George King on Alzheimer’s Early Signs, Treatment, and Choosing to Live Fully | George King

Journey to Diagnosis is a Being Patient series sponsored by Eisai. As with all of our reporting, the sponsor has no role in choosing guests, shaping questions, or reviewing content before publication. Eisai: https://www.eisai.com/index.html Journey to Diagnosis: https://beingpatient.com/journey-to-d... George King’s work spans film, theater, writing, and photography. With both parents having lived with dementia, King was already attuned to the possibility of cognitive change when he began noticing subtle shifts in his own memory. A word game on his phone eventually became an unexpected warning sign, prompting him to seek evaluation from a neurologist. Today, he documents his experience on Instagram at @dancing.with.delirium, using his platform to share what it is like to live with Alzheimer’s. In this conversation with Being Patient founder, Deborah Kan, King reflects on the path to diagnosis, the role of Leqembi in his treatment and the importance of finding a neurologist who answers questions clearly. He also discusses the daily adaptations that help him manage frustration, stay independent and continue traveling, creating, and engaging with the world. For King, living with Alzheimer’s is not about fighting the disease, but learning how to negotiate with it while continuing to live as fully as possible. ---- If you loved watching this Live Talk, visit our website to find more of our Alzheimer’s coverage and subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.beingpatient.com/ Follow Being Patient: Twitter: Twitter: Being_Patient_ Instagram: Instagram: beingpatientvoices Facebook: Facebook: beingpatientalzheimers LinkedIn: LinkedIn: being-patient Being Patient is an editorially independent journalism outlet for news and reporting about brain health, cognitive science, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our Live Talk series on Facebook, former Wall Street Journal Editor and founder of Being Patient, Deborah Kan, interviews brain health experts and people living with dementia. Check out our latest Live Talks: https://beingpatient.com/live-talks/ --- 0:00 Introduction 2:29 Early signs and family history of dementia 5:11 Recognizing symptoms before others noticed 7:23 Getting tested and receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis 8:54 Starting Leqembi after diagnosis 10:23 Genetic risk, APOE4, and treatment decisions 11:34 Switching neurologists and learning more about risk 15:04 What Leqembi treatment and monitoring look like 18:28 Moving to a maintenance dose 18:53 Living with Alzheimer’s day to day 22:16 “Negotiating” with Alzheimer’s instead of fighting it 23:52 Staying active, traveling, and sharing his story publicly 25:44 How Alzheimer’s affects George’s life now 28:57 Staying independent and learning when to rest 31:10 Advice for people newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 32:35 Closing thoughts and where to follow George’s story