I am 87 years old, married. My wife is a retired Certified Nurse Midwife. My family is generally long lived, e.g., my only sibling is 98, a theoretic physicist who still keeps up with the current literature. In 1953, I was awarded a Ph.D. in experimental psychology, not clinical psychology. I have worked as a statistician and computer scientist and have some graduate study in neurology. Over the past ten years I have slowly become anosmic. In 2006, I was diagnosed with myeloproliferative thrombocytosis, which has slowly progressed to polycythemia vera. Over the past three years I have experienced increasing intermittent arm and leg tremors exacerbated by stress, fatigue, and hunger. Concomitant has been loss of anal and urinary sphincter control. I note some recent mild loss of short-term memory and executive control. Results reported to me of a brain MRI without intravenous contrast done 17 March 2017, a repeat MRI of one done 22 Oct. 2016. The report Findings start Diffuse parenchymal atrophy is seen with prominence of the ventricles, basal cisterns and sulk. Periventricular and subcortical white matter FLAIR hyper intensities are unchanged and likely represent sequela of chronic microvascular ischemia. There is no edema, mass effect, or midline shift. The Oct. 2016 report Findings start: There are periventricular and deep white matter FLAIR and T2 bright foci. No other abnormal foci of altered signal is noted within the cerebral or cerebellar parenchyma. The ventricular system and sulk are within limits for age. My question(s): Should I move in the next six months to a senior living community? Should I ensure such a facility will provide care should I become sufficiently cognitively impaired to be unable to care for myself? What is/are the most likely progression of my neurological condition? Should I anticipate notable decline in weeks? months? years?
posted on
Fri, 24 Mar 2017

Thu, 25 Oct 2018
Answered on

Mon, 29 Oct 2018
Last reviewed on