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Here is a different spin on heredity. This is the second marriage for my brother, he has 2 sons with his first wife. The woman he has been married to for 26 years has 4 children of her own. The first 3 have the same father, the 4th, a daughter, has a different father. One of her son's passed away in May this year from colon cancer after an 8 year battle, he was 38 yrs. old. His father also passed away from colon cancer 1.5 years before the son. 2.5 weeks ago my brother and sil learned that her daughter has advanced, inoperable rectal cancer, age 33!! She does not smoke or drink, she is very over weight. My sil's father passed from pancreatic cancer in his late 60's, he was a drinker. What is the genetic link???The son that passed has a different father than the daughter, and my sil is an only child. Thank God my sil's 2 remaining sons have had screening and will continue to be screened so if colon cancer does show up, it can be caught early. With my family history of Alzheimer's...all I can suggest is to follow a healthy diet as natural as possible and in moderation. That means using real butter, whole milk, etc., in moderation. Exercise, eat a low cholesterol diet, grains, veggies, fish rich in omga fatty acids, and limit sugar, and carbs if blood sugar is an issue. Drink carbonated water instead of soda if the bubbles are what you like in soda. Most importantly, get out and enjoy life, do some things that you always wanted to do...go to a dinner theatre, host a tea at your your home one afternoon with girl friends, and learn a new skill you always wanted to do. Keep it simple, keep the cost down if expense is an issue. Just recharge your inner self and take care of you while you enjoy the process!!
My grandmother had Alz, but I don't think they called it that back then. I know now because she had the typical symptoms of wandering and "lost in time." My dad had some sort of dementia, but a specific type was never diagnosed. Though my dad's dementia was very similar to my husband's, which was diagnosed as Lewy Body Dementia. So, it would appear that even within the same family there was dementia, but different types, and that would make you think it wasn't genetic.
There is also research that indicates exposure to chemicals has something to do with it. My grandmother, father, and husband were raised around agriculture. But my mother raised around it too, and she is in her late 80s and mentally fine.
Another component is thought to be life style, i.e. alcohol, exercise, etc. Healthy life style may slow down progression. My grandmother, father and husband disliked vegetables and loved sweets. My husband was always very physically active and his dementia is early onset. My mother loves veggies, and was somewhat active.
So there are no patterns in my family, and I'm with those of you would said you worry and don't want to go this way. Too bad we don't have an expiration date and just go out before we "go bad."
Before concluding some ill is hereditary, I'd ask about other things first! What one consumes and gets exposed to, long-term, DOES affect brain health, if not immediately, it will in the end.
Some natural supplements, like Red Yeast Rice, for instance, work similar to Statin drugs; both can drastically adversely affect both brain and heart health, especially if one fails to take large amounts of COQ10 with those, for instance, and maybe some other supplements, to counter-balance those adverse effects.
Other herbs to help relieve depression and anxiety, can act similarly to some Psych drugs. For instance, the "flat affect" that can be caused by psych drugs, can also be created by taking too much of the herbs that otherwise can help balance mental and emotional problems--it's dose-dependent, and some may not be the right things for some people.
Allergies and sensitivities can cause mental and emotional imbalances, drastic levels of "fog-brain", dizziness, etc. too. [That word sounds like a misnomer---"Sensitivities" can kill a person, same as an allergy.]
Lacking adequate amounts and kinds of Probiotics in the gut, can cause mental and emotional health problems.
Lack of Vit. D can cause similar problems. So can low Thyroid [about 40% of blood tests for it are false normals]. So can malnutrition, either from lack of eating something, or not absorbing it. ALL these deficiencies can be related to hereditary weakness towards it, as well, but can exist only in one generation [individual].
There are things to consider, before relegating a disease to "heredity", much less letting the subject drop, flat, with that excuse.
Yes...I feel like I am GETTING DEMENTIA...taking CARE Of my husband with Dementia..you know..it is almost trying to think for him..and me....I get everything all ready for him...and I get to the car ..and remember I left something I needed inside....LIKE the blind..leading the blind sometimes..and it does not help when he VOLUNTEERS ....I think you have some of my forgetfulls too...OMG...TOO FUNNY some days..
Mainstream has thought genetics sometimes has a heavy hand, and it might. But there's growing data showing OTHER factors are more key to developing afflictions.
The new science of EPIGENOMICS, shows that the "on-off switches" that allow a gene to express itself, and how, are actually Gradient [ more like rheostats] switches, not simply "on-off". This science shows that what we are exposed to every day, including genetic weaknesses brought about by ones predecessor's own exposures in their daily lives, cause those gene-expression switches to change. Science lacks, at present, is enough information, including what to do about getting some gene-expression switches, to revert back to a healthier expression.
For instance: It was shown that boys of about age 10 to 12 or so who experienced famine at that age, had repeated generations of male heirs who develop[ed] adult-onset Type 2 diabetes [I can look back at 3 generations of men who's predecessor experienced the Irish famine, and ALL got Diabetes]. Women who were pregnant who experienced famine, from that fetuses line, those female heirs would most likely have notably shorter life spans than women in that family had before. Daily, we are exposed to many thousands of manmade chemicals, which have many effects on our body chemistry, which can cause cancers, changes in perinatal issues, hormone interruptors that affect ALL our hormones, etc. These chemicals can adversely affect how our neurology works, which can promote developing MANY neurologically related disorders, including MS, Alzheimer's, and a host of others.
Emotional stress alone, can trigger increased dementia and Alzheimer's. Consider: It's known that older adults can feel confused and forget why they went through a door--what did they go there for? With age and other conditions, that gets worse. Elders suddenly moved to a facility, or another relative's home, or even taken on a vacation trip, can suddenly become markedly demented--just from the emotional trauma/changes of moving. They may, or not, get any or all of their abilities back after a time of adjustment. [I've seen plenty of patients, some family and a few friends, go through this.]
People experiencing illness can get mentally unbalanced, too. If someone's old, and develops some illness that kicks off mental instability, it can be misdiagnosed as a mental problem by some less-than-astute Docs, if symptoms of the illness are not clear and easy to find.
Reverserolls I agree, Statins are one of the hidden culprits in many living with ALZ - quite hidden so the big guns -Pharma - can continue profiting, first step this year was when the FDA was forced to put the new Black Box warning for Diabetes type 2 and Memory Loss on Lipitor information, in September our PC Dr agreed with me to stop the Statin, I still do not give it to him, we went to two Christmas parties the past two Saturdays and he remembers, he knows me, our home & two dogs 100% again. He was on a Statin for many years, so the damage of it taking away the protection in the brain ( the brain needs cholestoral ) was done.
Both my maternal grandparents died of heart disease in their late 70's. My paternal grandmother died of TB when my Dad was just 6 years old, and my paternal grandfather lived to be 101....no dementia. My Dad succumbed to lung cancer at 65. My Mom, who has heart disease, was diagnosed w/ pre-dementia 8 yrs ago. She lives with me now and is probably in the later stages, She's been on Lipitor for years! So no dementia in the family prior to Mom (but her parents died fairly early w/ heart attacks). However, here's the scary part (for me!) My sister, a college professor, who is just 18 months older than me, is now showing signs of early stage dementia. She's still teaching, but is having difficulties w/ grading and computer issues now, and other things which make us all aware that something is going awry. AND, she has no heart issues and is not on any meds. Yikes. I'm worried. As caretaker for my Mom I see first hand how a witty, intelligent, (walking dictionary) like my Mom is going down the dementia hill slowly, steadily, and surely....now losing her grasp of language. My sis is next, it appears, and has started the journey way earlier than Mom, who was 79 yrs old with the barely noticeable onset, as opposed to my sis at 66!! It's all well and good for Ferris and others to say things like "don't worry about what you can't control" and "it IS what it IS," etc. but as your seeing this insidious disease stealing your brain right out from under you, leaving you totally at the mercy of others to help you with the most basic things of life, it is rather disconcerting TO SAY THE LEAST. Ferris is taking care of her husband, not a parent. No blood relative. Sigh of relief. I have heart disease in my family, resulting in four deaths....quite suddenly. To be truthful, I think I would pick that as my way to go if I had to pick between the two of them...dementia/heart attack. Of course I'm hoping to go in my sleep, peacefully......zzzzzzz. But, I guess we just don't get to pick, unless we take matters into our own hands. And I don't think I'd rule that out if I began to slip down the road of dementia. :-/
I had my mom screened for a study. There were two different groups in the study, one for people with the APOE4 gene the other without. The group for people with the gene was full. Mom had the gene so did not qualify for the study. The APOE4 gene is an indicator that someone MAY develop Alzheimer's. But people with and without the gene develop the disease. I think they will find it is not a single factor, but many that cause the disease to manifest.
You are correct sharynmarie - Heart disease is still the No. One killer of people. I also happen to have both parents die of heart disease, but I will continue to treat my body like a temple, and let the chips fall where they may.
Hold on people! Don't go thinking you are definitely going to get dementia just because your parents/grandparents have. There is a big study that compared Lipitor and Crestor, and the people taking Crestor faired much better not having memory problems years afterward. So please do not play the "blame" game when so many different variables are involved. Spend your life living as though you are NOT going to get it, take care of your health, and if you do get dementia, then you get it. Although the testing I have done for the Alzheimer's study has been extensive (PET, blood, genetic testing), and the allele on the chromosome that is "supposed" to indicate you might get dementia APOE4 remains a secret because this is a double-blind study and not even the doctors know. This is done so every bit of data remains objective. My psychological testing which occurs every two years gave them a baseline of when I began 1999 and follows my progression. Yes, I do feel the difference in testing years, but two years ago I did worse than my tests Oct. 2013. The best way I know to keep myself from worrying about it is focusing on caring for my husband who definitely has dementia and he needs me to remember. Keeping all the accounts, household repairs and maintenance, yard work, etc. does not allow me time to get depressed about what "might" happen. Live each day as though it were your last and that's the best you can do. Have a worry-free 2014!
Genetic research has turned up evidence of a link between Alzheimer's disease and genes on four chromosomes, labeled numerically as 1, 14, 19, and 21.
The APOE gene on chromosome 19 has been linked to late-onset Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form of the disease. Dozens of studies around the world have confirmed that inheritance of one particular variant of the APOE gene, termed APOE4, increases the lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
One of the puzzles surrounding APOE is why some people with the APOE4 variant do not develop Alzheimer's disease and why, conversely, many people develop the disease even though they have not inherited APOE4 . APOE, in other words, although clearly influencing the risk of developing Alzheimer's, is not a consistent genetic marker for the disease.
What Is the Role of Genetics in Familial Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's disease strikes early and fairly often in certain families, often enough to be singled out as a separate form of the disease and given a label: early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease, or FAD. Combing through the DNA of these families, researchers have found an abnormality in one gene on chromosome 21 that is common to a few of the families. And they have linked a much larger proportion of early-onset families to recently identified and related genes on chromosomes 1 and 14.
The chromosome 21 gene also intrigues Alzheimer's researchers because of its role in Down syndrome. People with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21 and, as they grow older, usually develop abnormalities in the brain like those found in Alzheimer's disease, though often at a younger age.
Few researchers think that the search for Alzheimer's genes is over. Most investigators are convinced that there are many more genes involved in Alzheimer's disease and, moreover, that other conditions must also be present for the disease to develop. One of these conditions may be a problem with the way in which nerves turn sugar, or glucose, into energy, a process known as glucose metabolism.
use your own judgement, make some decisions about your future and HUGS to everyone!!
This is in regards to Alzheimer's Disease specifically. My father passed on Dec.27, 2003 at the age of 76 from Alzheimer's. His father also passed from Alzheimer's. My father was born and raised in Ireland, he was an alcoholic as his father was, but my father was sober for 12 years before Alzheimer's showed up. My understanding with alcoholics is that they get vascular dementia from drinking not Alzheimer's.
My mother is 84, she also was an alcoholic. She got sober about year after my father did. My mother was diagnosed with dementia in Jan. 2010, a neurologist, in April of this year diagnosed her with Alzheimer's Disease and mentally incapacitated. My mother is the youngest of 8 siblings, but she is the 4th sibling to develop Alzheimer's. The 4 that developed it, all lived into their 80's and older. The other 4 died from other things before age 70. How can a neurologist diagnose my mom with Alzheimer's without an autopsy?? They can diagnose it 90% of the time correctly prior to death. Well, where does this leave me and my siblings??? I don't know, but I did take out a long term health care policy to cover my care so my husband will not have to struggle taking care of me. My next post I copy and pasted from the internet about heredity.
Not to be nosy but was all your loved ones on statins or antidepressants? Other than those my mom did everything right, she still got it, as did President Reagan so who knows.
im so far gone i dont even remember the question, but yes, were all bass fishing in a mudpuddle or whatever. its hereditary, my grandpa bass fished in mud puddles too.
my husbands sister died with it at 77, oblivious to anything, my husband is 82 he has it and his older sister age 85 is in a nursing home with it, all three siblings, no sign in mother or father, but mothers sister had it and died in NH. I could agree with the two sisters, being housewives, not having the education exposure, but not my husband, 43 years in the government in Washington, DC, high security clearances, he would be the last person I would have thought would come down with this horrible disease, but it is here and it's not going away!
I also think there is no good answer. I have heard that really intelligent people get it more often, but maybe we just notice it more in them? My father was brilliant, highly educated, involved in the community and church. His decline is heartbreaking ( all our LOs declines are heartbreaking),and he would be so embarassed by some of his behavior. Luckily he still has his sence of humor. My ILs are not as educated, and my MIL is declining but her family writes it off as her "hearing is bad", etc. I live with this daily, it's NOT her hearing! That does not make you put cooked food in your purse, etc... I just hope I go fast when the time comes! I agree with Jinx...
I just read that Alzheimer's and dementia were first discovered in the early 1900's but not really recognized until the 70' and 80's. 3 out of 4 of my grandparent's died in their 60's and 70's. My grandmother was 83. None of them showed any sign of mental lapses. Both my parents were diagnosed, Dad past 14 yrs ago, Mother will be 89 next month. My wife's mother is showing signs, more so recently, her father died early. We are both worried about our future but it does not consume our every waking moment. If it happens, it happens. All we can do is prepare for it so our kids don't have to.
I have a slightly different attitude. My husband with ALZ is only 68. I don't want to lose him, but he is so healthy. I could easily (sort of easily) take 20 years of his present condition, but I'm afraid of a fast mental decline followed by a slow physical decline. His very frail mother lived to 83.
My father was definitely showing dementia over his last 5 years, but he still lived alone at age 84, and died before he got very bad.
Other than being broke, I don't lose sleep over anything that might happen to me at age 84. Oh, yeah, diabetes. I would hate to have to follow rules about what I eat. We all know that something is going to get us. If we get ALZ, we will soon forget that we have it. We'll all be dead in 50 years, except for the youngsters.
Good diet, exercise, good social relations, and a good relationship with our Higher Power will help us enjoy life as much as we can for as long as we can. Worrying can't change a thing. It can only spoil your happiness today.
Don't fret about heredity. The older you are, the more likely you are to get dementia. An early death is one way to avoid it. Live hard, die young, and leave a beautiful corpse. Oops! Too late for the beautiful corpse, at least for me.
I realize I have it a lot easier than many of you, at least for now. I'm being flippant while you take daily abuse from your "loved one." I gripe about repeated questions while you hurt your back lifting a fallen mother. You have my love and support.
went to a seminar given by a well known Neurologist regarding Alzheimer's disease. I asked this question about the chances of hereditary and another person asked about the previous alcohol abuse question. He could not give a definitive answer, because so much is unknown. I also posed the question of how long do we wait to get a diagnosis, until i can't draw a clock? I have so many similarities of my mom, who we just placed into Skilled care. Diet and exercise, staying active, all of these mantras are great, But are no guarentee that it will keep dementia specifically ALZ at bay. I am scared of this future. Truthfully I don't want to be living with alz in 20 years. the numbers of projected people to have this are frightening. Thanks for bringing up this subject.
Being an Alzheimer's research subject (1 of 2,000) for Mayo Clinic, I can attest that getting dementia is both genetics and lifestyle. That said, you can do things to help yourself if you know you are at risk. If you are concerned about your genetic pre-disposition, try to enter a research project (so all the costs of the testing will be free). One cannot diagnose the type (Alzheimer's) until death, however MRI, CT and PET scans can show the areas of the brain which are affected. I just read a book by Dr. Gary Small where he talks about diet, exercise and things you can do to help your brain. No one knows for sure why we are getting so much dementia in the U.S., but in India hardly anyone (2%) gets this disease. Again, if you are concerned, read everything you can on the subject and ask for help. Good luck!
My Moms mom never had it even at age 91, sharp as a tack. I wonder why why why did my Mom get this. she did everything right, watched her weight, knitted, danced, drove, did the crossword puzzles, etc and at age 86 it started. I fear it daily as I have been taking care of her in my home for years. I too believe statins might cause it and although my cholesterol is high I fear the lipitor and think I rather die of a heart attack then this long goodbye, so scary. My Moms so lucky, shes in stage 7 and I can still get her to kiss me and laugh, but we all arent that lucky, I have no daughters, lol. I saw on Dr Oz that carbohydrates cause it! The Grain Brain book, I am going to get it and see. Hope we can cure this soon good luck everyone
My mother has dementia. We can go back 3 generations in her family (which was quite large - her mother had 19 siblings) and there is no one else in the family who had dementia. Many family members died at older ages than my mother (she's 88.)
I have no C L U E...My husbands Sister has it..and Leo has it..seems it is worse on some days than others...It is HELL when he is mean....with it...He wanted to go shopping the day after Christmas..I told him it was too crowded..he said I will take my elbows and knock people out of the way..I will clear a path...he wanted me to take him...we got in the car..and I drove him all around ...EVERY WHERE BUT to the stores...I had his camera with me..and told him to take photos...He was so mad..he took his camera and would hold it up to the window and just click it...then we saw wild turkeys...lots of them..and then he was better...we saw a Hawk and deer...and he got into taking photos..and then I took him to Mc Donalds ....he forgot about shopping..!!! But everyday he wants to go somewhere....LAWD
Yes, I hear you mgcarter, from my research reading, internet, talking to specialists and geriatricians, there is so much that is unknown, but just because your parents had dementia does not necessarily mean you will get it. Fine by me, if it is not one thing it will be another that will get me. I think it has a lot to do with activity levels both physical and intellectually, diet, statins, drugs and alcohol, perhaps hormones. High incidence of dementia in Ireland, and we know that the Irish like their drink. I will just try to do it one day at a time and keep myself active.
My mother has it. . .her sister died from it. . .it's hard to tell if it is genetic because all her brother's died before age 80 and her parents died before age 65. Every time I forget something or lose something I become concerned. I'm sure I'm not the only person with this thought.
The majority of cases of dementia (of the many various forms) do not currently appear to have a clear genetic link between generations. There is much that is not known about the origins of dementia. There may be lifestyle links between generations, at least for some forms of dementia.
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There is also research that indicates exposure to chemicals has something to do with it. My grandmother, father, and husband were raised around agriculture. But my mother raised around it too, and she is in her late 80s and mentally fine.
Another component is thought to be life style, i.e. alcohol, exercise, etc. Healthy life style may slow down progression. My grandmother, father and husband disliked vegetables and loved sweets. My husband was always very physically active and his dementia is early onset. My mother loves veggies, and was somewhat active.
So there are no patterns in my family, and I'm with those of you would said you worry and don't want to go this way. Too bad we don't have an expiration date and just go out before we "go bad."
What one consumes and gets exposed to, long-term, DOES affect brain health, if not immediately, it will in the end.
Some natural supplements, like Red Yeast Rice, for instance, work similar to Statin drugs; both can drastically adversely affect both brain and heart health, especially if one fails to take large amounts of COQ10 with those, for instance, and maybe some other supplements, to counter-balance those adverse effects.
Other herbs to help relieve depression and anxiety, can act similarly to some Psych drugs. For instance, the "flat affect" that can be caused by psych drugs, can also be created by taking too much of the herbs that otherwise can help balance mental and emotional problems--it's dose-dependent, and some may not be the right things for some people.
Allergies and sensitivities can cause mental and emotional imbalances, drastic levels of "fog-brain", dizziness, etc. too. [That word sounds like a misnomer---"Sensitivities" can kill a person, same as an allergy.]
Lacking adequate amounts and kinds of Probiotics in the gut, can cause mental and emotional health problems.
Lack of Vit. D can cause similar problems.
So can low Thyroid [about 40% of blood tests for it are false normals].
So can malnutrition, either from lack of eating something, or not absorbing it.
ALL these deficiencies can be related to hereditary weakness towards it, as well, but can exist only in one generation [individual].
There are things to consider, before relegating a disease to "heredity", much less letting the subject drop, flat, with that excuse.
But there's growing data showing OTHER factors are more key to developing afflictions.
The new science of EPIGENOMICS, shows that the "on-off switches" that allow a gene to express itself, and how, are actually Gradient [ more like rheostats] switches, not simply "on-off".
This science shows that what we are exposed to every day, including genetic weaknesses brought about by ones predecessor's own exposures in their daily lives, cause those gene-expression switches to change.
Science lacks, at present, is enough information, including what to do about getting some gene-expression switches, to revert back to a healthier expression.
For instance:
It was shown that boys of about age 10 to 12 or so who experienced famine at that age, had repeated generations of male heirs who develop[ed] adult-onset Type 2 diabetes [I can look back at 3 generations of men who's predecessor experienced the Irish famine, and ALL got Diabetes].
Women who were pregnant who experienced famine, from that fetuses line, those female heirs would most likely have notably shorter life spans than women in that family had before.
Daily, we are exposed to many thousands of manmade chemicals, which have many effects on our body chemistry, which can cause cancers, changes in perinatal issues, hormone interruptors that affect ALL our hormones, etc.
These chemicals can adversely affect how our neurology works, which can promote developing MANY neurologically related disorders, including MS, Alzheimer's, and a host of others.
Emotional stress alone, can trigger increased dementia and Alzheimer's.
Consider: It's known that older adults can feel confused and forget why they went through a door--what did they go there for?
With age and other conditions, that gets worse.
Elders suddenly moved to a facility, or another relative's home, or even taken on a vacation trip, can suddenly become markedly demented--just from the emotional trauma/changes of moving.
They may, or not, get any or all of their abilities back after a time of adjustment.
[I've seen plenty of patients, some family and a few friends, go through this.]
People experiencing illness can get mentally unbalanced, too.
If someone's old, and develops some illness that kicks off mental instability, it can be misdiagnosed as a mental problem by some less-than-astute Docs, if symptoms of the illness are not clear and easy to find.
Genetic research has turned up evidence of a link between Alzheimer's disease and genes on four chromosomes, labeled numerically as 1, 14, 19, and 21.
The APOE gene on chromosome 19 has been linked to late-onset Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form of the disease. Dozens of studies around the world have confirmed that inheritance of one particular variant of the APOE gene, termed APOE4, increases the lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
One of the puzzles surrounding APOE is why some people with the APOE4 variant do not develop Alzheimer's disease and why, conversely, many people develop the disease even though they have not inherited APOE4 . APOE, in other words, although clearly influencing the risk of developing Alzheimer's, is not a consistent genetic marker for the disease.
What Is the Role of Genetics in Familial Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's disease strikes early and fairly often in certain families, often enough to be singled out as a separate form of the disease and given a label: early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease, or FAD. Combing through the DNA of these families, researchers have found an abnormality in one gene on chromosome 21 that is common to a few of the families. And they have linked a much larger proportion of early-onset families to recently identified and related genes on chromosomes 1 and 14.
The chromosome 21 gene also intrigues Alzheimer's researchers because of its role in Down syndrome. People with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21 and, as they grow older, usually develop abnormalities in the brain like those found in Alzheimer's disease, though often at a younger age.
Few researchers think that the search for Alzheimer's genes is over. Most investigators are convinced that there are many more genes involved in Alzheimer's disease and, moreover, that other conditions must also be present for the disease to develop. One of these conditions may be a problem with the way in which nerves turn sugar, or glucose, into energy, a process known as glucose metabolism.
use your own judgement, make some decisions about your future and HUGS to everyone!!
My mother is 84, she also was an alcoholic. She got sober about year after my father did. My mother was diagnosed with dementia in Jan. 2010, a neurologist, in April of this year diagnosed her with Alzheimer's Disease and mentally incapacitated. My mother is the youngest of 8 siblings, but she is the 4th sibling to develop Alzheimer's. The 4 that developed it, all lived into their 80's and older. The other 4 died from other things before age 70. How can a neurologist diagnose my mom with Alzheimer's without an autopsy?? They can diagnose it 90% of the time correctly prior to death. Well, where does this leave me and my siblings??? I don't know, but I did take out a long term health care policy to cover my care so my husband will not have to struggle taking care of me. My next post I copy and pasted from the internet about heredity.
My father was definitely showing dementia over his last 5 years, but he still lived alone at age 84, and died before he got very bad.
Other than being broke, I don't lose sleep over anything that might happen to me at age 84. Oh, yeah, diabetes. I would hate to have to follow rules about what I eat. We all know that something is going to get us. If we get ALZ, we will soon forget that we have it. We'll all be dead in 50 years, except for the youngsters.
Good diet, exercise, good social relations, and a good relationship with our Higher Power will help us enjoy life as much as we can for as long as we can. Worrying can't change a thing. It can only spoil your happiness today.
Don't fret about heredity. The older you are, the more likely you are to get dementia. An early death is one way to avoid it. Live hard, die young, and leave a beautiful corpse. Oops! Too late for the beautiful corpse, at least for me.
I realize I have it a lot easier than many of you, at least for now. I'm being flippant while you take daily abuse from your "loved one." I gripe about repeated questions while you hurt your back lifting a fallen mother. You have my love and support.