Turn of Mind (↑)

I finished another book very quickly this time. Only because I crap-load of time on my hands lately (I worked a lot of night shifts, and I had all of today off and to myself). this book was called Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante. It's very similar to Still Alice, but instead of seeing the Alzheimer's develop, it's already in full-force you and you see the quick deterioration of the mind. Again it's told in the first person, and shows why people with dementia act the way they do, and can be quite stubborn. It's funny, but since starting my new job and hearing stories about the psycho-geriatric unit where there are a lot of dementia patients, I can almost empathize with them about what's going on, only by reading this book. This book also almost made me cry. I'm not sure why, but I think it's because I find it so sad that someone who was so intelligent was ripped down to almost nothing mentally. She might still be smart, but forgetting her own family, and living obstinately in the past and refusing to be brought back to reality seems sad to me. I know that really, living in the past and refusing reality isn't truly her fault, but I find it sad that she got so upset when people tried to pull her back to reality (not that she remained there for long). I know that this paragraph is kind of rambly so I'm going to leave it there, and get to the synopsis.

This book followed the character Dr. Jennifer White who had been a orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hands. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, and she was progressively going downhill. Her best friend Amanda (who could be a bit of a bitch) was murdered, and the police began to investigate. One thing lead to another, and the police labeled Dr. White a 'person of interest'. It continues with the investigation, and then leads to Dr. White being put in an institution because her mental health had deteriorated so far, and she was no longer competent and was considered a danger to herself and society.

This book was awesome. I was certainly recommend it to anyone who wants more of an inside view of dementia, and what it feels like for patient. Anyway, I believe I'm going to be reading a Jodi Picoult book next, so until next time, happy reading!

Still Alice (↑)

Although I have no job yet, I've gotten busy the past few weeks, and so this blog post was a long time coming. It took me forever to finish the book, but not because I didn't like it, but rather because I didn't have the time to read it. I've finished the novel, Still Alice by Lisa Genova. This book made me sad because it really hits home what it feels like to have Alzheimer's Disease. Everyone always hears about it from the caregiver's view, but it was refreshing to hear about it from the individual suffering from it. It was sad as it continued on the fact that she basically seemed like a zombie, without thought or simple thoughts. It was like she was a child. A woman who was so intelligent brought down to that level. It was also upsetting to read when she forgot her children's names, or didn't recognize them, and it got even worse when she didn't recognize her husband. I hope that when I get older I don't develop Alzheimer's or dementia. But honestly, I don't know what would be worse...losing my memories/mind or losing function of my body. Both would be terrible.

Anyway, this novel is about a woman who finds out she has Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease. It follows the disease's progression throughout 2 years until basically she is without a memory. It follows her thoughts and frustrations as she loses her language ability, her ability to remember her children and family and ability to dress herself. It's a sad novel, but one that raises awareness for others as to what it feels like.

I have to say that I would recommend it to people who are caregivers for those with Alzheimer's or are interested in learning more about it. I look forward to reading her Lisa Genova's next book.

I'm not sure what I will be starting next, but most likely it will be on my ereader (which has to charge) so until then, Happy Reading!