{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Pushing Back Against Dementia - Chrissy's Journey","description":"This is a really unique and important episode. We are witnessing a sea change in dementia. More people are being diagnosed, earlier and younger. And people are figuring out how to actually fight back against the disease and taking ownership of their condition. My guest this week on the Evolving Past Alzheimer's podcast, Chrissy Thelker, was diagnosed with Vascular dementia at age 57 and nearly 5 years later is still living on her own, driving, and living a life of incredible purpose... her story inspires, but she also gives useful information for anyone out there working through the early stages of the disease. This is one you're crazy not to listen to....an amazing episode!   2:00 - What it was like to receive a dementia diagnosis 6:22 - Why a dementia specialist refused to take Chrissy on as a patient 9:44 - How Chrissy followed the Bredesen protocol to slow her dementia symptoms and almost completely prevent herself from getting worse 14:56 - What it\u2019s like to live with dementia 19:22 - How to balance fighting against the dementia with tending to your new needs living with the disease 21:22 - \u201cYou have to monitor yourself, and if we all learned from a younger age that it\u2019s ok to rest, we would all be doing better in our health.\u201d 23:37 - What does it mean to live with purpose after a dementia diagnosis? 29:45 - What it feels like to hear \u201cyou don\u2019t look like you have dementia\u201d 37:31 - How Chrissy thinks about the future 43:54 - Some major conversations happening in the DAI community and people living with dementia - the connection between sleep and brain health 48:33 - \u201cDementia is like a spider web. We need treatments to help manage the different aspects and symptoms rather than a cure.\u201d 52:40 - Why organizations working towards treatments and cures need more people suffering from the disease at the table 1:00:00 - \u201cHave those conversations early in receiving your diagnosis about your driving and other aspects of your independence.\u201d 1:06:16 - How has COVID impacted her function as someone living with dementia   Resources Mentioned Chrissy's Book - For This I'm Grateful Chrissy's Blog Dementia Alliance International ","author_name":"Evolving Past Alzheimer's","author_url":"http:\/\/www.evolvingpast.com","html":"