Example

The Problems

I have peripheral neuropathy, probably as a side effect from medicine I take for epilepsy. The worst of the neuropathy is in my feet, but tendrils of it extend up past my knee.

Also, my mother died from Alzheimer's disease. I'm 60 years old. Allegedly, the disease begins over a decade before symptoms show up. Currently, sometimes I have problems remembering names and faces. I eventually learn them, but it seems like it takes longer than it used to. I don't want to wait to see if things get worse before I take steps to protect my brain from any more deterioration.

Potential solution: The Bredesen Protocol

The Bredesen Protocol is a system for protecting oneself from cognitive decline, and reversing decline if the damage is not too severe. It can be found in the following books:

I intend to modify the protocol to fit my current circumstances.

I'm dividing the protocol into two main groups: Behaviors, and Tests.

Behaviors are things I can modify without paying for any laboratory tests. These items include:

• Fasting
• Diet
• Physical Exercise
• Mental Exercise
• Meditation
• Sleep

I plan to ajust my behavior in these areas beginning January 2, 2025. I'm going to eat whatever I want for the rest of this holiday season.

I'm dividing tests into two broad groups:

• Tests I can administer at home:
  
  • Weight
  • Body mass index (calculated using weight and height)
  • Blood glucose level
  • Ketone level
  • Basal temperature
  • Sleep apnea
  • Cognitive tests
  
  
• Tests that require a laboratory order:
  
  • Genetic test for ApoE variant (2, 3 or 4)
  • Blood test for Homocysteine
  • B6, B12,and Folate
  • Fasting insulin and hemoglobin A1c
  • hsCRP, albumin/globulin ratio, omega6/omega3 ratio
  • Interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha
  • Vitamin D3
  • Thyroid stimulating hormone, free T3, free T4, and Reverse T3
  • Estradiol, progesterone, and estradiol/progesterone ratio
  • Testosterone
  • Cortisol, pregnenolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
  • Copper/zinc ratio
  • Red blood cell magnesium
  • Selenium and glutathione
  • Mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium
  • Cholesterol
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
  • Gastrointestinal permeability
  • Blood-brain barrier permeability
  • Gluten sensitivity, sensitivity to other grains
  • Toxins
  • Mitochondrial function
  • Fasting insulin and hemoglobin A1c
  • Neural exosomes
  • Retinal imaging
  
  

You can see from the number of the laboratory tests the reason I'm going to wait for those. After I change my behaviors, I can test those other factors later. Changing my behaviors alone will improve my health to a significant degree. After three months of that, I'll reevaluate. I can then see what tests I can fit in my budget.