On Day 20 of the #DAI #WAM2017 #Hello my name is blog series, we share long time DAI member and friend from the Czech Republic, Nina Baláčková's story. Through their personal stories, our members want to raise awareness of dementia, and to highlight that each persons lived exerience of dementia is highly individual.
By speaking out, people with dementia are individually and collectively increasing the worlds understanding of living with dementia, and also hope to break down the stigma, myths and discrimination still being experienced. Thank you Nina for allowing us to share your story here.
Raising awareness and finding humour
Hello, my name is Nina Baláčková. I am from the Czech Republic. I am proud to be a member of DAI for several years.
I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (Young onset) in 2007 at the age of 49. It took me several months to accept this disease. When I realized that my life can continue, though in another more difficult form, I decided to enjoy every day I will be here, on the earth, with my family.
We did not know about Alzheimer’s during my mom’s lifetime. Only after her death did the doctor tell me that she had the last stage of Alzheimer’s. It was one of the reasons why I decided to speak up about dementia.
I wish to raise awareness of dementia for many people. So, in 2009 I started to organize discussions named My life with Mr. Alzheimer.
Then I became a member of European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD), and It has been my pleasure to work with this group of dedicated advocates. I very recently stepped down as a member of the EWGPWD. I am also grateful I was able to speak on the ADI conference in Taipei.
Thanks to my family, to my strong will and strong faith, support of my church and many friends I have been fighting Mr. Alzheimer persistently for 11 years.
Even though after my husband had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s last year, it has been very difficult, we still try to enjoy our lives.
The Potato Soup
Given my lack of taste, smell, poor estimate of the time, distance and quantity, cooking is becoming quite an adventurous matter for me. And I did not even mention the forgetfulness. One autumn day a few years ago I decided to cook potato soup. After the vegetables was ready, peeled, scraped and cut up, I prepared a nice dark roux. Mushrooms, thanks to my daughter, I also had enough. I guessed that I had something missing. But hat was it? Garlic? Marjoram?
That day my friend Eva came to visit us. The soup seemed to look pretty good and was nice and thick. As my friend appeared, I immediately gave her a taste to find out whether it is necessary to add more garlic, salt or marjoram.
My husband, my friend Eva and I, we had a dinner together.
When my husband almost finished, he innocently remarked that it just did not have any potatoes. I thought for a long time and then burst out laughing: "Well, you could not find it, because I forgot to put potatoes in it" . For a long time we were laughing with my friend: potato soup without potatoes ....
Nina Baláčková © 2018
DAI's vision is "A World where people with dementia are fully valued and included."