Description: Christine Bryden was diagnosed with dementia in 1995, but her experiences do not reflect the mainstream discourse of loss of self while living with dementia. In this book she explains why people with dementia have a meaningful and continuing sense of self and calls for a different understanding of dementia that results in greater inclusion.
Brief description: Christine Bryden has worked in the pharmaceutical industry and as a senior executive in the Australian Prime Minister's Department. Following her diagnosis with Alzheimer's Disease in 1995, she has been instrumental in setting up local support groups for people with dementia and has addressed national and international conferences. In 2003 she was the first person with dementia to be elected to the Board of Alzheimer's Disease International. Her first book Who will I be when I die? was published in 1998 and has been translated into several languages. She lives in Brisbane, Australia.
Review Quotes: Christine's insider account of dementia, focusing on the continuing sense of self in the disease, brings a powerful message of hope for people who have dementia, their families and health care providers. People with dementia are still people of worth, even in the face of increasing cognitive decline and memory dysfunction.--Rev Prof Elizabeth MacKinlay, CAPS, Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, St Mark's National Theological Centre and School of Theology, Charles Stuart University