Marco Curt Davids, Alzheimer’s Blogger: One Day at a Time

Not long after hearing about his struggle with Alzheimer’s, and while at the place of care, the family received news that he had just passed on. The news was generally very distressing, but death is at most times beyond anyone’s control. This was the first time that the word Alzheimer’s was indelibly etched into the back of my memory, not knowing what my future relationship with this illness would one day be.

By this time, I remember following a popular American hospital television series with a the story line rotated around Alzheimer’s. This is where I slowly became more aware of the disease, remembering my father’s cousin. A few years later, my wife and I started noticing subtle changes in her father and then later, in my mother.

Beyond being a caregiver to my own mother, what drew me into writing about Alzheimer’s and Dementia was the fact that in South Africa, it’s not really spoken about. I believe this is because we have such a diverse cultural population that many of our indigenous cultures are uninformed about the disease, tend not to talk about it and many won’t accept it. Another very important reason for my writing is that it is therapy for me. As caregivers, we also need some help and presently writing does it for me.

I am hoping that with my blog, readers will take the info and try and change the mind-sets of the skeptical, learn something and demonstrate that this is a genuine challenge. Education about this disease is critical. A caregiver, I believe, is undoubtedly hands down the best educator, as they have witnessed and experienced first-hand what a dementia sufferer goes through, day in and day out, as the disease progresses.

Slowly but surely, the feedback I have received from my readers is very positive, as my blog gives them a starting point. Some readers also include feedback about the approach I use when I write. They describe it as “very direct” and tell me they enjoy that brand of writing.

All my motivation is my mother, she has always been my rock and she never gave up on me. Up until the end, I will fight this disease with my words, sentences and paragraphs. My writing represents her suffering and the suffering of all other Alzheimer’s and Dementia sufferer’s.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s are exhaustive subjects to talk about, and could at times leave you confused and irritated. My blog is not about that, it’s about personal experiences, observations and self-gathered knowledge on what we could do better to assist and manage the individual with the disease and how we, ourselves, can come to terms with this progressive disease for which there is no current cure. One day there probably will be, but for now, it is one day at a time…

About The Author

Marco Curt Davids is from Cape Town, South Africa. His professional career is in information technology and the telecommunications industry. Marco’s educational qualifications include operations management, information technology, journalism, print journalism and photography, to name but a few. Full career details of Marco can be viewed on LinkedIn.

Marco’s journey with Alzheimer’s and dementia is a personal one, as he has been directly affected by two of his immediate family members being diagnosed with the disease. He has also completed a multitude of workshops through the Alzheimer’s Association, Chicago, IL, (USA) and a credential in Diet and Nutrition through S.A.C. (UK).