Here are the results of two of the tests my neurologist ordered:
Bloodwork - Normal. Everything was within normal limits. To keep this concise, I wll just tell you that, but if you need specifics about what was tested, ask me.
MRI of my Brain - Negative. No evidence of stroke nor anything else of any importance.
However…
I failed a lot of the memory tests that we did right there and then in the examining room.
For instance:
a) I was unable to remember the place where I had my MRI done. (It was an imaging center separate from the neurologist’s office). It had only been a week before the follow-up appointment with the neurologist.
b) Unable to count backward from 100 using the number 7 as my minus. (93 was as far as I could get before everything went ker-bloowie and I got all the sums wrong.)
c) Screwed up the day of the week and the date. (Off by one day both ways)
d) Unable to reproduce drawing 2 interlocking pentagons
There were some others I messed up on, but those are the ones I remember.
When I asked what his diagnosis would be, I was told “Early onset Alzheimer’s or senile dementia”. Too early to say for sure, he said, but I was given a prescription for Arisept and told that I would be on this for the rest of my life. Another medication may be added later. I don’t remember the name of it. I tried to take notes, but couldn’t get everything written down.
I haven’t read the rest, except for your own post 41.
A friend was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Her doctor told her children (all grown up, older grandkids are already in college) that the list of symptoms is actually a list of things that happens to everybody. Whether it’s just normal forgetfulness or alzheimer’s is a difference of degree, that’s one of the things which makes it hard to diagnose. Forgetting what day of the week you live in is normal; greeting your grandson by your husband’s name is not.
I would fail your c) very easily (that’s why on the 9th day God invented calendars) and making me count backwards in leaps of 7 should count as cruelty to animals.
I’m glad you’re seeing a doctor about it, specially since there is a family history, and hope your results are all beautiful.
Bugger. Prayers heading your way. Research has stepped up in this area recently, so there may be new approaches being developed that can give you hope for preventing the progression of the disease, if not a complete cure.
Definitely go get it checked out, my mom has it, and has been on the usual meds and is now in a study for something that works on the placque deposits and the results have been phenomenal … treatments are being worked on as we speak. There is another study that is working on the myelin sheath [or whatever the other physical aspect is] issue.
What she lost in memories is gone, but she is actually making and maintaining short term memory again, she is still a little ‘absent minded’ but not to the point of walking into a room and forgetting why she was headed into that room. She doesnt forget that she has told us something and is tracking quite well.
I would imagine that with whatever it is that she is taking, if diagnosed and being gotten into the program she is on you can maintain where you are for quite a while.
Jesus, Quasi, I am so very sorry to hear that. If I were you, I might consider BOTH taking the meds and continuing to look around for alternate causes just in case.
Here’s an article in the Scotsman about Professor Claude Wischik, who seems to have made a breakthrough in the research of Alzheimer’s disease with a drug called Rember. It may be available by 2012.
I don’t think that ever in my life I’ve been able to count backward by sevens!
Be that as it may, ((Quasi)) I’m sorry to hear this but it’s best to know, right, so you can do what you need to, to help yourself. There is a lot of research going on right now, and some of it being done here where I live in Lexington, Ky., at the University of Kentucky Nun study. (If you’d like to read about it.
We’re here for you if you need us. Keep us posted.
What a frightening time for you! We’re here if you need us. Let us know how the EEG turns out. Did you end up going to Birmingham? My mom worked at UAB and I was wondering if that’s where you went.
Nothing except take the meds and continue my life as if I had never been told.
Does that make me be in denial?
I don’t think so. Yeah, I will know it’s there, and maybe it will manifest itself on a more intense level, or maybe I can keep it at bay with the Aricept - who knows?
Because I work in the medical field (respiratory therapist) I suppose I’m a little more “tuned in” to signs and symptoms, but other than that, I’m just a regular guy trying to live a regular life, and that’s going to be the game plan for now.
I have not been to Birmingham, the doc and I decided we’d see how the medicine works and go from there.
I am going to keep a kind of diary, however. I think that will be a good way to “track” this thing, don’t y’all?
Again, my heartfelt thanks to all of you for caring about me.
{{hugs}} to you, Bill. I hope you get some relief from the meds and that the EEG shows normal. I think a diary sounds like a great idea, especially if it will make you feel more of a sense of control over things. All the best to you!
Did your doctors say anything about “mental workouts”? My dad has had a lot of trouble post-stroke with reading and some memory problems, and his doctor has suggested that he do things like crossword puzzles and sudoku and playing along with Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune and such.
Sorry to hear you received this shocking news. It’s true that being on the medication may help slow things down, so at least now you have something you can do about it.
A while back I read a news article about some young people who were dealing with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. One of the people featured keeps a blog at http://www.creatingmemories.blogspot.com/ if you think it might help to read about someone who is dealing with a similar problem (and by all appearances still finding a lot of good things to enjoy in life!)