A Tattoo on My Brain : A Neurologist's Personal Battle Against Alzheimer's Disease

Dr Daniel Gibbs is one of 50 million people worldwide with an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. Unlike most patients with Alzheimer's, however, Dr Gibbs worked as a neurologist for twenty-five years, caring for patients with the very disease now affecting him. Also unusual is that Dr Gibbs had begun to suspect he had Alzheimer's several years before any official diagnosis could be made. Forewarned by genetic testing showing he carried alleles that increased the risk of developing the disease, he noticed symptoms of mild cognitive impairment long before any tests would have alerted him. In this highly personal account, Dr Gibbs documents the effect his diagnosis has had on his life and explains his advocacy for improving early recognition of Alzheimer's. Weaving clinical knowledge from decades caring for dementia patients with his personal experience of the disease, this is an optimistic tale of one man's journey with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Soon to be a documentary film on MTV/Paramount +. Cover 1 Half-title page 3 Reviews 4 Title page 7 Copyright page 8 Dedication page 9 Contents 11 Acknowledgments 13 Introduction 15 Prologue 24 1 Beacon Rock 26 2 Forewarned and Forearmed 33 3 The Smell of Baking Bread 38 4 Sneak Preview 43 5 A Stubborn Puzzle 48 6 The Locked Box and the Family Tree 53 7 The Measure of Memory 62 8 Orcas Nonetheless 69 9 My Brain, My Self 74 10 The Reveal 83 11 Cognitive Reserve and Resiliency: Brain Cells in the Bank 91 12 My Experimental Life 99 13 When ARIA Is More than an Operatic Solo 107 14 My Experiential Life: Living with Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Disease 118 15 Madeleines, Music and African Doves 136 16 It’s Only Scary If You Look Down 147 17 Beyond DNA: Family History Reconsidered 158 18 News at 5: Retired Neurologist Battles Alzheimer’s 166 19 The Forest, the Trees and the Ground Beneath My Feet 170 20 What’s in a Name? Alzheimer’s Reimagined 184 21 A Meaningful Outcome 194 Epilogue: The Writing Life 204 Epilogue: The Writing Life, Act II 210 Appendix: The MIND Diet Basics 219 Resources 221 Index 224 "Dr Daniel Gibbs is one of 50 million people worldwide with an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. Unlike most patients with Alzheimer's, however, Dr Gibbs worked as a neurologist for twenty-five years, caring for patients with the very disease now affecting him. Also unusual is that Dr Gibbs had begun to suspect he had Alzheimer's several years before any official diagnosis could be made. Forewarned by genetic testing showing he carried alleles that increased the risk of developing the disease, he noticed symptoms of mild cognitive impairment long before any tests would have alerted him. In this highly personal account, Dr Gibbs documents the effect his diagnosis has had on his life and explains his advocacy for improving early recognition of Alzheimer's. Weaving clinical knowledge from decades caring for dementia patients with his personal experience of the disease, this is an optimistic tale of one man's journey with early-stage Alzheimer's disease."--Book jacket An engaging and optimistic account of a neurologist's diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease, a condition he treated in many of his patients during his twenty-five year career. Combining his clinical knowledge and personal experience, Dr Daniel Gibbs convincingly advocates for further research into the often pre-symptomatic stages of Alzheimer's.