A stunning honest and heartfelt account but the author of the challenges facing her. Told with warmth and love and it was a pleasure to read such a moving personal story. Thank you.

Such an honest and thought provoking read and really makes you think what might be around the corner for you even if you are not in an older age bracket. The humour was subtle and to know that there are so many resources out there to help people is truely amazing and for Wendy to share her experiences has been phenomenal.

SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW

by

Wendy Mitchell

After a couple of unexplained falls, some absentmindedness and a steady decrease in her energy levels Wendy Mitchell was diagnosed with early onset of Alzheimers. Still in her 50s, active and fit, with a job she loved, and a lust for life, she was devastated. The last words from her clinic were ‘Good Luck’. One visit to the Memory clinic was the only follow up she received over the following 3 months.
A remarkable woman whose attitude to her progressive illness is positive (I do not suffer from Alzheimers, I live with it!) is humbling. Disturbed at the lack of support this courageous woman became a willing guinea pig for research, offering herself for interviews and tests in the hope she would benefit others now and in the future. Her resourcefulness knows no bounds.Two years after her diagnosis she is fully aware of the deterioration in her memory and motor skills but continues to volunteer at support groups travelling the length of the country raising awareness of living with Alzheimers and sharing the tricks she has invented for herself to jog memory. How is that possible?
Using the internet, and facebook on her ever present iPad plus ‘a snowdrift of sticky notes’ and careful planning she travels on public transport. When ‘the fog of oblivion’ and the resulting panic strikes she has trained herself to surrender to that moment and relax until the world becomes clear again.
Her resilience and courage is to be admired. When driving becomes too dangerous, she buys a bike; uncomfortable using the telephone, her iPad becomes her medium, texting and face timing friends and family and joining chat lines associated with Alzheimers. The tricks to jog her memory and ‘outwit Alzheimers’ are inspirational.
Interspersed with her present situation are chapters where she reflects on the multi tasking person she used to be, coping as a single mother with job and family. She recalls these occasions with sadness and never with bitterness.
An emotional read, but strangely for such a harrowing subject it is also uplifting and not without wry humour. Long after Alzheimers claims Wendy’s brain she will be remembered for the tenacious way she fought for sufferers, raising the profile of the disease and encouraging those afflicted to adapt and sustain their existing life for as long as they are able.
This book has changed my perception of Alzheimers and what that diagnosis means. Wendy Mitchell shows that being diagnosed does not necessary mean a doom laden slide into oblivion. A book that I found most interesting. I was swept along by Wendy’s breezy style of writing that made this an enjoyable read.

I would like to thank Bloomsbury Publishing for giving me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book. It is a very honest and clear account of living with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease written by the remarkable Wendy Mitchell. This book would be remarkable by any standards, but when you know that the author has Alzheimer’s it is all the more extraordinary. I had seen an interview with Wendy on BBC Breakfast a few years ago, and it stayed with me because of the way she was able to put into words what she was feeling. At that time she was still working, but in her book she has written about the many difficulties she faced in trying to maintain her job. That she has written this is valuable on many levels. If you have a friend or relative with dementia, this book will help you to understand what they may be feeling and how to help; if you have been afraid that it could happen to you, Wendy shows just how much you can still do with the right level of organisation; and if you have ever wondered about becoming a dementia friend, this book should inspire you to find out more.
At one point in the book Wendy talks about being asked to review the film Just Alice. Her insight into a film about early onset dementia is very moving. She met Julianne Moore who played the lead role in the film, and she is very complimentary about her performance. I found a new level of compassion as Wendy talks about the sadness of the scene in the film where Alice has written herself instructions to end her life, but is too distracted to carry out the steps.
The book is written with good humour, and is honest about her fears, but also celebrates the things she is able to do because of her diagnosis. She decided at the outset that she would start to say yes to any opportunity to do things, from radio and television interviews to speaking at conferences and training nurses.
This is not a depressing read as I had feared. It is quite life affirming, and I would recommend it to anyone.
#Netgalley #SomebodyIUsedToKnow

This book is really well written. It is heartbreaking in places. It was intriguing to read how somebody feels going through dementia. It was interesting to read how Wendy felt. This is an insightful read which also pulls at the heartstrings.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

E-arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion!

This was such an amazing memoir! Living with dementia is such a horrible thing and this book hit me in the right spot. I was so hooked whilst reading it that I managed to read it in one sitting.
Wendy’s story was very touching and insightful. She was such a genuine and lovely character that I can't help than to advise people to read it.
I especially appreciate the positivity and the message to be kind and loving in life.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a really poignant read for me as my mother has dementia and now is predominantly a vegetable. Not sure how the author could write this book herself and sure she had help but nevertheless it was a good read

Never have I learnt so much from a single book. If I take even a small part of it and try and apply it with people I meet who are living with dementia then I'll feel proud to have read Wendy Mitchell's story. This is not a woman wallowing in self-pity - although heaven knows she'd be entitled to - but a strong independent woman struck a tremendously low blow. Yet despite the unavoidable low and frankly scary moments, Wendy shows an indomitable spirit, incredible resourcefulness and the most abiding love for her daughters. An excellent read.