The galley for my new book arrived

I hope my book will be available to buy in a month. 

I am very pleased with this YEAR TWO book.

Especially the foreword written by my neurologist Dr Swerdlow from Kansas University Medical Center Research.

I wrote I don't care that I have Alzheimers. An update on attitude.

Is having a second home a bad thing for an Alzheimer's patient?

View from my condo on Hutchison Island.


Most people with Alzheimer’s are not snowbirds.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Ginger and I go back and forth from Kansas to Florida. 

We go to the Airport Hilton a day before the flight in order to not have any stress missing the plane the next day.  We are 70 miles away from MCI.

We always get to the airport early. 

We have separate clothes already down in Florida. 

However we are taking a long International trip after Florida so we end up with more luggage than we really.  

Packing can be stressful especially to remember all the medications are refilled and all the subsequent travel plans are made. I take care of my own 13 medications. 

On this trip we had little stress and made no major mistakes. 

I was looking forward to warmer weather.  I could take a walk outside if it was sunny and 48 to 52 degrees.  I was often down to 20 degrees in the month of January in Kansas. 

We arrive to our condo and start the un-packing.  We also stopped at Sam’s to stock up. 

It’s a great deal of work which is probably good for us.  

We love seeing all our stuff in the Beachfront condo. 

We were able to get on Internet and two of our three TV’s.

Much faster and easier than in the past.  

Going back to Florida has made me happy.  

Travel is not for sissies.  

It is difficult for the elderly specially for those with Alzheimers. 

On cruises we see people 10-20 years old going on the 4-8 hours tours. 

Some with early dementia some with wheelchairs.  

That’s fortitude. 

Facing Alzheimer’s with Fortitude could be a good name for one of my next books.

Where am I?
It seems it takes longer for me to remember where I am in the morning.
It's only a matter of seconds, but as I navigate my way to the bathroom I am looking for Topeka home landmarks. Then it comes to me where I am. The fog of sleep? 
Doesn't seem very significant.
I remember most of the faces of the other residents in the condo but much more difficult to remember names. 
I remember the layout of the condo quite well.  
Recalling the codes of the doors comes back with some prompting. 
I can still function in the building. 
I can still remember how to navigate in the town. 

Is this transition good for my Alzheimer's brain or bad?
I think overall it is good. 
I recover many memories and I am engaged and interested in checking how things have changed.

I submitted this review of The Alzheimer's Antidote by Amy Berger

This is a well made book.  

My main complaint is with the title offering false hope for treating Alzheimers. 

This is more a book about diet than Alzheimers. 

Part one : The Metabolic Origins of Alzheimer’s Disease 

Similar to Diabetes Mellitus and Primary Hypertension we don’t know what causes Alzheimer’s. 

Amy Berger writes on page 3:

“Identifying the fundamental causes of AD is imperative and grows more critical every day”

No one with Azheimer’s disease has been cured. 

Dr. Dale Bredesen published a list of patients but do they truly have Alzheimer’s and have long have they survived so far?

Part two: A Nutritional Strategy for Restoring Healthy Cognitive Function

Again the critical word is ‘strategy’.  No proof. 

Part three: Lifestyle Factors to Support Healthy Neurological Function

It is a general belief that exercise, avoiding stress, and good sleep are helpful for Alzheimer’s patients. However they are not an antidote. 

Definition of antidote:

noun

1. a medicine taken or given to counteract a particular poison.

verb

1. counteract or cancel with an antidote.

 Exercise, avoiding stress, and good sleep may slow the rapid progression of Alzheimer’s but it is not going to cure it. 

My second biggest complaint is the trashing of Aricept and Namenda by Dr. David Perlmuter in the foreword he wrote.   

There are good trials that show these medications slow the progression of Alzheimer’s over two years. 

Amy Berger does not mention these medications at all in her book. 

I have recently started Intermittent Fasting and while I have not had weight loss I have improved my Hemoglobin A1c by two points.  Still not cures from this yet. 

Part four: Setting Yourself Up for Success 

This section discusses how to start a low carbohydrate diet. 

I have been this diet since 2011 and in ketosis. I endorse it but it has not prevented me from getting Alzheimer’s disease in Dec 2017. 

Amy talks about drugs.  

I disagree with her strongly about the use of statins the lowering cholesterol levels.  This is my third main criticism of her book/

People with Alzheimers often have a sudden drop in function with stroke. 

The best way to avoid stroke is to keep cholesterol low and control blood pressure. 

Amy writes on page 230 about cholesterol lowering medication.

  “Reducing the body’s endogenous synthesis of cholesterol is in direct conflict with trying to increase the amount of nourishing, brain-boosting  cholesterol we want to make available.”

Amy knows the brain makes it’s cholesterol. 

 Newborn babies who make a great deal of brain cells. 

Newborn babies run LDLc less than 100. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11142836

In summary, I agree with the message of:

1- Low carbohydrate high fat diet

2- Exercise

3- Avoid stress

4- Get enough sleep.

I give her only 3 stars because:

1- The title with antidote gives false hope

2- She doesn’t mention the drug for Alzheimer’s. Namzaric. 

3- She speaks against lowering cholesterol. This may cause stroke. 

Same weight but less fat pounds on Intermittent Fasting

I started intermittent fasting on 11-9-19 (214 lbs)
after coming home from a cruise on 10-14-19 (215 lbs)

I decided to use 215 lbs to measure the amount of pounds lost.

Date           Total Body Fat lbs      
10-14-19:     56.6  After cruise 
11-9-19:       61.8  Day I began intermittent fasting
1-12-20.       57.5 
1-18-20.       56.4  2 months after starting      

Below I show how I think IF has lowered my Hgb A1c by two points.

I wake up today with glucose finger stick 186.
My ketones were 2.6

It suspect it is the last five hours of my IF  fast that I gain the most benefit for glucose. 

My glucose went down from 186 AM down to 128  PM five hours later after 13 hrs 45 minutes fasting
My ketones went up from 2.6 to 3.2 during this same period. 

I finished my fast today at 17 hours.

 Glucose blood 

8:30 AM 186

1:12 PM  128

4:26 PM 117

Ketones blood    

8:30 AM 2.8

1:12 PM 3.2

4:26 PM 2.8

CGM 

8:30 AM 136

1:12 PM 108 

4:26 PM 97

I think these numbers are interesting. 

First: 

Continuous Glucose Monitoring is only a guide to Glucose Blood Sticks (CGM)

Second:

Surprising my ketones went up initially but then went down despite 3 more hours fast?

1-19-20 I read this article today by Peter Attia link

Excerpts below:

Update on data

I did an analysis at 213 lbs over several dates.
Again fat lbs. lost not weight.

My review of The Alzheimers Antidote by Amy Berger , MS, CNS, NTP Copyright 2017

My copy of The Alzheimers Antidote arrived today.

I tweeted the author to tell her.

How to interpret a CIMT

Over the years my CAC went up. 

How to check that my treatment was inadequate despite very low lipid numbers.

Lp(a) high or inflammation high?

CIMT $100 at KUMC Lipid Clinic helped me monitor my plaque yearly.

Jan 2020

1-2020

                               2018




                                  

                                   

Reason's why my Alzheimers should not be getting worse.

Reasons I should not get worse according to: 

Dr. Dale E Bredesen (The End of Alzheimers)

Amy Berger MS, NTP (The Alzheimer's Antidote)

1- I started Intermittent Fasting  

2- My Hemoglobin A1c (link) dropped 2 points 

3- On BIA my fat pounds (link) dropped 

4- I increased my vitamin D dose 
from 2,000 units to 4,000 u/d

5- I increased my Lovaza (fish oil) 
from 2,000 mg to 4,000 mg/d

6- I began a Super vitamin B complex each day since I started IF

7- I started a multiple Vitamin and Mineral pill
since I started IF


8- My blood pressure is always under systolic 120

9- I socialize each week 
with friends and Men's group

10- I began to teach myself to play Ukulele 

11- I am stimulated daily by
Following people on Twitter who
  teach me nutrition, weight loss and cholesterol
 I frequently write a blog
I am writing my
 YEAR 3 book on having Alzheimers

12- I love to discuss politics and watch it on TV

13- I have always exercised with weights and walking

14- I avoid stress 
      Agitation then Pause

15- I am very happy because:

In Dec 2017 when the diagnosis of Alzheimers was made I had no idea how fast my disease would progress. 

I now am hopeful I will finish my next book:
Pursuit of Happiness with Alzheimers YEAR 3

I now am hopeful I will see and understand the Presidential election in Nov. 2020


16- I have been on Low carbohydrate High Fat diet and in nutritional ketosis since 2011.

17- I have reached Bredesen's goal LDLp of 700. 
Amy apparently doesn't agree with this. 


18- I sleep 7 to 9 hours each night. 

19- I have been walking 5,000 to 8,000 steps every day. I go up 5-10 flights of stairs every day.


Reasons why I forgot how to spell "Yes"

1- I was transiently confused which does happen

2- I drink too much Alcohol?


But 

I was not stressed

I slept well the night before. 

During my 15 hour fast
My glucose was 143 at 9 AM
My glucose  was 110 at 3 PM

My blood ketones was 2.3 at 9 AM
My blood ketones was 4.7 at 3 PM

I didn't miss any Namzaric pills. 

I love my new dog.  Best dog for an old person.

I forgot how to spell 'YES'

        
                I forgot how to spell 'YES'

I was responding to a letter that required simple yes or no answers. 

I started out with the correct spelling but after 5 minutes I got confused and thought I was spelling it wrong and tried 'yse'.Now I realize how wrong that looks. 

Still I had to look up how to spell yes on google.

At the same time I knew how to spell inexorable.

Alzheimers progress is inexorable.

When I try to fall asleep I often recite my memory palace. I usually fall asleep before finishing

Last night I knew the first country started with an A but I could't remember so I wrote down the list again. 

Mailbox: smallest countries

1- Andorra

2- Malta

3- Monaco

4- San Marino 

5- Lichtenstein

6- Vatican City

7- Gibraltar

8- Faroe Islands

 Going up steps is like climbing Alps

9- Italy

10- Austria

11- Switzerland

Front Door

12- Montenegro (black statue) 

13- Macedonia (elephant)

14- Muldova (clock above)

15- Romania (clock around corner)

Dining Room

16- Bosnia and Herzegovina (2 blue glass vases)

17- Hungry (table)

18- Bulgaria (angel)

19- Serbia and Slovenia (My bust)

20- Croatia (picture of waterfalls)

21- Albania (banister of stairs)

Bedroom

22-Czech Republic  (Czechia) (TV pattern))

23- Poland (Bed w poles)

24- Slovakia (sitting couch)

25- Ukraine (turn head)

26- Belarus (Ginger walks in room)

Kitchen

26-Iceland

27-Greenland

28-Norway

29-Sweden 

30-Finland

40-United Kingdom

41-Ireland 

42-Denmark

43-Estonia

44-Latvia

45-Lithuania

RUSH Home to Garage

46-Russia

Hot tub Swim to Europe

47-Greece

48-Spain

49-Portugal

50-France

51-Germany

52-Luxemburg

53-Belgium

Netherlands

More food

54-Turkey

55-Cyprus (hummus)

56-Georgia (peaches)

57-Armenia (to carry peaches)

58-Kazakhstan

59-Azerbaijan 

Author of Defeating Dementia wrote me a letter about my review on Amazon

Dear Francis,

Good to hear from you. I will put my comments to your letter in purple

"Good afternoon, I wanted to tell you some things about myself.

 Eighteen or so months before I was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s I was diagnosed with MCI by a graduate of Harvard Medical  School. I think I mentioned that in my book. In early 2015"

My main complaint is there is not a clear time line. 
 I find this omission in other personal stories of AZ.

I like the fact that you wrote the book about your experience in the first person.  
That is also rarely seen. 

"I spent 35 minutes on the phone with Dr Dale Bredesen and saw him in his lab at the Buck Institute in May 2015. We have been in contact ever since and I saw him again in person this past summer in one of his labs in Dallas."

As a physician this doesn't suggest an official exam. Did Dr. Bredesin do a neurological exam?

"I recently had further cognitive testing done by Dr Frederick Brown in San Antonio. I scored a thirty on a MoCA. My first cognitive test showed me in the 30th percentile. "

How long was this exam and is he a neurologist? What year?

"The first Dr. I ever visited for cognitive impairment, as is standard practice, investigated the possibility of reversable causes , and in fact suspected it might be a result of depression, which I was experiencing. The depression went away, the cognitive problems got worse," 

But you also had vitamin deficiencies. You never wrote which vitamins and the actual lab results.
Also you are still taking anti-depressants? Correct.

I had a Cat scan in 2011 that showed nothing, an MRI in 2015 or 16 that showed nothing other than enlarged spaces between the arachnids if. I recall correctly. This was after maybe 9 months on the protocol.

Good, those details should be in the book.
You mean Bredesen's protocol. Which Doctor wrote the Rx for the scan's and how did you afford them?

One reason I didn’t have a lot of early testing was no insurance, coupled with the firm belief that my problem was untreatable
Did a physician tell you that? 

I read this in the book, but you could afford a lot of travel?

The last thing I want to address is my motive. 

I have been taught that the best way to avoid self pity when times are hard is to do something for others.
I wrote the book so others might avoid the many mistakes I made as a result of my denial and my lack of facts about treating the disease. 

In fact, I Made an arrangement with Amazon that people with Amazon Prime could get it for free. They then  changed it to anyone with Amazon unlimited. 

It cost me money to do that, but so far hundreds of people have received copies at no charge. 

I have also told people on support group sites on line I will get one to anyone that can not afford the Kindle for free.

I am still skeptical.  Value is not only money, it is advertising and marketing. 

I have my YEAR ONE memoir published. 

YEAR TWO is at the publisher. 

I am presently writing YEAR THREE and would like your permission to use this letter in the book.

 Perhaps I should have but I did not.
I would humbly ask you to reconsider what you wrote, especially the part about never having been to a neuro lab. 

I can't confirm that as I have no independent evidence. You need to provide that in your next book. I think people would like an update. I know I do

I believe this is your second book?  My books have improved tremendously over the years.  I hope you write a review.

I know even a one star bad review is much better than no review at all. 😉

Thank you for your time, Frank McNear

God Bless Frank,

I hope we can continue the conversation.

Diet medications worked over five years.

I went to a follow up at Stormont Obesity Clinic in Topeka

link Why I started Qsymia 

Above is my first BIA at Stormont Obesity with suggested goals

After being on Qsymia:
Reached Goals
Fat percentage less than 28%
Total Body water greater than 50%

Have not reached BMI around 25 doubt I ever will due to may muscle mass. 

On Intermittent fasting since Nov 9, 2019.
Hgb A1c improved by two points
Weight about the same but fat lbs lost. 

The new goal I was given today was to get my Visceral fat down to 10.

My waist is 42.5 inches today.

My belly seems smaller to me on Intermittent Fasting though my weigh is the same? 

If I get my waist to less than 40 inches I will strike off that risk factor for metabolic syndrome.

Best Private Bar in Topeka, Kansas

The See No Evil Bar in the basement of my home has a signature cocktail.

The Manhattan.

The drinking man's cocktail.

Ingredients: 

3 oz Bourbon  

1 oz Sweet vermouth

Bitters

Stir in ice don't shake.  Don't bruise the liquor.  As with Gin martinis.

Cherries as desired. I usually like 4. 

PRESENTING The SEE NO EVIL TOPEKA BAR

SEE NO EVIL PARAPHENALIA 

THE ANGELS OF SEE NO EVIL BQR

The MONKEYS AND MONKS OF SEE NO EVIL BAR.

THE INGREDIENTS OF TOPEKA MANHATTAN

I FOUND THE JIM BEAM BOURBON BEAM TO MY TASTE. 

BUT TRY THE DIFFERENT RYES AS WELL

STIR THE MANHATTAN, DON'T SHAKE

ADD AS MANY CHERRIES AS YOU WISH

HAPPY 2020 NEW YEAR!