I felt ‘my brain had frozen for a moment.’

Since around 2022, my driving has become chancy, and sometimes, I have experienced difficulty reading the map.
One day, my wife and I went out, and she said, ‘The navigation instructions are strange. Take a look.’　I found my mistake and felt ‘my brain had frozen for a moment.’ After that, a similar situation occurred again.
I decided to consult a doctor to clarify my condition as if I left it, things would get worse.

The diagnosis brought me both acceptance and anxiety.

I was diagnosed with  early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in February 2023. Honestly I was surprised. At the same time, I felt a sense of clarity in my heart, as if to say, ‘So that’s what it was all about. My mother has dementia, and I’ve heard that there can be a genetic component, so I was able to take it surprisingly calmly.
However, I also felt anxious about how I should live from now on and what will happen in the future.

I became a volunteer steering committee member of the AAJ.

After the diagnosis, my wife and I tried to get support and consultation services and called the public sector organizations. But they sent us from one section to another and confused us. At that time, my wife met Mr. Okumura, vice president of the AAJ Shiga Branch, at the Dementia Supporter Training Course, and he invited me to the ‘Dementia Memory Walk.’ Then, I got involved in the branch’s activities and became a volunteer steering committee member this year.

I want to help people who are struggling with dementia!

I participated as an observer in the AAJ annual general assembly this year, and I talked with many people, including Mr. Tomofumi Tanno, who inspired me.
I am not deeply worried about my dementia.
Dementia is not a matter of shame, and I believe that if I keep being creative and upbeat, I can manage to get through it. 
Instead, I feel anxious about how I can fulfill my role as a branch member.
I want to discuss various things with the branch members.
Recently, I have received some invitations to speak in collaboration with Mr. Okumura.
I want to move forward step by step

Written by Akihiko Morita
Translated by Satoshi Nakano, Noriyo Washizu