I have never received so many likes on Facebook... or so much interest from so many people, as when I shared this experience. Now, here it is, for you. My name is Pia Knudsen, I am 61 years old and live in Aarhus, Denmark. I have had an Alzheimer’s dementia diagnosis since 2019. I am still in the early stages of the disease and I use my fairly healthy brain to spread knowledge about my life with dementia, for better or for worse. This story is absolutely for the better. In September of this year, I was invited to a large Nordic health conference in Stockholm, Sweden, to share the knowledge I have about living with dementia. I contribute in many contexts with this knowledge, both nationally and internationally... but this was something special, because I noticed in the programme that Sweden's Queen Silvia would be giving the opening speech. She had eight minutes, I had 30. Wow! So, when the organisers of the conference asked if there was anything I needed or would like during the day, I mentioned, mostly as a joke, that I would like to have a cup of coffee with the Queen, and thought no more of it, not really believing for a second that it was possible. I went on stage and delivered my speech, with the Queen sitting in the front row, both smiling and with tears in her eyes, just like the other members of the audience. When the speech was delivered and the applause had stopped, two large men approached and escorted me off the stage and into another room next to the conference hall.
There was Silvia, Queen of Sweden... I took a deep breath... Then she came over to me with a smile, and from that moment on, I felt at ease. We shook hands, sat down together, and then the conversation started... nonstop for half an hour. It felt so natural and cozy because we had so much in common to talk about. You might not think of a meeting like that because she is a queen, and I am a person with dementia, but believe me, she is a compassionate and loving person. Silvia's mother died of dementia, and therefore she spends much of her life promoting knowledge and understanding of the disease, just like I do. Throughout our conversation, she kept her hand on top of mine on the table in front of us. When our time together was up, and her security people asked us to wrap up the meeting, I decided to ask her something I would never have done before I got a terminal illness, but I have nothing to lose anymore. I said: “Thank you so much for this wonderful conversation, Silvia”, completely forgetting how to address a queen, but then she smiled, and I was sure she was okay with it. Then I told her that I wanted to give her a hug, but others had told me that you don't give hugs to royals. Then she smiled even more and said, "Then I would like to give you a hug," and boy, is she good at it! So the fairy-tale ended happily, with me receiving a loving and long hug from Silvia, who is the Queen of Sweden. This is one reason why I describe my life with dementia, for better and for worse, mostly for the better. P.S. I gave her my homemade business card, so I’m waiting for her to text me.