Dementia Memoir

Forfatter og antropolog Ina Kjøgx Pedersen har været på feltarbejde i sin egen familie. Hendes idé var på nærmeste hold at følge sin mors demenssygdom; den sygdom, som er udråbt til at være en af vor tids største personlige og verdensøkonomiske katastrofer, som i ringe omfang lader sig behandle, og som i sundhedsvæsnet kun kan måles negativt: I form af rask tilbagegang. Men ville det også opleves sådan for hende i virkeligheden?

In 1992, Franziska Thomas had her first seizure and her whole world was turned upside down - literally. In Fits and Starts, Franziska gives a compelling personal description of living with epilepsy, an illness shrouded in secrecy and antiquated myths. Laden with self-deprecating humor, she describes her own coming of age - as an epileptic, a teacher, and ultimately, a mother.

After a near fatal stroke in 1995, Robert McCrum has gained an intimate understanding of his own mortality. Twenty-two years on, his friends have joined him in experiencing Prospero's 'every third thought' of death as a dominating theme of life. McCrum asks: can we make peace with what Freud calls 'the necessity of dying'? Searching for answers leads him to brain surgeons, psychologists, cancer patients and writers for advice and wisdom.

When my wife Cheryl saw what I was doing, she asked me to chronicle our almost 30-year journey through Alzheimer's. As I began to write and post blogs of the trip, it became apparent that I had a love of writing and an audience for our story. I soon developed a large following, and the blog almost took on a life of its own. The blog has morphed into much more than I ever dreamed. From the comments and feedback I received on many posts, it became apparent that I needed to try and turn this into a book. Many people battling this disease and being caregivers need to know they are not alone.

Mama Is Still Here! is a true story of an educated and accomplished African American woman who was raised in the state of Mississippi between the 1940s and 1960s. Daisy: a wife, mother, and everyone's favorite sister, aunt, and friend is admired for her swagger and confidence. But she finds her life spiraling out of control because of impaired memory lapses due to Alzheimer's disease. The devastating diagnosis crushed Daisy and her husband's world, and the world of their adult children.