Although I wish I were this insightful and articulate, what follows are not my words, they are words about my words:

Alzheimer’s from the Inside Out

Synopsis: Receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease profoundly alters lives and creates endless uncertainty about the future.  How does a person cope with such a life-changing discovery?  What are the hopes and fears of someone living with this disease?  How does he want to be treated?  How does he feel as the disease alters his brain, his relationships, and ultimately himself?

Richard Taylor provides illuminating responses to these and many other questions in this collection of provocative essays.  Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at age 58, the former psychologist courageously shares an account of his slow transformation and deterioration and the growing division between his world and the world of others.

Individuals with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease will take comfort in the voice of a fellow traveler experiencing similar challenges, frustrations, and triumphs.

With poignant clarity, candor, and even occasional humor, more than 80 brief essays address difficult issues face by those with Alzheimer’s disease, including

• the loss of independence and personhood
• unwanted personality shifts
• communication difficulties
• changes in relationships with loved ones and friends
• the declining ability to perform familiar tasks

This rare, insightful exploration into the world of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease is a captivating read for anyone affected personally or professionally by the devastating disease.  Individuals with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease will take comfort in the voice of a fellow traveler experiencing similar challenges, frustrations, and triumphs.  Family and professional caregivers will be enlightened by Taylor’s revealing words, gaining a better understanding of an unfathomable world and how best to care for someone living in it.

Reviewed by: David O. Staats, MD (University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center)

Description: This is a single-author; first-person account of what it is like to have early Alzheimer’s disease.  The author is a retired psychologist.

Purpose: Its purpose is to let the lay public and healthcare providers know what is ticking inside the head of a person who has early Alzheimer’s disease.  These are worthy objectives and they are well met in this book.

Audience: Many persons will respond to this telling, ranging from a lay audience to the full range of social scientists.  Physicians at all levels of training will find use of his suggestions of how to approach the patient and how not to behave in front of early dements.

Features: This is a series of short essays, most several pages long.  Interspersed are quotes from Internet sources.  At the end there is a list of organizations that serve persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their loved ones.

Assessment: This is such a personal telling of a tale.  The voice of the author, alternatively sardonic, then questioning and imploring, has a wonderful tone.

The breadth of stories cited is the mark of a very wise person.  Part Eric Berne, part Henry Fonda in “On Golden Pond,” part the final movement of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, this work moves on to tears.

Thank you Dr. Staats, Richard