Hi Everyone,
Justus here.
A very big Thank You to you for signing up to our Dementia Marathon Community Newsletter.
We hope you'll stick around for the long haul and join your voice to ours.
In this blog post I'm going to try to explain what we're up to! And why the name, Dementia Marathon.
What we're up to
In starting the Dementia Marathon Community, Kerry and I have two main purposes:
Firstly - we aim to help those newly diagnosed, family and friends, to have a better understanding of the diagnosis and to work out their own answers to the question, ‘What do I do next?’
Below, you'll find a link to a 2-minute Youtube video of a popular author, Terry Pratchett, sharing his feelings about how he felt when he was diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimers.
Secondly - and this is a broader purpose, we want to add our voice to encouraging people to have more hopeful conversations about dementia.
We want to see changes in the way we think about dementia and other chronic conditions.
We want to see more research into practical prevention measures and into improving the quality of life for all those affected.
Why the Name?
Being diagnosed with a chronic disease - and dementia is a disease of the brain - feels a bit like being invited to run a marathon that you didn't ask for.
You have to go into training for a marathon. There's a lot to learn. You need to practise regularly and persistently. You need to up the level of your own health to cope with the extra demands. You need to develop new levels of stamina. And it can be very helpful to have a training buddy.
Likewise with the Dementia Marathon. It’s a long-haul. And you'll have lots of questions.
It helps if, early in the piece, you have a training buddy or coach to refer to. (Hopefully, in the initial stages, this will be your local GP.)
A marathon is a long haul - 26.2 miles.
So is dementia. The disease can start decades before you begin to suspect that something may be wrong and seek a diagnosis. Ideally, we'd all start our training earlier in our lives - our 30s, 40s and even 50s - by adopting healthier lifestyles. Hopefully, that will be what happens more often in the future.
A marathon is life-changing!
So, hold on for the ride!
Next week you can expect an answer to the frequently asked question, What's the difference between Alzheimer's and Dementia? plus more ...
Till then, Please consider who you know who might want to learn more about this complex brain disease and invite them to join us.
The link is https://dementiamarathon.ck.page