Wendy Mitchell

Anna Wharton

What do you lose when your memories begin to disappear? What do you value when this 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. Her demanding career in the NHS; her ability to drive, cook and run - the various shades of her independence - were suddenly gone. SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW is both a heart-rending tribute to the woman Wendy once was, and a brave affirmation of the woman dementia has seen her become.

Somebody I Used to Know

Hon som var jag. En memoar om Alzheimer

wiedza i wsparcie dla osób z zaburzeniami pamięci i ich bliskich

Co chciałabym, żeby ludzie wiedzieli o demencji

A memoir by a former British National Heath Service employee and single parent describes her battles with early onset Alzheimer's, the management techniques she has developed to maintain her independence, and her efforts to make sense of her shifting world.

"A rare glimpse into what it feels like to experience Alzheimer's firsthand, an unforgettable chronicle of optimism and one woman's unique ways of coping, despite her decline. 'I know it wasn't always like this. I know there was another me.' Wendy Mitchell had a busy job with the British National Health Service, raised her two daughters alone, and spent her weekends running and climbing mountains. Then, slowly, a mist settled deep inside the mind she once knew so well, blurring the world around her. She didn't know it then, but dementia was starting to take hold. In 2014, at age fifty-eight, she was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's. In this groundbreaking book, Mitchell shares the heartrending story of her cognitive decline and how she has fought to stave it off. What lay ahead of her after the diagnosis was scary and unknowable, but Mitchell was determined and resourceful, and she vowed to outwit the disease for as long as she could. As Mitchell learned to embrace her new life, she began to see her condition as a gift, a chance to experience the world with fresh eyes and to find her own way to make a difference. Even now, her sunny outlook persists: She devotes her time to educating doctors, caregivers, and other people living with dementia, helping to reduce the stigma surrounding this insidious disease. Still living independently, Mitchell now uses Post-it notes and technology to remind her of her routines and has created a 'memory room' where she displays photos--with labels--of her daughters, friends, and special places. It is a room where she feels calm and happy, especially on days when the mist descends. A chronicle of one woman's struggle to make sense of her shifting world and her mortality, [this book] offers a powerful rumination on memory, perception, and the simple pleasure of living in the moment. Philosophical, poetic, intensely personal, and ultimately hopeful, this moving memoir is both a tribute to the woman Wendy Mitchell used to be and a brave affirmation of the woman she has become."--Jacket.

a memoir

Somebody I used to know

What I Wish People Knew about Dementia

'This beautiful book will give hope and courage to many people. An uplifting and courageous read' KATHRYN MANNIX'Anyone who reads Mitchell's work can only admire her passion, her energy and her extraordinary courage' SUNDAY TIMESThe last book from bestselling author and advocate Wendy MitchellWendy Mitchell doesn't fear anything anymore. After her diagnosis of young-onset dementia in 2014, all of Wendy's old fears - the dark, animals - melted away. What more was there to be afraid of when she faced her worst fear: losing her own mind? While living with her diagnosis and facing the extreme changes that come along with a progressive terminal illness, Wendy wrote two Sunday Times-bestselling books, went skydiving for the first time and supports multiple dementia advocacy groups in the UK. She is known for talking about living with dementia, but now - while she is still able to - she explores dying with it.In One Last Thing, Wendy embarks on a journey to explore all angles of death: how we can prepare for it, how we talk about it with our loved ones and how we can be empowered to make our own choices. With conversations on the topic of assisted dying, from those who are fighting to make it legal to those vehemently opposed to its practice, Wendy reminds us that to get on with the business of living, we need to talk about death.

How to Live with the End in Mind

One Last Thing

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Essential reading' SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE'A book of hope' OBSERVER'A marvellous tour of insights' THE TIMES'A must-read . . . I couldn't recommend it higher' MICHAEL BALL'Wendy Mitchell is a life-saver' FRANCES WILSON, AUTHOR OF BURNING MANWhat can a diseased brain tell us about being human, living our own lives better and helping those with dementia get the best from theirs?When Wendy Mitchell was diagnosed with young-onset dementia at the age of fifty-eight, her brain was overwhelmed with images of the last stages of the disease -- those familiar tropes, shortcuts and clichés that we are fed by the media, or even our own health professionals. But her diagnosis far from represented the end of her life. Instead, it was the start of a very different one. Wise, practical and life affirming, What I Wish People Knew About Dementia combines anecdotes, research and Wendy Mitchell's own brilliant wit and wisdom to tell readers exactly what she wishes they knew about dementia.

From Someone Who Knows

THE RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICKTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEKSELECTED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE TIMESSELECTED AS A SUMMER READ BY THE SUNDAY TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, THE TIMES AND THE MAIL ON SUNDAY'Revelatory' Guardian'A miracle' Telegraph'Remarkable' Daily Mail'A landmark book' Financial TimesHow 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.

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'Inspirational . . . Shows that not all is lost when people lose their memories' Mail on Sunday 'Full of wisdom, honesty and warmth. It taught me so much . . . An essential read' Jan Carson, author of The Fire Starters What can a diseased brain tell us about being human, living our own lives better and helping those with dementia get the best from theirs? When Wendy Mitchell was diagnosed with young-onset dementia at the age of fifty-eight, her brain was overwhelmed with images of the last stages of the disease - those familiar tropes, shortcuts and clichés that we are fed by the media, or even our own health professionals. But her diagnosis far from represented the end of her life. Instead, it was the start of a very different one. Wise, practical and life affirming, What I Wish People Knew About Dementia combines anecdotes, research and Wendy Mitchell's own brilliant wit and wisdom to tell readers exactly what she wishes they knew about dementia.

Wendy Mitchell

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