Wendy hopes What I Wish People Knew About Dementia will help show the condition is about much more than memory loss. There is no follow-up, no coping strategies for me or anybody else. If I had been diagnosed with cancer, or a stroke, or diabetes, would the consultant have discharged me? So why is there no aftercare following diagnosis of a brain disease, and no continuing support?

But I felt there was still so much laughing left to do. I call all this my suduko as it keeps my brain active being in lots of different environments and meeting lots of different people.” Soon after her diagnosis, Wendy began writing a blog, Which me am I today?, which continues to diarise her experiences of what she calls her “new life” with dementia, and the process of adapting she’s undertaken with her two daughters. I loved Mitchell’s first book, Somebody I Used to Know. She was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at age 58 in 2014. This follow-up, too, was co-written with Anna Wharton (they have each written interesting articles on their collaboration process, here and here). Whereas her previous work was a straightforward memoir, this has more of a teaching focus, going point by point through the major changes dementia causes to the senses, relationships, communication, one’s reaction to one’s environment, emotions, and attitudes.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 people think of dementia, they immediately associate it with memory. Few people realise, for example, just how it changes our relationships with our senses, our emotions, our communication. Few people understand the importance of a good environment – both inside and out – after a dementia diagnosis, and the small changes that can make a big difference. Unless you tell them, or talk about it, people will never know the difference dementia makes to your relationships – and how to make them work better. And if you don’t know any of this at all, how can you be responsible for your attitude?” I can type as though dementia never entered my world as that part of my brain has not yet been affected, but that often works against me as people question my diagnosis. All I can say is, live a day in my shoes and I’m sure the reality will dawn. Her impetus for speaking out about her experiences is to try and bust some of the myths about dementia. For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. If you’d like to retain your premium access and save 20%, you can opt to pay annually at the end of the trial.

The biggest thing, me and my daughters have learnt through having dementia, is the power of talking. The main message I took from the book,’ says Janet, ‘was that the attitudes, language and communication from others (especially professionals) can be so crucial, and that so much could still be improved upon.’ Caroline says, ‘Wendy has strong opinions on many areas including relationships, social isolation, environment and living alone with dementia.

Wendy Mitchell is an inspiration, especially to educate others whilst living with dementia herself. I love the way she separated the chapters to speak of everyday things like smells, taste, touch, things that we sometimes take for granted. There is a really interesting section on moods which I could resonate with, as with experience, I worked with many individuals that often had low moods, that sometimes turned extremely aggressive. Some people believe dementia creates hallucinations from nowhere, but it does not do this. Dementia isn’t “making up” the hallucination, it just “releases” stored memories from the past, and unfortunately usually the unpleasant ones.” That experience] could be very frightening but if you embrace that moment, as I did, and I was just in the presence of my father for a few seconds, I saw it as a wonderful moment rather than something to be feared." It is for this reason, she warns: “Language must never be underestimated. The language you use when giving a diagnosis can make or break people. Clinicians should be saying there is still so much you can do. I thought I worked in the ideal place to be diagnosed as I worked in the NHS for 20 years.

A must-read . . . It offers readers a practical and really honest guide to life after a diagnosis of dementia . . . For anyone who's beginning this journey, I couldn't recommend it higher' Touch becomes more important than ever: a ten-minute massage makes all the difference to someone who is feeling disengaged from their world.It’s reasonably rare for someone living with dementia to write their own experience, and Mitchell is now a powerful and much-loved voice within the dementia community. Her work has helped raise awareness of the illness, advocate for improved services and support, and – perhaps most importantly – ensured that people living with dementia are not just talked about, but included, consulted and listened to when it comes to considering how society approaches an illness that touches so many of us. She also writes about the role that family members play in a dementia patient’s life. It is important for both patient and his/her carer to know what dementia is, and the toll it inflicts on the patient and those who care for them. Mitchell also gives hope that dementia patients are still capable of living alone. But one needs to take precautions; and also maintain connections to the world. People in the village] saw my talent first before they realised I had dementia, so they saw dementia as secondary and in a whole new light.'" I think this book works well as an extension to Wendy’s first book as parts of the writing expand upon some of the strategies she uses to navigate life that she had previously written about.