By
Dr. David Davis and Joko Gilbert
As
anyone who has walked in our shoes knows, there is a vast hole in the heart of
a caregiver who, by a twist of fate, must tend to the needs of a Loved One
suffering from Alzheimer’s. A hole that has the power to reshape and redefine
who we are, for the rest of our lives.
So, if we can approach this incredibly difficult challenge with the
awareness that caregiving can be an opportunity for healing and growth, it
allows us to step back from the precipice, where frustration, sadness and
exhaustion await.
My
sweet wife Linda, was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s in 2009 at the age
of 51 years old. She survived for 7
years until her death last year. We are simply not given the tools and
strategies to deal with the burden of caregiving and the toll it takes on every
aspect of our lives. Having practiced
chiropractic for a many years, I had a strong grasp on the principles and
practices of healthy living, which was the fuel for my desire to come through
this experience as a better version of myself, and to embrace the profound
lessons as a caregiver, allowing me to more fully integrate into the world.
The
thought that we can bring insight into the community of caregivers to ease our
collective burden, as well as providing inspiration and information to elevate
the conversation from one of support to one of empowerment, was the motivation
to create our book, Support the
Caregiver, 9 Strategies for turning the stress of ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVING into
Transformational Growth.
Joko
Gilbert, a dear friend of mine and Linda’s, was extremely close to the whole
experience of taking care of my wife during her illness, and taking care of me,
I might add, during the worst of it. It
is from our shared experience, that we were determined to give voice to the
most valuable lessons gleaned from those eight years, along with the strategies
for emotionally prospering at a time when exhaustion and despair taunt us.
Out
of our passion to share our insights, we have met with many individuals and
groups in the Alzheimer’s community.
Each meeting, each conversation is met with enthusiasm and the desire to
explore more deeply the strategies that we have assembled. As a result, the Alzheimer’s Association has
invited us to speak on a number of occasions, to groups small and large, as
well as an invitation to be a speaker at the national Caregivers Conference in
Connecticut this on April 19th.
The
feedback has been strongly favorable, as we watch a tide of change in the
caregiving community towards the very potent idea of empowerment.
Writing
this book allows us to articulate and crystalize the most important and
valuable lessons caregiving has taught us. It affords us the opportunity to
reinvent ourselves in a way that makes our lives richer for having gone through
the experience.
Speaking
as a caregiver, I can think of nothing else that is as valuable and gratifying
than reclaiming our sense of self, and the peace that accompanies it, which are
the cornerstones to living a healthy, purposeful and joyful life.
Dr. David Davis
I am recently retired
from chiropractic practice after 34 years. My passion continues to be educating
people on the principles of health and healing, writing, reading and travel,
because I am always curious about what's around the next corner or beyond
the next hill. 
Joko Gilbert
I was born and raised in
a tiny village in Austria and traveled the world working as a fashion model. In
the 80’s I moved from London to New York City to continue my career. I fell in
love and settled down (and gave a lot of guardian angels a much needed break
from watching over me), got married and had two delicious suns (not a typo).
I’ve also worked in my husband Frank’s chiropractic practice assisting our
patients with weight loss, exercise and healthy food and life choices and am a
certified Reiki practitioner. Not in a million years could I have imagined that
my friend Linda’s diagnoses with Early Onset Alzheimer’s would turn my life
towards working with caregivers in the Alzheimer’s community and not in a
million years could I be more honored to do so. Caregivers are unsung
heroes!
David@SupporttheCaregiver.com
Joko@SupporttheCaregiver.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SupporttheCaregiver/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JokoGilbert
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supportthecaregiver/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/11548686
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