2019 Wellness

2019 Wellness Expo LINCOLN DAILY NEWS Thursday, February 21, 2019 Page 21 Your physician does not want you to have memory loss and will want to help you to eliminate anything that may be causing you distress in this area. 3. Consider a referral to a neurologist specializing in memory care. Such specialists will welcome your inquiry, but will not pull you into a program if your problem is not serious. They can “rule in or rule out” with broader expertise than your primary physician. 4. If the evaluations DO indicate that your memory loss is at the level described as “mild or moderate dementia,” do not panic. Dementia is common, and there are many possible causes. Alzheimer’s disease is the most frequent cause, but there are many different causes. (For example, strokes, brain injuries, Lewy body dementia, frontal lobe dementia, Parkinson’s disease.) 5. Pursue further diagnosis. Your dementia may not be “curable,” but it may be treatable. Various activities and medications may help your brain to function more effectively than if you were doing nothing. Your diagnosis guides treatment choices. 6. Be open with friends and acquaintances about your diagnosis. They will often be surprised that you have been diagnosed, and will be supportive of your efforts to deal with the problem “head-on.” Your condition is not a cause for shame. Because of your openness, others who may be denying or trying to hide their memory loss problems, will be encouraged to deal with the issue more directly. 7. Consider experimental testing. Your neurologist, especially if the practice is associated with a medical school, may be able to link you up with the latest, most promising drug treatments, long before they are available to the general public. The tests are closely monitored, and will not be dangerous to you. The tests may not help you with your memory loss, but you will be part of the hard-won victory over dementia that we hope will enable your children or grandchildren to avoid the disease. 8. Join a dementia support group. Alzheimer’s Association sponsors such groups in many communities. The group may be labeled “Alzheimer’s Support Group,” but most groups have people with many different dementias. ■ The group leaders are equipped to understand the diversity of issues. CONTINUED