Alzheimer’s Disease: Would You Want to Know?

Suppose there is a test that can be done to determine the likelihood of you getting Alzheimer’s disease.

Would you want the test?

Should you know the results?

My grandmother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. She passed away when I was 19, but she was no longer herself many years before she stopped breathing. Before the disease ate away at her brain, she was such a lovely woman. She baked the best pies, she had a grand sense of humor, and she seemed to have lots of friends. But after several years of the disease, she lost her spark. She just wasn’t the same woman.

It’s possible, maybe even likely,  that her road is the same road I’ll travel someday. If there is a test that can tell me (privately) that I will, I want to know so I can prepare for the trip. But on the other hand, if there’s a test that can tell me that I won’t, a huge weight could be lifted from my shoulders. Of course, it’s possible I could end up with some other kind of dementia or who knows what else, but suffering the indignities of Alzheimer’s is one of my greatest fears. If I could either confirm it or rule it out, I would call my doctor tomorrow and find out.

How about you?