Category: Health and Wellness

Boulder’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s

Walk to End Alzheimer’s Team led by friend, Diane Scott

I’ve done a lot of fundraising over the years. In fact, I used to think my friends probably wished there were a way to “unsubscribe” from my emails or mark my fundraising emails as “spam.”

While it’s true that plenty of people don’t respond to my fundraising emails, I don’t take it personally. Those who do respond, whether with a donation or a note of support, fill my heart with gratitude.

This year, rather than creating my own team, I joined my friend Diane’s team. I admit it made things a lot easier for me! I didn’t have to stress too much about the responsibilities of being a Team Leader, namely, trying to get people to join the walk.

Ironically, I had a few friends join our team without any pressure from me!

This year, my friend Dennis even flew out from Minnesota to walk with me! My housemate, John, and my friend Ken also surprised me by joining us.

John, me, and Dennis with our flowers

At the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, participants carry a colored Promise Garden flower representing their personal connection to the disease:

  • Blue: Someone living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
  • Purple: Someone who has lost a loved one to the disease.
  • Yellow: Someone supporting or caring for a person living with the disease.
  • Orange: Someone supporting the cause and the vision of a world without Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
  • White: A symbol of hope for a future without Alzheimer’s.

I, of course, carried the yellow flower in honor of my Mom. I’m back in California this week, enjoying another visit with her.

Boulder’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s – October 10, 2026

The walk started on the CU campus on a beautiful, sunny day. Speakers from the Alzheimer’s Association shared encouraging news about the fight against this disease.

I’d already been following the exciting advancements in Alzheimer’s research, treatments, and early detection, but I learned about something new at the event: a nasal spray developed in Cuba called NeuralCIM® (also known as NeuroEPO).

A clinical trial reported encouraging results in people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease, although larger studies are still needed to confirm its effectiveness and safety. Here’s the published research for anyone interested in the details.

Overall, the day was inspirational and heartwarming for a number of reasons.

Since my Mom was diagnosed, I’ve often felt helpless. I can’t stop this disease from progressing, and I wish more than anything that I could.

But I realized that, even though I can’t control what happens to my Mom, there ARE things I can do. By participating in this walk, I’m:

  • Helping fund research toward better treatments and, someday, a cure.
  • Raising awareness about Alzheimer’s and the importance of brain health.
  • Receiving support from friends and family.
  • Deepening connections.
  • Hearing stories from others who’ve been affected by the disease.
  • Finding hope and feeling inspired about the future.

I may not be able to change my Mom’s diagnosis, but I can keep showing up, supporting the cause, connecting with others, and celebrating the good things in life along the way.

And that sounds like a pretty good way to Seize the Day!

Carpe Diem

Learning DBT with Friends: 26 Weeks of Growth and Connection

Some friends send you a funny meme or an interesting article.

My friend Shirley sends those. She also sends opportunities to change your life.

Earlier this year, she forwarded information about a free online course in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, better known as DBT. The course was designed to take 26 weeks.

Twenty-six weeks!

Since my theme for 2026 is “Do What You Love: 26 in ’26,” I took that as a sign. Of course, the fact that Shirley was inviting me made it even more appealing. Learning DBT with friends sounded much more motivating—and more fun—than working through an online course alone.

What Is DBT?

DBT stands for Dialectical Behavior Therapy. It teaches practical skills in four major areas:

  • Mindfulness
  • Distress tolerance
  • Emotion regulation
  • Interpersonal effectiveness

The free course at DialecticalBehaviorTherapy.com includes 40 short lessons with videos, exercises, and worksheets. Although DBT was originally developed as a form of psychotherapy, its skills can also be valuable for anyone interested in personal growth, stronger relationships, and healthier ways of responding to life’s challenges.

One of the ideas at the heart of DBT is that two seemingly opposite things can be true at the same time. We can accept ourselves as we are and still work toward change. We can acknowledge that our feelings are valid without letting those feelings dictate our actions. We can care deeply about another person while also setting boundaries.

Life is rarely as simple as right or wrong, good or bad, acceptance or change. DBT helps us become more comfortable living in the “and.”

The Shirley Factor

Of course, signing up for a class and actually completing it are two different things.

That is where Shirley comes in.

Shirley is a deep thinker, a strong motivator, and one of the most curious people I know. She doesn’t simply skim information and move on. She studies it, takes copious notes, asks questions, makes connections, and thinks about how the ideas apply to real life.

When she invited me and a few others to take the course, she also created a WhatsApp thread where we could compare notes and discuss each lesson. That small act made a huge difference.

Instead of silently clicking through an online course by myself, I had companions for the journey. We could share insights, ask questions, and talk about which exercises resonated with us. Knowing that others were participating helped keep me accountable, but even more importantly, our discussions gave me an opportunity to dig deeper.

The course provided the lessons. Shirley helped create the learning community.

That is one of her gifts. She doesn’t just collect knowledge; she creates opportunities to explore and share it.

Learning Beyond the Lessons

Our conversations haven’t been exclusive to DBT lessons. We continued discussing other topics related to psychology, relationships, communication, and personal growth.

A few weeks ago, we even met for a quick retreat in the Santa Rosa area. Spending time together in person gave us another chance to talk, reflect, and exchange ideas. As always, Shirley arrived with an impressive amount of information and plenty of thoughtful observations.

Shirley gifted me the book Rolefulness: A Guide to Purposeful Living by Professor Daiki Kato and Nicholas Kemp. The concept of rolefulness encourages us to focus not only on goals, but also on the many roles we fulfill in our lives. It was a fitting gift from someone who is always introducing me to new ideas and encouraging me to look at life from a different perspective.

She is truly a wealth of knowledge. But what I value most is not simply how much she knows. It is her willingness to share what she learns and invite others into the conversation.

There is a special kind of friend who encourages you, challenges you, and helps you see things from a different perspective. Shirley is that kind of friend.

Knowledge Is Better When It Connects Us

The DBT course taught me useful skills for handling emotions, tolerating distress, practicing mindfulness, and navigating relationships. But the experience also reminded me of something I already believe deeply: learning is richer when it brings people together.

A free online course became much more than a collection of lessons. It became a reason to reflect, an invitation to connect, and another chapter in a meaningful friendship.

And, appropriately enough, it all unfolded over 26 weeks.

In my “26 in ’26” year, I’m celebrating not only the things I love to do, but also the people who inspire me to keep learning, growing, and connecting.

Thank you, Shirley, for sharing your wisdom, your motivation, your copious notes, your thoughtful gifts—and the journey.

Related Posts

Cherry Popsicles, Old Friends, and Finding Joy

Sometimes You Just Need a Popsicle

There are holidays for just about everything.

National Cherry Popsicle Day is one of them.

August 26 is the day, and when I discovered this important piece of information, I immediately decided that Mom and I needed to celebrate. Not only is it celebrated on the 26th (which is my theme number for 2026), but I already have a cherry dress! (I celebrated Cherry Dessert Day on May 26!)

Life has been pretty heavy lately. A cherry popsicle seemed like an excellent antidote.

My original plan was ambitious. I thought we could make homemade cherry popsicles with some of the residents at The Preserves. Michele and I experimented with cherry yogurt and imagined a charming little popsicle-making activity where everyone could participate.

Well…that was the plan.

Let’s just say that homemade popsicles are considerably more complicated than I’d imagined. The recipe book that came with the kit included recipes with at least five ingredients. I thought it was as simple as putting cherry juice in a mold, but…no. We tried putting yogurt in the molds, but that ended up being both messy and not very tasty.

So we pivoted.

Instead of making popsicles with the residents, we bought popsicles for the residents.

Sometimes my Carpe Diem adventures are simply going to the grocery store.

And everyone was perfectly happy.

A Difficult Season

The popsicle celebration came at the end of an especially emotional couple of weeks.

Mom’s health and cognition have been declining, and there have been some scary and difficult days. She’s had moments of confusion and fear that have been heartbreaking to watch.

That’s part of why I came to Los Angeles earlier than I had originally planned. I wanted to be there for Mom—and for Michele, too.

I spent most days with Mom over those two weeks.

When I’m there, I know my presence gives her a sense of security, and she is generally calmer.

That doesn’t mean every day is easy. There are still times when she’s frightened or doesn’t understand what’s happening. Other days, she’s simply exhausted and sleepy.

But there are also moments when everything seems to come together and she’s happy.

And those are the moments I’m savoring.

Old Friends and New Memories

The popsicles weren’t the only sweet moments I’ve had with Mom lately.

One of my favorites was helping her reconnect with her childhood friend, Rolly, over FaceTime.

They hadn’t talked in years.

Watching them see each other again was incredibly special. They were both so happy to hear one another’s voices and catch up.

I wish I could have recorded the call, but Mom was using my phone, so I’ll just have to remember her laughs.

Life Doesn’t Stop for Hard Times

In the midst of everything happening with Mom, I’d had a weekend getaway planned. Mom had been doing better, so I decided to carry out my plans for a weekend in Santa Rosa.

Somehow, I packed three wonderful events into one weekend.

I spent time with my friend Shirley.

Shirley with her new Squirrel finger puppet at The Grey Squirrel Manor in Windsor, CA

I attended the wedding of the niece of my longtime friend Jack.

Jack and me at his niece’s wedding.

And then I got to experience something completely different: the joy surrounding a brand-new baby, born to another of Jack’s nieces.

A wedding.

A new baby.

Old friends.

A childhood friend reconnecting with Mom.

Popsicles with a memory-care community.

All of these things happened within the same few days. Happy tears welled up during the joyful moments. Maybe when you’ve been carrying sadness, the tears are already there, waiting for any excuse to spill over—and happy tears are the best.

Alzheimer’s is sometimes called “the long goodbye” because we slowly grieve so many losses while the person we love is still with us.

But maybe that’s exactly why I want to savor the joyful moments in the midst of the grief.

The Gift of Saying Goodbye

There have been days when Mom has desperately wanted me to stay. Leaving her has been heartbreaking on those days.

There have also been days when Mom has been surrounded by kind staff and familiar residents and has felt secure enough for me to leave without tears.

On Thursday, the day I was flying back home, she was sitting happily with her friend Debbie. They held hands and vowed to support one another.

That made leaving a little easier.

I’m also deeply grateful that Michele is nearby. Having someone who loves Mom and can be there when I can’t is an enormous comfort to both of us.

Carpe Diem, Even When Life Is Hard

Now I’m back home, slowly catching up with all the email and stuff I normally do when I’m here in Colorado. Celebrating my grandkids’ birthdays, cleaning my house, and (most importantly!) catching up on my CarpeDiemDay blog post!

I talked to another friend today who was feeling restless about aging and worrying about some recent health scares.

I told him, “I have a goal to find joy wherever I am and whoever I’m with. And that works pretty well, even when life is hard.”

Maybe that’s what these past few weeks have reminded me.

Finding joy doesn’t mean ignoring the grief or pretending the hard things aren’t hard.

It means noticing the joy that’s right there beside them.

Sometimes it’s a wedding.

Sometimes it’s a new baby.

Sometimes it’s hearing your mom laugh with a childhood friend.

And sometimes it’s a cherry popsicle on a hot day.

What joys are you finding in every day life?

Let’s Defeat Alzheimer’s

When I was young, I remember thinking the two worst diseases anyone could have were ALS and Alzheimer’s. Little did I know that I’d have the privilege of being part of the journeys with both these diseases with people I love.

I learned so much about living in the two years my friend, Craig, was living with ALS. And now, since my Mom has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I’m again reminded how important it is to live each day with joy and without regret.

Alzheimer’s Diagnosis Doesn’t Stop Glen Campbell

The other day a friend sent me a YouTube video of Glen Campbell singing “Wichita Lineman.” I was curious about Glen Campbell’s story. When I checked his Wikipedia page, I saw that he’d died from Alzheimer’s in 2017.

After his diagnosis, he went on his final tour – which included 151 concerts. His family made a documentary to raise awareness and funding for Alzheimer’s Disease. What a hero he was. Not only was he a musical genius, but with his courage to carry on and continue sharing his gifts despite his diagnosis.

Hope for the Future of Alzheimer’s

Even before Mom’s diagnosis, I was very interested in brain health and interviewed Baroness Susan Greenfield on my podcast. That was over 5 years ago, and there was cautious optimism about new drugs.

Since Mom’s diagnosis, I’ve immersed myself in learning everything I can about Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and brain health.

The progress over the past few years has been encouraging. Scientists have developed biomarkers that can identify risk much earlier than before. New medications are beginning to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s for some people. Researchers continue to deepen our understanding of the disease, and growing evidence suggests that lifestyle choices—including exercise, sleep, nutrition, social connection, and lifelong learning—may help reduce our risk and promote healthier brains.

We Can All Join the Fight

I’ve also become more involved with the Alzheimer’s Association through education and volunteer opportunities. The more I learn, the more convinced I become that brain health matters for everyone—not just those who are at risk or have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Whether or not dementia ever touches our families personally, we all have a stake in protecting our brains and supporting the scientists, caregivers, and advocates working toward a world without this disease.

Together—through research, education, healthy living, compassion, and hope—we just might defeat Alzheimer’s.

Reexamining Purpose and Blogging in Retirement

Finding Purpose by Accomplishing Goals

I wrote about Purpose in Retirement 3 years ago. It was the first topic in my Year of Learning. As I said in that post, I find a lot of purpose by achieving goals.

Every couple of weeks I sit down to write another blog post. Sometimes I wonder, “Why am I doing this? Is anyone even reading these?” Without a boss, deadlines, or expectations from anyone else, it’s easy to question whether the time is worthwhile.

I’ve discovered that I’m much less motivated when no one is holding me accountable. There’s no boss expecting results—only that little voice in my head reminding me I’m behind. (Another goal is teaching that voice to relax.)

What is the Purpose of Blogging?

Seasoned goal-setter that I am, I always want to have some way to measure if my efforts are paying off the way I’d hoped. When I’d created this Website, I’d wanted it to be a way to promote “Living Life Fully” in honor of my friend, Craig, who exemplified that attitude despite an ALS diagnosis.

Though I feel proud of my Website, I haven’t focused much on promoting it, and there are certainly many other higher-quality sites that spread goodness and messages about living life fully.

That’s when I begin wondering whether I should spend my time doing something more productive—or, maybe the opposite, invest much more energy into improving and promoting the site.

Blogging is a way for me to have a little legacy – something that I hope will still be here after I’m not. Years from now, my children or grandchildren may stumble across these thoughts and better understand what mattered to me. Even if the audience is small, writing helps me leave behind more than photographs—it leaves behind my values.

I tried to improve my blog in the 2nd month of my Year of Learning, when I was learning about blogging! So at least blogging serves the purpose of reminding me of topics I’ve already grappled with!

His Purpose is Love: Brian Jeansonne

At the end of my Learning about Purpose blog post, I concluded with:

I started the year thinking my purpose was “to be as happy and healthy as possible” but I’m going to update it to this: My purpose is to love.

And the end of my Learning about Blogging blog post, I concluded with:

I would like its [the CarpeDiemDay Website’s] primary purpose to be to promote others and other sites who are spreading messages about living life to the fullest.

I recently discovered Brian Jeansonne. His story deserves much more than a mention and I intend to write much more about him in the future. (Spoiler alert: He will be my next Carpe Diem Hero.)

He not only exemplifies living life to the fullest, but ends every one of his messages with “Love.”

The following video is so powerful. Brian finds humor, even in describing his own tragic story with ALS. Since Carpe Diem Day started on this very premise – resilience in the face of ALS – I wanted to share his video here.

I bought Brian’s book, “Onward, Forward” and I’ve been following him on social media. He’s an incredible man.

Summary

It’s good to revisit our purpose and goals throughout life. In my case, blogging not just helps me stay accountable, but helps me remember previous conclusions!

The purpose of this Website isn’t to accumulate followers or page views.

It’s to remind myself what matters—and to share stories of people like Brian who embody love, resilience, courage, and living life fully.

Simple Things That Make Me Happy

Many years ago I began my obsession with happiness. One of the most effective and simplest practices to increase happiness is to write a gratitude journal. Another is to take pictures of simple things that make me happy. I also have a practice of writing a blog post every other Sunday about something that makes me happy.

I missed last night’s blog post, and I’m now at the airport waiting for a spontaneous flight to Florida to visit friends, Patsy, Chris, and Eva. (Undoubtedly, this will be the topic for my next blog post.)

To make things easy and fast, I’m just going to post some of the pictures from the last few days with a little explanation of why these things made me happy!

One of my favorite places in Boulder is Pearl Street, especially on a beautiful sunny day! Those purple flowers behind me bring me joy.

My friend, JJ, invited me this morning to join him at Brewing Market in Lafayette. We often have coffee at Starbucks, but I suggested that we start branching out and visit other unique coffee spots. I love the atmosphere and menu at Brewing Market!

One of the things that I like best about coffee shops is getting a hot drink in a mug with a fun design made out of the latte. This was a sugar-free hazelnut cafe latte! Yum! I always love a hot drink in the mornings!

On my way home from Brewing Market, I stopped at one of my favorite stores: Dollar Tree! My new flamingo beach bag and beach towel were well-worth the $5 “splurge.” I also got some pretty lilac nail polish along with bubble bath and other goodies. (My newly-painted toe nails were tough to get in the picture, but they’re gorgeous.). I discovered the great deals at Dollar Tree during times of financial stress and it remains one of my favorite stores! Just call me “Frugal Flamingo.”

My little crocheted purple octopus, my Glitter Luggage Tag (gifted to me by good friend, Becky) and my lavender carry-on (gifted to me by Matt & Stella) make me happy. I was especially happy today because there was another carry-on EXACTLY like this in the storage compartment of the bus. If it hadn’t been for my little identifiers, I would have taken the wrong suitcase!

OK… I have a lot of other pictures of things that made me happy this weekend (Yay, it’s Memorial Day Weekend!) but my plane is boarding now, so this will have to be enough for this week’s Happy Post!

Toad Hollow, From Afar

Labyrinth of Love, Ajijic Malecon

My goals return each year, a map
To learn, to stretch, to gently grow.
On every twenty-sixth, I choose
A quirky day few people know.

Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement
Feels human, hopeful, warm, and right,
As Mexican sun and bougainvillea
Turn quiet hours bright.

Back home, my friends face snow and grief,
A churn of storms and public lies.
How do I offer words of hope
From borrowed warmth and softer skies?

I fled the cold, the ICE, the fear,
Found welcome here like family,
While shots rang out—again, again—
And since dissolved in tragedy.

For hurting friends both left and right
Let’s stop the talk of hate.
Believe your eyes and not the lies
There’s nothing to debate.

So let this day remind us why
Encouragement is where we stood:
Not turning away, but facing truth,
Becoming better than we could.

Let’s find a way, together still.
For Pretti and For Good.

Welcomed like family in Guadalajara

Glorieta de La Minerva

My adventures in Mexico continue. This weekend’s stop: Guadalajara hosted by my generous ConversationExchange partner, Ramón.

From the moment I arrived in Guadalajara, it was clear this trip would be different. Usually, it takes me at least a half-day to figure out where I’m going and how I’m going to get there. Ramón not only greeted me at the airport—he and his family spent the entire weekend showing me all the sights, sounds, and tastes of Guadalajara. I was a pampered visitor who didn’t have to lift a finger!

The Food of Guadalajara

Ramón’s wife, Sylvia, and their daughter met us for lunch at Tortas Ahogadas. Over plates of Guadalajara’s iconic, gloriously messy sandwiches, it soon became clear that Ramón and his family were going to give me an immersive experience in every way, including gastronomic delights.

Tortas Ahogadas
Jericalla – A traditional custard dessert from Jalisco
A snack of crickets! (I did NOT try this one.)
Dulces! A sweet jam and nut-filled roll sliced into bite-sized delicacies

The Sights of Guadalajara

The family took me on several outings: walking city squares, visiting markets, exploring art galleries, and sampling foods. Even when we were simply walking, Ramón was teaching—about the city, its history, and, of course, helping me with Spanish.

Ramón is a natural teacher – that was his profession. Even though he’s newly retired, he continues to teach and is obviously a life-long learner himself.

We saw so many sights that it’s hard to pick out which pictures to share, but here are a few.

Feeling Like Family

On Monday morning, before Sylvia left for work, we shared a full breakfast at their lovely home. I was truly amazed at their thoughtfulness. Although we had only met through ConversationExchange Zoom calls before this visit, Sylvia and Ramón treated me like family. They paid attention to the small things that make someone feel truly cared for—tea made from homemade herbs with lemon from their garden, slippers waiting for me, postcards made with sand art, sending me off with a bag full of sweets. These weren’t gestures of obligation; they were gifts of kindness.

Their hospitality was so sincere and generous that I left inspired—and a little humbled. I kept wishing I could reciprocate in some meaningful way.

Whenever I offered to help pay, Ramón and Sylvia insisted, laughing it off with a cheerful, “Mañana.”

When Ramón drove me to Ajijic later that day, I tried to tell him, in my imperfect Spanish, how valuable the weekend had been to me. He had been my driver, teacher, guide, host, and photographer. These are expensive services for travelers. Not only that, they paid for all my meals, all the gas, parking expenses – everything!

But what was truly priceless was this family’s genuine kindness. That is an experience that I’ll always treasure.

Guadalajara gave me beautiful places, incredible food, and unforgettable walks—but Ramón and Sylvia gave me something rarer: trust, warmth, and a reminder of how powerful everyday generosity can be.

Connections in the New Year: Adventures in Los Cabos

Final day in San Jose del Cabo before heading to Cabo San Lucas

I’m always so excited in the New Year! New goals! I’m going to read more, write more, exercise more, eat better, never get mad (😂), learn Spanish fluently, have an adventure every week, dance every day, give more, strengthen my faith, celebrate each day, and the list goes on and on.

This year, my first big adventure began in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. I spent 10 days here on my own before meeting up with my BFF, Lisa, along with her partner, Steve for a stay at Pueblo Bonito in neighboring Cabo San Lucas.

I’ll spare you the details and progress of my way-too-many goals, but the overarching “goal” for my life is to live and love fully.

Connections in San Jose del Cabo, En Español

Sharing a meal with Amado at his favorite restaurant, Claro Fish Jr. in San Jose del Cabo.

The first 10 days of the year, I was on my own in San Jose del Cabo. Every day, I had a goal to have a conversation with a local in Spanish.

  • Day 1: Taxi-Driver
  • Day 2: Waitress
  • Day 3: Get battery on my phone replaced (I’m still proud of this one!)
  • Day 4: Discuss Venezuelan President capture with Pharmacist (his topic and beyond my Spanish-speaking abilities!).

I hit the jackpot when I met Amado, a bilingual Mexican-Canadian. I told him that I wanted to practice Spanish and he was a patient listener, teacher and tour guide! He showed me all over San Jose del Cabo and was so generous with his time and his heart. It was my favorite day in San Jose del Cabo. Amado became a fast friend and I hope we’ll stay in touch.

Connections with God and BFF, Lisa

Full of awe at a the morning sunrise and a timely God moment

In my quest to further my connection with God, I’d downloaded the Bible app, on the recommendation from my BFF and Minnesota-friend, Lisa.

Every morning that I was in San Jose del Cabo, I was greeted by the most beautiful sunrise from the high-rise balcony at my HomeExchange.

One morning, right as I was viewing the gorgeous sunrise, my phone dinged and up popped the morning verse:


Arise, Shine, For the Light has Come and the Glory of the Lord has Risen Upon You.

Isaiah 60:1

It was as if God was texting me!

Attending Cabo Church in Cabo San Lucas with Lisa. They recited the same Isaiah 60:1 verse

Maintaining Connections from Afar

Even though I’m loving the warmth, beauty, and freedoms of vacationing in Mexico, I don’t want to neglect or be insensitive to my friends and family that are going through hard times.

Daily calls with Mom – She’s with her friend, Debbie!

The most valuable calls I’ve been making have been my Drop-in calls to Mom. She still has her good days and bad days. I’ve been happy to see that she now recognizes her new friend, Debbie and that they’ve become very bonded!

I’m also able to stay in touch with other friends and family – Facebook, text messages, and calls help me keep up with what’s happening with my “people” and it’s such a comfort.

What Went Well and What I Want to Do Differently

Overall, this first 2-weeks of 2026 went amazingly well. The beautiful HomeExchange, the ever-present bougainvillea, the colorful streets, finding a new sweet friend, Amado, improving my Spanish, meeting up with Steve and Lisa — all have surpassed expectations.

The one area that I could do better would be to detach more from the news. For the next couple of weeks, I’m choosing to cut back. I’ll stay informed, take a deep breath, pray for those who are suffering, and focus on what I can do—show up, help where I can, and keep noticing moments of joy.

My pTau-217 Results Are In!

Getting a pTau-217 blood test for Alzheimer’s Risk

In my last blog post I shared that I decided — as part of my “What to Do in Retirement” theme — to get a blood test that measures pTau-217, one of the earliest and most accurate biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. They now know that Alzheimer’s pathology can begin 15–20 years before symptoms, so early detection is becoming as important as cholesterol testing.

Last week, I got the results.

➡ My pTau-217 level is 0.13 pg/mL.
➡ Which means… absolutely nothing alarming. In fact, it’s great news!

Research labs all over the world (BioFINDER, Mayo Clinic, Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, JAMA Neurology studies) use cutoffs ranging from 0.27 to 0.59 pg/mL to indicate early Alzheimer’s activity.

My number? 0.13.
“Low Risk” – This was a huge relief, but since these tests are new, I still wasn’t sure what exactly it meant. Did it mean I was in the clear for life?

So, thanks to Google and ChatGPT, I did more research and found out:

  • I’m not in the 20-year preclinical Alzheimer’s window.
  • I don’t have measurable amyloid or tau buildup.
  • My risk for developing symptoms in the next 10–15 years is considerably lower than average, even with family history.

How often should we test for pTau-217?


Experts say pTau-217 levels rise extremely slowly, so every 2–3 years is a reasonable interval — unless I join a clinical study.

Now that the results are in, it’s easy for me to say I’m glad I got tested. I’d been obsessively worried and now I can breathe easier. However, those who are high-risk are eligible to participate in trials. The best time to be able to influence the outcome is before symptoms begin to show during the “20-year preclinical Alzheimer’s window.”

If you’re curious about your own risk, I did my free screening through CareAccess, and they even gave me a $45 gift card.
Here’s my referral link:
http://friends.careaccess.com/783Mjz

Whether or not you get tested or are low-risk or high-risk, I think we could all benefit from having a brain-healthy lifestyle. This year, my blogging theme was “retirement.” Next year, it’s going to be about Healthy Aging, with an emphasis on Brain Health!

I’m excited to share all that I’m learning about Alzheimer’s and the brain.