Daniel Gibbs, MD Untangles His Personal Battle Against Alzheimer's Disease

Daniel Gibbs is a retired neurologist confronting his own early onset Alzheimer’s. His is a unique perspective once the doctor diagnosing other people’s cognitive issues and now the patient facing his own. Alzheimer’s disease was never on his radar, he says, because both of his parents died in midlife from cancer, but he unexpectedly discovered through genealogical research that he has two copies of the APOE-4 allele, putting him at very high risk for dementia. He has written his story in a memoir, A Tattoo on My Brain: A Neurologist’s Personal Battle Against Alzheimer’s Disease, where he reveals his personal story and explains how it is possible to decrease the risk and slow the progression of the disease through lifestyle modifications, especially when started early. In this episode, we discuss the value of testing for the Alzheimer’s gene, the importance of life plans, concerns regarding work and retirement, and the Viacom documentary currently in production about his dementia journey. After the Podcast Read Dr. Gibbs AlzAuthors post: Neurologist, Dr. Daniel Gibbs, Reveals His Personal Story in A Tattoo on my Brain Start reading A Tattoo on My Brain https://amzn.to/3zD6IlO Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from book sales. Other authors/books mentioned: Thomas DeBaggio, Losing My Mind: An Intimate Look at Life with Alzheimer's Slow Puncture: A Memoir About Living Well with Early Onset Alzheimer’s by Peter Berry and Deb Bunt Wendy Mitchell Writes Courageous Memoir of Younger Onset Dementia: Somebody I Used to Know Tracey Shorthouse’s Poetry Provides a Glimpse into Early Onset Alzheimer’s Laurette Klier Creates Nana’s Books: Nostalgic Picture Books for Seniors Susan Ostrowski Helps Seniors with Cognitive Issues Enjoy Reading Again Greg O’Brien, On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer’s Greg O’Brien, Psychology Today articles Columbia Kindred Daniel Alejandro Drubach, MD, FAAN, Twilight and Me: A Soliloquy (Lewy Body disease article mentioned at end) Connect with Dr. Gibbs Website *** About the Podcast AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer’s and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Our podcast introduces you to our authors who share their stories and insights to provide knowledge, comfort, and support. Please subscribe so you don’t miss a word. If our authors’ stories move you, please leave a review. And don’t forget to share our podcast with family and friends on their own dementia journeys. We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization totally reliant on donations to do what we do. Your generosity will help cover our many operating costs, which include website hosting and maintenance fees, service charges to keep things running smoothly, and marketing expenses to promote our authors, expand our content, improve our reach, and more. Our ongoing work supports our mission to lift the silence and stigma of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To sustain our efforts please donate here. Ideas and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the speakers and not AlzAuthors. Always consult your healthcare provider and legal and financial consultants for advice on any of the topics covered here. Thanks for listening. We are a Whole Care Network Featured Podcast Proud to be on The Health Podcast Network Find us on The World Podcast Network and babyboomer.org Want to be on the podcast? Here’s what you need to know Shop our Store Join our book club