“Are you happy now you got Dementia John?”
This question was asked directly to me when visiting a primary school with Alzheimer’s Society and Bristol wellbeing by a seven year old student!
It did make me stop in my tracks a little and forced me to reflect on exactly how I felt on hearing this and with 120 other students all ears awaiting my response…
Who am I???
Well, I am 67 years young with the same many years spent walking about on this planet learning all the good and bad things waiting to be discovered. For me mostly nice things, INCLUDING my diagnosis of Dementia.
Odd thing to state I know, but there it is.
So, now if I may have perked your curiosity… here are a few things I have done and am doing at this time with my diagnosis;
I have enrolled, soon after my diagnosis. joindementiaresearch because I was drawn to its potential in helping to getting this disease pushed back into history.
It was a way of reclaiming my lost purpose.
I picked up some links here and immediately started as a Participant in major national studies with Bristol and Leeds University helping them with Photographic studies, New recruitment leaflet building, Template using W.R.E.N. to assist GP’s and Memory Consultants with the actual diagnosis consultation meetings, amongst a few others.
I have visited Weston College and Bristol Academy and spoken with students who are studying careers in elderly care and dementia in particular.
Together with The Alzheimers Society and Bristol Wellbeing I have been invited for many ‘chats’ with younger children at Primary school level about living/journeying with Dementia and its impact on both humanity and families. (This is my favourite thing to do at this time, and where that QUESTION was thrown at me!
I have written two stories into my Mr. Sloop story books, also aimed at the younger audience, with regards to him also receiving his diagnosis of dementia and the consequences to his character.
Mr. Sloop is a character I wrote stories about for my grandchildren prior to D-Day.., DEMENTIA DAY!
This has been self-published and copies are donated to all schools I visit. mrsloop.com.
The BBC Radio Bristol aired a Podcast made by myself and their broadcast media team together with Bristol Wellbeing and my six year old at the time granddaughter Ariana. Part of which was also aired on one of their local radio programmes.
My You-Tube channel @minusmymemory is devoted using my own experiences and observances of Dementia in general together with hints and coaching tips to others who have also received this sideways-stepping diagnosis!
When the Angel whispered the word ‘Dementia’ in my ear one of the first things I did was to stand up in front of the congregation in our Church and read out my ‘Prayer for Dementia’.
One of my poems, (attached below somewhere), ’The one They Call Dementia’ was chosen as one of only 15 poems world-wide to be read out and used for the 'Night of Dementia Arts’, an American body focusing on artistic interpretations of Aphasia and Dementia… That was quite cool!
My capacity is waning, although extremely slowly at this time, (I believe due in part to my keeping overly busy and learning something NEW every day), but I have in my heart and mind already donated whatever capacity I do have left to getting awareness raised in the most important and highest of places as possible, and helping to further the research into this terrible disease.
I am pumped and ready to go anywhere, do anything and talk to anyone from the Prime Minister upwards, to GET THIS MESSAGE OUT THERE……!
BTW.. I said”Yes, I’m still very Happy and positive, even though I have Dementia!”
Many Blessings,
John
ps.. please remember there is nothing you can ask or say that would upset me, I’ve sat in front of seven and eight year olds and they are quite brutal with their questions as they don’t have many ‘life’ filters yet!
This question was asked directly to me when visiting a primary school with Alzheimer’s Society and Bristol wellbeing by a seven year old student!
It did make me stop in my tracks a little and forced me to reflect on exactly how I felt on hearing this and with 120 other students all ears awaiting my response…
Who am I???
Well, I am 67 years young with the same many years spent walking about on this planet learning all the good and bad things waiting to be discovered. For me mostly nice things, INCLUDING my diagnosis of Dementia.
Odd thing to state I know, but there it is.
So, now if I may have perked your curiosity… here are a few things I have done and am doing at this time with my diagnosis;
I have enrolled, soon after my diagnosis. joindementiaresearch because I was drawn to its potential in helping to getting this disease pushed back into history.
It was a way of reclaiming my lost purpose.
I picked up some links here and immediately started as a Participant in major national studies with Bristol and Leeds University helping them with Photographic studies, New recruitment leaflet building, Template using W.R.E.N. to assist GP’s and Memory Consultants with the actual diagnosis consultation meetings, amongst a few others.
I have visited Weston College and Bristol Academy and spoken with students who are studying careers in elderly care and dementia in particular.
Together with The Alzheimers Society and Bristol Wellbeing I have been invited for many ‘chats’ with younger children at Primary school level about living/journeying with Dementia and its impact on both humanity and families. (This is my favourite thing to do at this time, and where that QUESTION was thrown at me!
I have written two stories into my Mr. Sloop story books, also aimed at the younger audience, with regards to him also receiving his diagnosis of dementia and the consequences to his character.
Mr. Sloop is a character I wrote stories about for my grandchildren prior to D-Day.., DEMENTIA DAY!
This has been self-published and copies are donated to all schools I visit. mrsloop.com.
The BBC Radio Bristol aired a Podcast made by myself and their broadcast media team together with Bristol Wellbeing and my six year old at the time granddaughter Ariana. Part of which was also aired on one of their local radio programmes.
My You-Tube channel @minusmymemory is devoted using my own experiences and observances of Dementia in general together with hints and coaching tips to others who have also received this sideways-stepping diagnosis!
When the Angel whispered the word ‘Dementia’ in my ear one of the first things I did was to stand up in front of the congregation in our Church and read out my ‘Prayer for Dementia’.
One of my poems, (attached below somewhere), ’The one They Call Dementia’ was chosen as one of only 15 poems world-wide to be read out and used for the 'Night of Dementia Arts’, an American body focusing on artistic interpretations of Aphasia and Dementia… That was quite cool!
My capacity is waning, although extremely slowly at this time, (I believe due in part to my keeping overly busy and learning something NEW every day), but I have in my heart and mind already donated whatever capacity I do have left to getting awareness raised in the most important and highest of places as possible, and helping to further the research into this terrible disease.
I am pumped and ready to go anywhere, do anything and talk to anyone from the Prime Minister upwards, to GET THIS MESSAGE OUT THERE……!
BTW.. I said”Yes, I’m still very Happy and positive, even though I have Dementia!”
Many Blessings,
John
ps.. please remember there is nothing you can ask or say that would upset me, I’ve sat in front of seven and eight year olds and they are quite brutal with their questions as they don’t have many ‘life’ filters yet!
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