In Two Minds

Between our main episodes, we're opening up our Memory Box, asking simple, nostalgia-driven questions to our guests and ourselves. These questions prompt memory and can help start a dialogue with someone with dementia. 

This week, it's the turn of Wales rugby coach Warren Gatland and his wife Trudi.

 We'd love to hear your stories and your advice for anyone living with dementia - or if you have any questions for Justine and Prof Julie. Email us [email protected].

Our very own Professor Julie Williams provides insight into the current state of Alzheimer’s research, focusing on the role of genetics and the work being done to tackle the disease.

It is projected that the number of people with Alzheimer’s will rise to 1.4 million by 2040 - primarily due to increased life expectancy - so the importance of understanding the disease has never been so crucial.

Julie expresses optimism about where we are right now and the incredible work being done towards developing therapies that could help manage and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s in the future.

Key Moments:

• The genetics of Alzheimer's (02:07)
• How Alzheimer's develops (05:57)
• The development of Dananibab (09:48)
• Finding the missing pieces of the jigsaw puzzle (12:09)
• Looking ahead and being able to predict the disease (23:53)

 We'd love to hear your stories and your advice for anyone living with dementia - or if you have any questions for Justine and Prof Julie. Email us [email protected].

In between our main episodes, we're going to open our Memory Box and ask simple, nostalgia-driven questions to our guests and ourselves. These questions prompt memory and can help start a dialogue with someone who has dementia. 

In this first Memory Box episode, Justine quizzes Prof Julie about her favourite childhood book, meal and favourite piece of music.

 We'd love to hear your stories and your advice for anyone living with dementia - or if you have any questions for Justine and Prof Julie. Email us [email protected]. 

Carrie Williams talks to us about her 28-year love story with her husband Gareth who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and later frontotemporal dementia in his 50s.

Carrie and Gareth were both police officers when they met at a convalescent home where they were recovering from injuries. They fell in love, got married and had two children together. In 2013, Carrie started noticing Gareth was struggling to find his words. After an initial misdiagnosis of depression, they discovered that Gareth had Parkinson’s disease and had had it for 12 years. 

In this heartbreaking episode, Carrie talks to us about the impact of Gareth’s diagnosis on the family, the challenges of caregiving and the resilience they demonstrated in the lead-up to Gareth’s death in the middle of the Covid pandemic and subsequently. 

• How Carrie and Gareth met and fell in love (02:30)
• The early signs of dementia (08:06)
• Receiving the diagnosis (12:30)
• Coping with Gareth’s condition (17:46)
• The role of family and support (22:32) 
• Gareth’s final days (26:54)
• Life after losing Gareth (32:40) 
• Reflections on resilience (37:04)

We'd love to hear your stories and your advice for anyone living with dementia - or if you have any questions for Justine and Prof Julie. Email us [email protected].

In this, the second of a two-part episode with Warren and Trudi Gatland, Trudi talks about the practicalities of her dad, Terry’s Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia diagnosis and the emotional toll it’s having on the family.

Terry developed dementia in his 80s and experiences significant short-term memory loss. Trudi openly discusses the emotional challenges of watching her father change and the strain it places on the family and her mother in particular. 

Trudi talks about how the family work together to help and support Terry. We also learn about some of the coping strategies they use, including maintaining Terry’s independence where possible, staying in his frame of reference and answering repetitive questions with the same courtesy as the first time they were asked. 

Key Moments:

• Terry’s story (02:38)
• How Trudi’s mum deals with her husband’s dementia (06:37) 
• The support of the wider family (08:37)
• Dealing with short-term memory loss and repetitive questions (10:46)
• The importance of researching the condition (16:36)
• Considering and planning for future care (19:03)
• Julie and Justine reflect on what they’ve learned from both Warren and Trudi (21:59)

 We'd love to hear your stories and your advice for anyone living with dementia - or if you have any questions for Justine and Prof Julie. Email us [email protected].

This is part one of a two-part episode with Wales rugby coach Warren Gatland and his wife Trudi where we explore dementia, mental health, and the importance of family support. 

In an interview recorded just after the Autumn Internationals, which saw the Welsh rugby side at one of its lowest ebbs, he talks about the coping strategies needed for dealing with the pressures of elite sport. He reflects on the effect of negative media and social media on himself and his players and talks about the significance of positivity and language in overcoming adversity. 

Warren talks openly about the importance of family as a fundamental source of strength, comfort, and support for him and Trudi: "The only people that really matter in your life”, he says, “are your family and your friends and your teammates." We learn about the concept of “Big Much”, the family's unique saying which represents their unconditional love and support for each other.  

The episode also discusses the advancements in safety protocols, medical support and research in an attempt to reduce head injuries and make rugby safer. We also discuss the ethical considerations of genetic testing young athletes to discover if they have a predisposition for dementia.

Key Moments:

• Warren on coping with adversity (04:16)
• The importance of positivity and language (05:44)
• Dealing with media negativity during the 2017 Lions tour of New Zealand (10:15)
• The importance of family support (12:59)
• How Trudi and Warren support each other (14:01)
• The concept of “Big Much” (16:49)
• Head injuries in rugby (18:36)
• Research on dementia and sport safety and the ethics involved (23:38)

  We'd love to hear your stories and your advice for anyone living with dementia - or if you have any questions for Justine and Prof Julie. Email us [email protected].

Whether you’re living with dementia, supporting someone, or simply seeking to understand the disease, this is a podcast series for you.

In Two Minds is a podcast that will help you navigate the complexities of dementia. It’s presented by two friends who come at the subject from two very different perspectives. 

Professor Julie Williams has spent most of her working life trying to understand Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Meanwhile, Justine Pickering understands the colossal human cost all too well. She lost her mum to a rare form of young-onset dementia before founding a unique respite project for families coping with the emotional toll of the disease.         

In Two Minds brings you the highs and lows of the shared experiences of dementia. We’ll hear inspiring special guests and all about current research and future treatments.
 
Together, we’ll explore the challenges of coping with this disease and how to live well following diagnosis.

Key moments in this episode:

• Prof Julie on the science behind dementia: understanding causes and treatments (03:07)
• Justine’s story and the need for a greater understanding of dementia (04:42)
• How a podcast like In Two Minds can help people living with or affected by dementia (06:37)
• How Justine and Julie became friends (08:50)
• What’s to come in Series 1 of In Two Minds (12:10)

We'd love to hear your stories and your advice for anyone living with dementia - or if you have any questions for Justine and Prof Julie. Email us [email protected].