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Post by AussieMeg on Aug 5, 2016 5:55:52 GMT
Absolutely I would want to know, no question about it.
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zella
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,884
Jul 7, 2014 19:36:30 GMT
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Post by zella on Aug 5, 2016 7:10:21 GMT
Yes, I would want to know because then I could set about ensuring that I killed myself before my disease got too bad and I lost the option of doing so. And knowing would help my family to understand and support my decision. However this test doesn't give a definitive yes or no, just increased odds. I'd still want to know.
My father died from Lewy Body dementia, which is more likely to affect me than Alzheimer's (I have some of the same precursors he had). If there was a test for this, I would take it. My dad really, really wanted to kill himself before the dementia got too bad, and he wasn't able to do so. I don't want to go through the same thing, and I definitely don't want my husband and daughters to have to try to care for me the way we had to care for my dad.
I'm currently directing a ten minute play that is about this subject (choosing to end one's life before dementia removes the choice) so it's very much on my mind at the moment.
I can't imagine coming to any conclusion other than choosing to end one's life once a dementia diagnosis is a certainty. Clearly not everyone feels that way, but that's how it is for me.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 5, 2024 3:25:51 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2016 7:47:55 GMT
Both of my grandparents on my dad's side had Alzheimer's so the possibility is high.
If the test were something that were offered, I probably would take it because it might lead to earlier medication options. I would like to be able to make the most of the time that I do have and make plans for the future financially so that I was able to have care and relieve family members of the daily burden.
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Post by corinne11 on Aug 5, 2016 8:41:22 GMT
During the past 2 years my father died - Alzheimers and Parkinsons , and my mum died- dementia. At my age (52) I would definitely have the test. Like others have said it would help me get things in order and make plans for the future. And I would go on lots of holidays while I still can and not wait for retirement. We have been talking about this recently and have decided to really make the most of life and do all the things we want to do. Lots of my friends are focused on paying off their mortgage before they do things. We should pay ours off soon but if we don't we aren't particularly worried. If something happened to either one of us, we would sell the house and the same goes for our kids "inheritance".
Corinne
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IAmUnoriginal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,894
Jun 25, 2014 23:27:45 GMT
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Post by IAmUnoriginal on Aug 5, 2016 10:44:57 GMT
I heard a Freakonomics podcast on this topic... There is a test for Huntington's disease... If you have had a parent die of Huntington's you have a 50% chance of getting it yourself. Most people do not get the test. They don't want to know. ETA: I looked it up... Only 5% take the test. Geez...this affects our family, too, but the other side. DH's maternal grandfather died of Huntington's in 2010. There were five kids in MIL's family. One died of cancer likely due to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam before grandpa was diagnosed himself. Two have/had Huntington's, two do not. Only one had the genetic testing -- DH's aunt. Her physician required proof that she had both life insurance and long term care insurance in place before they would run the test. When I was pregnant with YDS, I had amniocentesis done to check for huntingtons. If he had it, we'd know DH and MIL both do, too. The amnio came back clear. Somewhere between grandpa and YDS it's gone away.
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Post by heltr on Aug 5, 2016 12:27:53 GMT
to answer your question - yes I would want to know HOWEVER - on the surface the test does not seem super accurate If I remember correctly the Apo4 alleles (versions of the genes) confer different risks for developing AD. ApoE4 increases risk ApoE2 decreases risk ApoE3 has little effect on risk Here is an image (albeit from an old study) www.researchgate.net/figure/49651822_fig1_Alzheimer's-disease-age-of-onset-curves-by-APOE-genotype-based-on-the-information so while this test may be useful, if you have one copy of E4 and one copy of E2 they would cancel out the risking for E4 What I would really want to know is which variants I posses and what that specific risk is.
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