Prescribed Disengagement Puts people with dementia into a bubble One of disablement and disempowerment Sending us to aged care and death No words of life as we once knew it Nor signs it will ever return Not a glimpse of well being ahead Now is the time Like a beautiful butterfly Emerging from its cocoon That…
Go forth and sing your own song Make it true to who you are Believe in yourself and your rights to have a voice Find peace inside your heart And let joy fill your soul
After almost 40 years of doctors telling me there was nothing wrong with me, a neurologist diagnosed me with an Arnold Chiari Malformation Type 1, a rare brain malformation requiring brain surgery, that … yes, wait for it … I had been born with. So, all those years I had NOT been “imagining the symptoms” or a “hypochondriac”;…
Yesterday a friend commented after the blog, asking me to write a blog about the struggles that others don’t see. It is definitely more difficult writing about them, as then I cannot exist in my denial bubble! However, her point is right; I started this one a while ago, and decided to finish it today.…
Yep, What the hell happened to my brain? is the title of my first book about dementia. Some will wonder if anything happened at all, considering I have managed to write a book, but that’s ok, they and most people don’t see my daily struggles, the laminated signs around the house, or the many other disAbility…
Dr Shibley Rahman is the first person to have read the manuscript for my book, What the hell happened to my brain?, even before the publishers, and has written a Foreword for it, which I am proud to share with you today… Then you Shibley, your words mean a lot to me. If I could find…
Film, television and all things media is one of the strongest ways to get the word spread about an issue or an idea. Trending things on Twitter can vary from a celebrity to a new craze. This shows everyone’s talking about it, right? So why not have a trend that provokes awareness, understanding and community?…
That’s been me the last few months, between completing work for the University of Wollongong, work with Alzheimer’s Australia, and then writing a book. Some of you already have heard via twitter or Facebook I finally submitted my manuscript for my first book about dementia at 2pm last Friday. I felt emotionally and physically drained…
It feels a little like I’m flying my own flag today, as I am adding this poem written about me, but it is to thanks, and is in honour of my friendship with Mick Carmody who is living with dementia and his wife Sue; Mick is already a very valued and active member of Dementia Alliance International.…
Professor John McCallum, Dementia Research, has informed me of the latest research initiative in Australia, and asked for as many of his colleagues to share as possible. As I’ve not written or published a blog since New Years Day (yikes, that is 7 days ago!!), and my usual almost-daily blogging has come to a complete…
Yes, I thought I’d kick the year off with a calendar and some fun instead of a bang!! In fact, I didn’t stay up to see or hear any of the fireworks last night, and have never done so in my 56 years. Boring that may seem, but considering how many people were injured from…
May the year you are leaving behind today have been kind to you, and I hope you can remember the highlights more than the sadnesses. Wishing for a fantastic 2015 ahead and I hope all your very best dreams come true. 2014 has been a huge year, with many ups and downs. Life is…
May your Christmas be full of happiness and peace, and hopefully special times with friends and family. If you know of people who are alone or who are not in a position to have a good Christmas, think about how you can make this time better for them… simple things like a hug, a meal,…
Exercising Keeps Your Mind Strong – Here’s Why “Why Is This Important? Because this is the first comprehensive study to show environmental factors can affect dementia. Long Story Short A report by British health charity Age UK has stated that some basic lifestyle changes can help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, something which has…
For those of you who may not realise I have a recipe blog In the kitchen, and that I add to it most weeks. You might like this weeks recipe, Prawn herb and lime salad. Especially any Aussies, as most of us love to add a ‘prawn to the barbie’ (BBQ) or enjoy a prawn…
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