This memoir inspired me, upset me and educated me. Wendy had a busy life. She had raised two daughters as a single mother and worked hard which led to the job she held at the British National Health Service. For fun she liked running and climbing mountains. At the age of 56 she had an unsettled feeling - things just didn’t run as smoothly and easily as they had. She didn’t say anything to her daughters and there seemed to be no point in bothering her doctor. Out for a run she is hoping the adrenalin will push away her mental fuzziness when she takes a bad fall. Later she will return to that spot trying to figure out what caused her to fall - there is nothing there to explain it. Days later she does go to see her GP because of her lack of energy. She does everything right so he blames it on age. It isn’t age - she is later diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 58.
I could feel her anxiety as she writes about trying to ‘cover up’ at work with several different strategies. She tries to hide it from her grown daughters.
This is a chance to hear from someone who is trying to hold on to her independence. Her new life doesn’t stop her from being a valuable member of society. She becomes very involved in speaking out. Meeting with a group of others with the same disease gives her relief from not having to cover up anything. They laugh and make jokes about their situations. Eventually begins to work with doctors and people who are caretakers for those with Alzheimer’s. A worthwhile read for everyone.
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