A Tattoo on my Brain

Dr Daniel Gibbs is one of 50 million people worldwide with an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. Unlike most patients with Alzheimer’s, however, Dr Gibbs worked as a neurologist for twenty-five years, caring for patients with the very disease now affecting him. Also unusual is that Dr Gibbs had begun to suspect he had Alzheimer’s several years before any official diagnosis could be made. Forewarned by genetic testing showing he carried alleles that increased the risk of developing the disease, he noticed symptoms of mild cognitive impairment long before any tests would have alerted him. In this highly personal account, Dr Gibbs documents the effect his diagnosis has had on his life and explains his advocacy for improving early recognition of Alzheimer’s. Weaving clinical knowledge from decades caring for dementia patients with his personal experience of the disease, this is an optimistic tale of one man’s journey with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Soon to be a documentary film on MTV/Paramount +.

Author Biography

Daniel Gibbs is a retired neurologist in Portland, Oregon, with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Having spent twenty-five years caring for patients, many with dementia themselves, he is now an active advocate for the early recognition and management of Alzheimer’s. Teresa H. Barker is a journalist and nonfiction cowriter whose collaborations include books by author experts in strong narrative treatments of subjects including medical science, creative aging, child and adult development, parenting, and life in the digital age.