Hello

PEretiredAD is my new blog. AD stands for Alzheimer's Disease. It's not me. It's Jenny--my wife of 58 years.

It began a few years ago during a routine visit with her PCP. "Is there anything else?"

"I'm having trouble with my memory."

Jenny's father and his six siblings all died from Alzheimer's disease.

So it began. A head scan and a referral to a neurologist. It took a year to get the appointment.

We had questions:
  • "Is there a problem?" The neurologist's nurse practitioner said "Maybe. Maybe not." 
  • "What's next?" we asked. Smartphone in hand, she began searching for drugs. The drugs made Jenny sick.

After a year with this neurologist, we gave up. In the meantime, I searched for answers to our questions. We attended sessions in a neighboring county sponsored by the Virginia Program for Aging Services (VPAS). Nice people, but we still weren't getting answers to our questions. 

After another year, out of sheer desperation, Jenny applied to Johns Hopkins Center for Memory Care. She had an appointment with a neurologist MD. Another brain scan. Tests and a followup appointment were scheduled. Then, the doctor left the US permanently. 

Next, a new PCP and another referral. The second neurologist was worse than the first.

The NP at the new PCP referred Jenny to the University of Virginia's Memory and Aging Care Clinic. After hearing nothing for several weeks, her NP called. No dice. Too many patients. 

Then, one Sunday morning, we saw a commercial on TV for Sunday Health. 
More paperwork, more tests, and a video appointment with Dr. Amy Sanders.

That's where we are now. Hopefully, in the near future, there will be a diagnosis and answers to our questions.

Stay tuned.


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