I think that this falls under “what ifs”

Feb. 6, 2021

Today I found out something very interesting. I got the results of a DNA kit. What I found out was that I have one copy of the ε4 variant in the APOE gene that they tested.

The website said that people with this result have a slightly increased risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease. However, this does not mean that you have developed or will definitely develop the condition. Other factors can also affect your chances of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Because you have one copy of the ε4 variant, it is expected that:

Each of your children has a 50% chance of inheriting this variant from you.

At least one of your parents had this variant.

Each of your full siblings has at least a 50% chance of having this variant.”

A few months before my Mom passed away in Nov. 2019, I was wondering if she was showing signs of dementia. The last day that we spent together, she was experiencing the fog. I think that the only reason that she knew what I was talking about when I asked her if she was in the fog is because she had read poems that I wrote about the fog.

I’m not sure how I feel about these results yet. I think that I am still trying to figure all of this out. I guess if I am concerned, I could reach out to my Mom’s primary care doctor. I also might talk to my neurologist about this at my next appointment. I see him once a year. For now, I think that I’m just going to document this. Right now, I don’t think that it is something that I need to worry about.

Besides, I have always told myself that no matter what, I would accept whatever diagnosis I have.