Somebody I Used to Know

4,5 Stars

Wendy is experiencing small changes in her daily life that are getting more and more, and after several months and some tests she gets the diagnosis of early-onset dementia. This surprises her, since she is only in her 50s and her good memory has always been one of her assets at work.

In the following chapters Wendy gives more examples of how her daily life changed and how she adapts her routine. Most days are normal as before, but you never know when the clouds will come. Or when she isn't able to concentrate on a simple phone call, do multitasking at work or why she cannot make a right turn with the car or bike anymore.

But Wendy does not want to "suffer" from dementia, she just wants to live with it. And so she gets involved with the Alzheimer society, takes courses, gives interviews, participates in a pharmaceutical study, meets Julianne Moore at the premiere of "Still Alice", starts writing a blog - and this book!

I found it very interesting when Wendy describes her early symptoms, and that dementia is not only about memory loss but involves other changes as well. She is also incredibly determined to keep her job and living independently as long as possible. This is a very strong woman who refuses to give up, and I really admire her for that.