Brain Freeze… – Going to see a doctor

Since around 2022, my driving has become questionable and there were occasional instances of not being able to read the map. One day, when I went out, my wife said, ‘The navigation instructions are strange, take a look’, and when I looked, I felt for a moment that ‘brain had frozen’. After that, a similar situation occurred, which led to a visit to the doctor.
I decided that since something seems wrong, ignoring it will cause problems later, so I should clarify the situation. 

After receiving the diagnosis, I felt a sense of understanding, but …

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.

Finally, I connected with a AAJ. 

After the diagnosis, my wife and I sought consultations and support, but when we called the government, we were shuffled between different departments and it was a continuous source of confusion. When my wife found and attended a dementia supporter training course, the instructor was Mr. Okumura, vice president of the Shiga Branch Office in AAJ. That was the catalyst for me to participate in the ‘Dementia Memory Walk’ through Mr. Okumura’s introduction, and I connected with AAJ. I was able to start interacting with AAJ and was encouraged to become a volunteer steering committee member, so I began my journey as a volunteer steering committee member this year.

I want to help people who are struggling from dementia!

I participated as an observer in the AAJ general meeting for the 2024 fiscal year, where I exchanged ideas with various people alongside members from the branch, At the social gathering, I talked with Mr. Tomofumi Tanno and was inspired.
I don’t think deeply about the fact that I have developed dementia. It is not something to be embarrassed about and I believe that if we keep being creative, we can manage to get through it.
I feel anxious about how I can fulfill my role within the branch, but I would like to take my time to talk with everyone in the branch and think together without rushing. I would like to move forward step by step, as it seems that we have received requests for lectures in collaboration with Vice Representative Okumura. 

Written by Akihiko Morita
Translated by Satoshi Nakano, Noriyo Washizu