In the months leading up to my mother’s 75th birthday in June 2019, I planned a surprise party. As I surreptitiously called her closest friends, two of them asked me somewhat hesitantly if I had noticed any changes in my mother’s memory. The truth is, I did – and so did my mother.
She had been talking about it for a while, writing to me in an email around that time: “I know my memory isn’t as good as it used to be and I’m repeating myself. It worries me but I really don’t know what to do.”
She was afraid of trusting her wonderful husband with her finances and losing control of her life in other ways. But as expected, my sweet mother told me, “Don’t worry about me, but continue to monitor what you consider to be a concern.
My mother has always been my role model, an example of what the next stage of life should look like. I never imagined she would develop Alzheimer’s disease. She was still healthy when we started noticing the signs. But one day, I started to lose it, little by little.
Understanding my own risk of Alzheimer’s
As I began to study Alzheimer’s disease, I learned that having a parent with the neurodegenerative disease increases risk. My case was no exception.
Tests revealed that my mother carried two copies of a gene called APOE4. Everyone inherits an APOE gene from each parent, and typical variations are APOE2, thought to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease; APOE3, the most common, with a neutral effect on the risk of Alzheimer’s; and APOE 4, which increases risk. A person with two copies of APOE4 is 8 to 12 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.
So, in October 2024, I was tested with a cheek swab which I mailed back. I had an APOE4 and APOE3 gene, which made me two to three times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. I was a little relieved.
As I researched, I discovered the work of Lisa Mosconi, Ph.D., director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention Program at Weill Cornell Medicine. One of his studies from June 2020 found that hormonal changes linked to menopause can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease – women account for two-thirds of cases – and that changes in the brain can begin years, even decades, before symptoms appear.
In April 2025, I decided to apply to join one of his studies. I was eligible, but the waiting list was a year and a half.
The following month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the first-ever blood test to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. It occurred to me that the timing was a gift from God.
“The test measures certain proteins, including a specific form of tau, which can indicate the presence of amyloid plaques in the brain. An amyloid plaque is a buildup of proteins considered the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease,” explains the Mayo Clinic.
I received it as soon as I could and my results were way out of normal. I thought I was too young and that my occasional forgetting of words was due to the brain fog of menopause. My job as a news producer is active, I’m always running, pushing and managing. It’s demanding, but I love it. I wondered if I should stop and started considering memory care centers where I could live and have someone take care of me.
Take control of my health
Then a doctor friend recommended I go to the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell in New York. I was told the clinic’s waiting list was a year and a half and I sent them an email begging them to consider my application.
Three days later, my phone rang. At age 58, I had my first appointment with Dr. Sonja Blum, which included body composition measurements, blood and genetic biomarker panels, standardized cognitive tests, and neurological exams.
Afterwards, I received personalized instructions regarding diet, exercise, supplements, sleep and much more. Research estimates that up to 45% of dementia cases could be delayed or prevented by targeting modifiable risk factors such as obesity, high cholesterol and social isolation. So I saw my new lifestyle as a life or death situation whose outcome was in my hands. I already ate a relatively healthy diet and worked out regularly, but I needed to do more.
I cut out artificial sweeteners and limited fried and processed foods, red meat, cheese, sweets and alcohol. Every day I started eating leafy greens, whole grains, vegetables and fruits, and every week several servings of fish, nuts, almonds, avocado and berries.
I also ramped up my workouts to 45 to 60 minutes of cardio three to four days a week, plus strength training — three muscle groups, three sets per exercise, 8 to 10 reps. I also moved my bedtime forward.
And in December 2025, I added something else: an anti-amyloid infusion, called Kisunla, approved by the FDA in 2024. A previous scan of my brain found that I had high levels of amyloid in every quadrant, and Kisunla was shown in trials to slow cognitive and functional decline by 60% in patients like me.
The earlier the patient starts, the more effective the treatment. I couldn’t wait to clear the amyloid from my brain.
After six infusions, in May of this year, I had another test to determine my progress. I went from a score of 86 to 4. The radiologist wrote in the notes, “The amyloid problem is resolved.”
The following month, I joined another research initiative, led by Dr. Richard Isaacson, founder of the Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention Clinic, which has since moved to Florida. His team’s blood tests showed my tau levels were normal, perhaps from monitoring what I eat. He called the change in my amyloid levels “breathtaking.”
A new generation of Alzheimer’s
From the moment I walked into the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, I was told, “You are the patient we want to have,” a reference to my age, my high level of functioning, and my total commitment to doing everything I can.
I currently do not have Alzheimer’s disease or even mild cognitive impairment. But I still have positive biomarkers and a high risk of contracting the disease.
If I had to give advice to others, there are some things that I think are crucial to my story.
My determination was not to let myself be outdone by my discipline. It was difficult to find the right doctors and get an appointment, but I didn’t take no for an answer. Information is power. It would have been too late to bury my head in the sand and wait to see signs like the ones my mother showed.
We were able to slow or even stop the progression of my symptoms years before they got worse. Blum told me that I was the start of a revolutionary new generation of Alzheimer’s disease, one where it is managed like any other chronic illness.
That said, my journey is not over. There is no certainty and I am still a patient at the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, where my blood and biomarkers are checked monthly.
My mother would be proud. At 82 years old, she recognizes me and still loves me, but she can no longer follow or remember our conversations. I lost my closest confidant.
She remains my example of how to live and grow. In trying to save my mother-in-law, I believe God helped me save myself, and I hope my story helps others until we no longer talk about this disease.
Alzheimer’s Disease Resources
Gn Health
