“How do you build a life when all that you know is changing? How do you conceive of love when you can no longer recognise those who mean the most to you? A phenomenal memoir – the first of its kind – Somebody I Used to Know is both a heart-rending tribute to the woman Wendy Mitchell once was, and a brave affirmation of the woman dementia has seen her become.”
Brave, illuminating and inspiring, Somebody I Used to Know is the first memoir ever written by someone living with dementia.
What do you lose when you lose your memories? What do you value when this loss reframes how you’ve lived, and how you will live in the future? How do you conceive of love when you can no longer recognise those who are supposed to mean the most to you?
When she was diagnosed with dementia at the age of fifty-eight, Wendy Mitchell was confronted with the most
profound questions about life and identity. All at once, she had to say goodbye to the woman she used to be. Her
demanding career in the NHS, her ability to drive, cook and run – the various shades of her independence – were
suddenly gone.
Comments from other readers:
“Wow, what an impressive piece of writing! This book has definitely caused me to stop and think about patients with dementia and my approach towards them. Important learning points were; the concept of living well with dementia rather than being a dementia sufferer; the importance of language choice and positivity from healthcare workers; remembering that dementia has a beginning, middle and an end.”
“Wendy Mitchell manages to find positives in an extremely distressing situation, this book is enlightening and instructive. I think all medical staff should read it for an unique perspective into dementia.”
Filed Under Uncategorized Posted by libadmin on January 26, 2021
