Hey all !
How effective have you guys found PET scans in early diagnosis of ALZ / Dementia? I'm trying to book a scan because of family history but insurance doesn't cover.
Also, not sure I would want to know if I am at risk because there isn't much I can do about it?
I would start with "baby steps" with the testing and as you and or the doctor feel the need to do more testing then go for it.
My PCP has told me to be aware of what’s going on with me. I go to her yearly and she and I will explore anything we think in suspicious. I won’t live in fear or the future, but I will be proactive about anything I think is weird.
Whether I get Dementia or not, I have started planning. I bought a 2 drawer Metal cabinet. I have all our investment info in there. All husbands retirement info because he has an ongoing insurance policy. Notes in the folders on how to handle things. Phone #s. Important papers like wills. Soon, we will be getting our POAs together. All my girls need to do is look in one place.
We have invested some money by cashing in Bonds, adding inheritances, and my pension that had to go into an annuity. We are just allowing it to sit. Hopefully, this will help with any care we may need.
I think thats all any of us can do.
Even if addressing changes now won't prevent dementia, I'm guessing, w/o having researched the issue to the extent necessary, that they might mitigate the intensity. And, living better and healthier is still better than the alternative.
I can understand the fear and anxiety inherent with these kinds of concerns. I went through that when my sister died of cancer, getting tested, worrying and worrying more especially there's a history of cancer in our family. Then I just decided that I wasn't going to spend the next phase of my life worrying, but would take better care of myself and hope for the best. That was over a decade ago, and I'm still here.
Apropro of this issue, I found an interesting article from the Environmental Health Perspectives (on which I've also posted under the Discussion section):
https://www.agingcare.com/discussions/aging-dementia-and-related-factors-clinical-studies-453440.htm
The article itself is at:
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP4579