On the other hand, Hub and I had recently had a long discussion about whether we wanted to open the "closed" door on our "23 and Me" genetic testing results -- the door which holds the information on whether one has a genetic predisposition for late-onset Alzheimer's and/or Parkinson's disease. You can find out, but they don't make it easy. You definitely have to "opt in" at least 3 times to see the result. "Are you sure? Are you really sure? Are you super-duper really and truly sure? Do you have a genetic counselor and mental health professional standing by?" So maybe I was already primed for feeling that every lapse of memory was likely the beginning stages of the slippery slide into dementia territory, even though I don't have my results yet.
Anyway, as is my new habit I got up, dressed, headed to the kitchen and put a pan of 4 cups of water on to boil with 1-1/2 teaspoons of Indian spices thrown in to make a "detox tea". I'm following a Ayurvedic cleanse regimen that promises to cure every ailment I have and then some, plus encourages weight to fall off effortlessly. I'm 10 days into Phase 1. No weight loss yet. But maybe I'm just impatient. The entire process can take 2-4 months to complete, depending on how quickly one moves through each of the four phases.
So the ritual I've adopted is to boil the water for my tea, let it simmer and steep, then strain it into a bowl, dumping the seeds, leaves, and detritus of the spices down the sink before filling a large thermos to sip all day.
The first pan of tea boiled nearly dry as I put it on and forgot about it while I sat at my desk in another room, scrolling through Facebook. I dumped that out and started over.
I set a timer for the second pan of tea, turned off the heat, remembered I had to strain it, so turned to the sink and dumped the entire batch through the stainer and down the drain. I'd forgotten to capture it in the glass bowl. On to the third attempt.
That one was successful, but by then I was feeling rather sheepish about it taking three tries to make a batch of tea that is so easy to do I fully believe my three year old granddaughter could master it if she was allowed to be near the stove.
At dinnertime I successfully sauted some veggies, baked a piece of Mahi Mahi, and steamed some Jasmine rice -- which I also forgot and it sort of burned/stuck to the pan, but was not ruined, so Yay Me!
I have a few talents, but kitchen wizardry isn't one of them. Based on the day's fiascoes it seems I have the most problem with cooking foods in boiling water. I wonder if that's a genetic trait that will be revealed in my "23 and Me" test result? I've definitely decided not to open the scary door -- missing the cooking gene is startling enough for now.
At least, that's the view from here...©
I am very tempted to do the '23 and Me' test even though I've already done the one from Ancestry. And most definitely I would open that third door to know about the genetic predisposition for late-onset Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Living alone, it would help me get my ducks in order and not keep dragging my feet like I've got all the time in the world, and that preparedness could prevent me from being taken advantage of down the road. You've got a husband and sons to help protect you, so your decision is certainly different than mine.
ReplyDeleteI did Ancestry first. It just told me what I already know -- no heritage surprises. My husband did 23 and Me first and now I've sent mine in too. His is back -- so much information about genetic history, heritage, body type, health, etc. Really fascinating. We thought too we'd want to know on the Alzheimer's thing to take whatever action we can take now to ward it off longer, but then we started to wonder if it would interfere with living in the "now" of our experience and for me, it would definitely play a role in my health anxiety concerns. I'd rather continue to believe I'm just distracted or forgetful in a normal way than to fear each lapse is the beginning of something worse. Besides, we decided whatever we felt we should do if we have the gene, we should be doing now anyway regarding diet, exercise, estate planning, etc. I do understand your perspective too; it's scary no matter what, but being prepared can ease the mind.
DeleteFrom what I know about you I think you're making the right decision about not seeing those results. You deal with a lot more anxiety than I do. My way of handling anxiety is to be prepared so whatever comes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for comparing Ancestry results with 23 and Me. Next time I see them offer a sale price I'm jumping on it.
I did "23 and Me" and I really like it. It doesn't fully "predict"...for example, I should, genetically speaking, have ear lobes that are not attached but mine are. So it is still a percentage guess. I have other things that seem to portray my tastes..yes, I do prefer salt over sugar. Yes, I do have a propensity for skin cancer(s). Yes, I am under the average weight for a woman of my age and height...but so was my mother and so was her mother. As for dementia...I am not on the "late dementia" percentage grid but that doesn't mean I 1) won't have it eventually or 2) make stupid moves and decisions. I decided to check things out because of my mother and grandmother's late stage dementia...because I like to plan or un-plan ahead. But this is the kind of tying that truly must be the choice of the person involved. Hugs to you - either way, I do hope you remember to figure out a March or April day for lunch!
ReplyDeleteMy results should be coming any day. I still haven't decided if I'll look at the Alzheimer's thing, but I'm eager to see the rest. And YES to lunch....we've gotten off track between travels (mine and yours) and holidays. Early March would be great.
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