tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post4357443740070216986..comments2024-01-04T09:23:45.843-05:00Comments on Watching the Lights Go Out: Vascular Cognitive DeclineDavid Hilfiker http://www.blogger.com/profile/00479949692410414480noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-49677881213299725202014-07-07T12:03:23.370-04:002014-07-07T12:03:23.370-04:00Thanks for helping me better understand this disea...Thanks for helping me better understand this disease. I think this disease affects more Americans than I realized. I think giving good senior care to these people is the most important thing we can do for them.personal emergency responsehttp://www.emergency.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-50499233680154267382014-01-27T05:49:57.308-05:002014-01-27T05:49:57.308-05:00If you think your cognitive decline is due to vaso...If you think your cognitive decline is due to vaso-occlusive disease, your diet should include all those foods contraindicated for patients taking anticoagulants. In your case, the anticoagulant effect would be desirable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-43211224756653052782014-01-26T18:02:40.899-05:002014-01-26T18:02:40.899-05:00Early in Alzheimer's, a person can be impaired...Early in Alzheimer's, a person can be impaired on one area and not in another. I don't have Alzheimer's but I do have a cognitive impairment. But I've been a writer most of my adult life, so the mechanics of writing are still with me.<br />Medicine is always looking for ways to get rid of the blockages, and is, indeed, well on its way. If stroke or heart attacks are discovered within a few hours it is often possible to administer new medication that will resolve the blockages. The problem is that within a short time the brain tissue or heart tissue beyond the blockage dies and that is not, at this point, reversible.David Hilfiker https://www.blogger.com/profile/00479949692410414480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-27301070103467489012014-01-26T03:45:53.851-05:002014-01-26T03:45:53.851-05:00I would have said you don't have alzheimer'...I would have said you don't have alzheimer's just based on the lack of spelling errors and vocabulary used in your blog, but I'm a mere layman and not a medical person. I have always wondered if it would be possible to clear out blockages in the veins and arteries using some chemical agent or tiny machine. With all the technology we have these days there must be something that can help.cubexyzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06334616051847604357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-69859137975449019232014-01-24T09:16:10.115-05:002014-01-24T09:16:10.115-05:00David, That is great news! Well, I guess everythi...David, That is great news! Well, I guess everything is relative! But there is a sense of re-gained control in your blog. Now that you have a plausible diagnosis, you can put your investigative and medical skills to work battling it. <br /><br />By the way, my mom has Alzheimer's and my maternal grandmother had vascular cognitive impairment. So my family and I are following your blog with tremendous interest. Thanks so much for allowing us to accompany you on your journey. We wish you and your family well!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18039089272019904256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-10417253611200263492014-01-23T20:08:40.810-05:002014-01-23T20:08:40.810-05:00Thank you so much for this blog, which I just disc...Thank you so much for this blog, which I just discovered. My father, 92, also has vascular cognitive impairment, and also had a high starting cognitive level, so that he noticed decline long before it was medically confirmed. He gets confused sometimes, and no longer lives on his own, but we just had a great conversation about your account of your experiences. I am hoping he will remember your statement, "We tend to be scared of Alzheimer's or embarrassed by it. We see it as the end of life rather than a phase of life with all its attendant opportunities for growth, learning, and relationships. We see only the suffering and miss the joy. We experience only the disappearing cognitive abilities and ignore the beautiful things that can appear." -- I will keep reading it to him, and to myself, as we walk together through uncharted territory, through light and dark.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-30903083996572937292014-01-23T12:02:49.217-05:002014-01-23T12:02:49.217-05:00I suppose as a doctor I'm especially cautious....I suppose as a doctor I'm especially cautious. I will wait until I see my neurologist to ask whether the aspirin will interact negatively with the other medications I'm takingDavid Hilfiker https://www.blogger.com/profile/00479949692410414480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-54002269203309431702014-01-23T08:26:34.498-05:002014-01-23T08:26:34.498-05:00I just want to thank you for this blog. It is inte...I just want to thank you for this blog. It is interesting to see how your diagnosis has changed. I hope that, even though you apparently don't have Alzheimer's after all, that you will continue to share your experiences. My husband was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment a few years ago, and I find your blog to be a kind of window into what might be going on in his mind. And your recent experiences demonstrate the need to question and keep on top of developments in the medical field. Thank you so much! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-71052492666822273582014-01-23T08:02:00.718-05:002014-01-23T08:02:00.718-05:00David, I am so happy to see this news -- well, in ...David, I am so happy to see this news -- well, in a relative way, I hope you know what I mean. As I've written to you in a previous post, my father was a victim of alzheimers, and I do sincerely believe that the diagnosis that you do NOT have that is good news, even weighed against the new challenges you now face. Best of luck!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05479034703636266209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-82727748770032095852014-01-22T21:20:57.683-05:002014-01-22T21:20:57.683-05:00Thank you for your blog. As I read about the &quo...Thank you for your blog. As I read about the "small clots", I thought of baby aspirin that people use to prevent clots in the coronary arteries. I don't think it's been shown to cause excessive bleeding. Is there any neurological study that has looked at baby aspirin for stemming the progression of vascular cognitive impairment?dr leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12585816379504886719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-87234528666415804142014-01-22T18:39:15.978-05:002014-01-22T18:39:15.978-05:00I suspect that things will change rather dramatica...I suspect that things will change rather dramatically in the next several years as the new PET scans come into widespread use. Currently the scans have a fairly high false positive rate (probably due to the fact that the amyloid protein that apparently causes Alzheimer's can be present years before any symptoms). The false negative rate, however, is very low, meaning that the person who has a normal PET scan is very unlikely to have Alzheimer's.David Hilfiker https://www.blogger.com/profile/00479949692410414480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-71355021149802829332014-01-22T18:35:20.115-05:002014-01-22T18:35:20.115-05:00Some of us "dance, sing, and make merry"...Some of us "dance, sing, and make merry" better than others. Cognitive impairment seems to make it easier, but it's never been a strong suit of mine.David Hilfiker https://www.blogger.com/profile/00479949692410414480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-15814844839338762212014-01-22T18:02:16.297-05:002014-01-22T18:02:16.297-05:00Your diagnosis revelation reminds me of one of the...Your diagnosis revelation reminds me of one of the wives in my Alzheimer's support group. Her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and was given the typical medications. However, his symptoms and continued abilities throughout his illness for many years made her doubt that the diagnosis was correct. Still, even after additional testing, the doctors hung on to the same diagnosis of Alzheimer's. It was not until after he passed and she received the results of the tests on his brain that the truth was available. Her husband did not have Alzheimer's, but some other disease (which I can't remember). She said it was a relief to know the truth and encouraged all of us to sign up for the post death brain research so that science can find a cure. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. I look forward to your posts.FloriKathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14199087983514784759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-58305387208593938782014-01-22T16:03:21.029-05:002014-01-22T16:03:21.029-05:00A lot of vascular problems are caused by clots, a...A lot of vascular problems are caused by clots, also by small brain bleeds. So blood thinners may work in some cases, and in others, may make it worse. This is good news! I have seen many neurological workups on patients, and most of them say, "normal brain shrinkage, due to age." I guess that is what causes us to forget the name of a street for a few minutes. <br /><br />All the more reason to get out there and dance, sing, and make merry. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02560132598266108913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-15790380375017220322014-01-22T13:24:26.063-05:002014-01-22T13:24:26.063-05:00It may be. I've been out of medicine so long...It may be. I've been out of medicine so long, I'll wait until I get some advice from my neurologist.David Hilfiker https://www.blogger.com/profile/00479949692410414480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-83712658256083475812014-01-22T12:41:39.609-05:002014-01-22T12:41:39.609-05:00Thank you for continuing to share your journey. I&...Thank you for continuing to share your journey. I'm praying for you and your family from afar.Kara Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05175074788299052518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-45856621747306548682014-01-22T11:33:08.621-05:002014-01-22T11:33:08.621-05:00I am a 64 year old retired physician. your comment...I am a 64 year old retired physician. your comments are thoughtful and very helpful. keep up the good work and I want to keep hearing about you!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12524038421775187733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-74768079156468511282014-01-22T08:32:03.203-05:002014-01-22T08:32:03.203-05:00I've been following your excellent blog for aw...I've been following your excellent blog for awhile now, and I thank you for the many thought-provoking posts. We oldsters (I'm 66) are always vigilant about The Big A, I think, so your conclusion that your disease may be vascular rather than AD is good news indeed. My initial thought, though, about treatment, is that I wonder whether a blood thinner might be appropriate, if tiny blood clots are causing the problem. Just a thought. Keep up the good work!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13758743552733470986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-79381081586020621772014-01-21T17:52:07.285-05:002014-01-21T17:52:07.285-05:00As I've said before my mother-in-law had Alzhe...As I've said before my mother-in-law had Alzheimer's. I have not said my father-in-law had vascular blockages. So I'm interested in seeing what you experience and what you choose to do about it whatever your diagnosis. It is nice to feel you have options now, though.Linda Sandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12734450335251336493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426202096598051070.post-41142491539949406612014-01-21T17:48:28.664-05:002014-01-21T17:48:28.664-05:00Good news indeed! Good news indeed! bobbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14353836074794786357noreply@blogger.com