Oh, one more thing, Oh, one more thing. Here is some more useful “genetic-specific” information on Alzheimer's that can be found at AccessDNA. It will help shed some more light on the genetics of this horrible disease and provide some more links to useful resources for people dealing with this condition. http://www.accessdna.com/condition/Alzheimer_s_Disease/31.
This is a very moving story, but I think it highlights the importance of first understanding your family history to identify relevant risk areas as you make testing decisions. There is a much being written these days about the importance of family history in understanding one’s risk, especially during the holidays when many families are together and which provides a great opportunity for sharing important information (for example, see here http://www.accessdna.com/blog/2009/12/holiday-time-is-family-history-time/). It is critical for anyone considering testing to fully analyze all the providers out there, including other like Pathway Genomics and 23andMe. It is also critical to note that while some provider's tests do cover Late-Onset Alzheimer's, others DO NOT. As a result, someone with a family of history of this disease may find one provider's test more appropriate or informative than one of the other providers. I think it is also important for consumers who are considering testing to understand the criteria deemed most important by the professional genetics community before a consumer considers testing. These include things like who offers pre- and post-test counseling; who involves a physician in the ordering process; who uses only CLIA certified labs; and who has adequate security, encryption, and privacy policies (which is particularly important these days in light of the DeCODEme bankruptcy and all the questions about ownership of data). Here is a full analysis on all the whole genome scanning companies (http://www.accessdna.com/condition/Whole_Genome_Scanning/322/tests). Hope that helps! Lee Essner, CEO, AccessDNA
I knew Ray as a young man, he is my sister's ex-brother in law as she was married to his brother, Geoff. Ray was a vibrant, young man and I have not seen a photo of him for many years, although my sister keeps me updated on his condition. Good luck Sarah - it was nice to finally meet you.Linda (Christine Smith's sister)