as I had no detectable dementia when I started, but my overall health has definitely improved. Thank you for providing the right kick in the pants at the right time.
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