Kutheni Ndifumene Uvavanyo lwe-Alzheimer

Umxholo

• Uphengululo lwe

Iingcali zenzululwazi zisondele kakhulu ekudaleni uvavanyo lwegazi oluya kukwazi ukubona isifo se-Alzheimer iminyaka elishumi ngaphambi kokuxilongwa, ngokutsho kwengxelo kwi-FASEB Journal. Kodwa ngenxa yonyango olumbalwa olukhoyo, ngaba ungathanda ukwazi? Nasi isizathu sokuba omnye umfazi athi ewe.

Umama wasweleka ngenxa yesifo sika-Alzheimer ngo-2011, xa wayeneeveki nje ezimbalwa eneentloni ezingama-87. Wayekhe wandixelela ukuba unomakazi naye owabulawa sisifo i-Alzheimer, kwaye ngelixesha andinakutsho ngokuqinisekileyo ukuba yinyani na (andizange Ndadibana nalo malumekazi, kwaye ngelo xesha, ukuxilongwa ngokucacileyo kwakunzima ukufumana kunanamhlanje), ndisazi ukuba le mbali yosapho yandikhuthaza ukuba ndifumane ulwazi oluthe kratya. (Ngaba i-Alzheimer iNgxenye yesiqhelo yokuguga?)

Ndisebenzise i-23andme [inkonzo yasekhaya yokuhlola inkangeleko yasekhaya esele ivaliwe yi-FDA ilinde ukuvavanywa ngakumbi], evavanya, phakathi kwezinye izinto, umngcipheko we-Alzheimer's. Xa ndandiyojonga iziphumo zam kwi-intanethi, isayithi yabuza, "Uqinisekile ukuba ufuna ukuya kweli phepha?" Xa ndicofa ewe kwathiwa, ngathi, "Ngaba uqinisekile?" Ke bekukho amathuba aliqela okuthatha isigqibo, "Mhlawumbi andifuni kuyazi le nto." Ndahlala ndicofa nje ewe; Ndandisoyika, kodwa ndandisazi ukuba ndifuna ukwazi umngcipheko wam.

23andme wandixelela ukuba ndinethuba le-15 leepesenti lokufumana i-Alzheimer xa kuthelekiswa nomngcipheko womntu ophakathi, oyi-7 yepesenti. Ke ukuqonda kwam kukuba umngcipheko wam uphindwe kabini ukuphakama. Ndizamile ukuthatha oku njengolwazi-akukho nto ingaphezulu.

Ndingene kuyo ndisazi ukuba kuya kubakho ithuba elihle lokuba izinto zam zomngcipheko ziya kuba phezulu kunomndilili, ngoko ke bendizilungiselele ngokwasengqondweni. Khange ndothuke, kwaye andizukuwa. Ngokunyaniseka, bendixolile ukuba khange ithi umngcipheko wam wawuyiipesenti ezingama-70.

Emva kokufumanisa umngcipheko wam kwi-23andme, ndathetha nomfundi wam we-internist malunga neziphumo zam. Undinike ulwazi olubaluleke ngokwenene: Ngenxa yokuba unobungozi bemfuza, akunikwanga ukuba uya kufumana isifo. Ayifani [ne-neurodeergenerative genetic disease] I-Huntington's, apho ukuba unomfuzo kwaye uhlala uneminyaka engama-40, uqinisekile ukuba uyayifumana. Nge-Alzheimer's, asazi nje. (Qinisekisa ukuba uyafunda indlela iSifundo eSifundo esitsha esiKhanya ngayo kwiBrain engaqondakaliyo.)

Andenzanga nto malunga neziphumo zam, malunga nokutshintsha kwendlela yokuphila. Ukunyaniseka, andazi ukuba kuninzi esinokukwenza okwangoku. Umama wayehamba kakhulu, wayekhuthele, enomdla ekuhlaleni-zonke ezi zinto iingcali zithi zilungile kwingqondo yakho-kwaye wafumana i-Alzheimer's.

Umama wam ebengasebenzi kakuhle kwenye indawo eneminyaka eyi-83. Kodwa oko kuthetha ukuba ebeneminyaka engaphezu kwe-80 emangalisayo. Ngaba wayenokutyeba kakhulu, engazibandakanyi noluntu, okanye etye ukutya okungathathi ntweni, mhlawumbi loo mfuziselo ngeya kukhaba ineminyaka engama-70, ngubani owaziyo? Ke kweli nqanaba, ingcebiso ngokubanzi kukwenza konke okusemandleni ukunqanda ukubakho kwesi sifo. Ukwahluka, ewe, ngabo basemngciphekweni wokuqala isifo se-Alzheimer kwangoko. [Lo mahluko, ohlasela abantu abangaphantsi kweminyaka yobudala engama-65, unonxibelelwano olucacileyo lwemfuza.]

Ndiyabaqonda abantu abathi kungcono bangazi. Kodwa ndandicinga ngezinto ezimbini: Ndandifuna ukwazi ukuba yintoni enye enokubakho kumnombo wabazali bam ukongezelela kwisifo sika-Alzheimer, ekubeni ndingenayo inkcazelo eninzi ngembali yezonyango lukatatomkhulu nomakhulu. Kwaye iminyaka emi-5 okanye eli-10 ukusuka ngoku, ukuba siyazi ngakumbi malunga nokuba yeyiphi imfuza ekufuneka siyijonge okanye ngabaphi abamakishi ekufuneka bajonge, ndinothelekiso. Ndinesiseko. (Fumana okona kutya kukuKhusela i-Alzheimer's.)

Ndiyazi ukuba ezi ziphumo zizinto nje ezinomngcipheko kum. Andigxininisi malunga neziphumo zam, kuba ndiyazi ukuba uvavanyo lwemfuzo sisiqwenga esinye somfanekiso omkhulu. Ndenza ukuhlala kwam ndisebenza, ndizibandakanya noluntu, ndisitya ngokundilisekileyo-kwaye konke kuphume ezandleni zam.

Kodwa ndonwabile ayithethi iipesenti ezingama-70.

Emva kokusweleka kukamama wakhe, u-Elaine wabhala incwadi malunga namava kamama wakhe ngesi sifo kunye namava akhe njengomlondolozi. Nceda uElaine ancede abanye ngokuyithenga; Inxalenye yengeniso iya kuphando lwe-Alzheimer's.

Uphengululo lwe