Still Alice by Lisa Genova

from goodreads

5 stars

Have you ever felt that there are so many books and so little time? My to read list keeps growing and growing. With so many interesting books being published ever day, plus the books that are already published that I haven't discovered yet, it seems like I will never read everything that I would like.

This past year I made a list of books I would like to read. I only have two left on my list, so I made it through. While it was a good method to get some books done, it felt a bit constricting because there were some other books that caught my eye and I wasn't sure if I should go for those books or keep to the list. Thanks to some awesome reading months, where I got so much done, I was usually able to do both. But not always.

This year I have decided not to have a set reading list. Instead I have a list of suggestions where if I don't know what to read I can read something from that list. I'm not going to feel rushed to read those books but I will never be stuck with the question what to read next. I'll see how that goes.

Synopsis

Alice is a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard. She has built a successful career and is a sought out lecturer. But when words start to go missing and she gets lost in areas of town she knows very well, she knows something else is going on, early onset Alzheimer's.

My Thoughts

What a simple, elegant, breathtaking story. I ended up reading it in a day. I could not put it down.

I thought it refreshing to see the disease of Alzheimer's from the perspective of the patient. I think it illuminates many aspects and deficiencies in the support for patients and the differences in opinions, limited trials and slow diagnosis that sometimes occur.

I liked how it showed how those with Alzheimer's get frustrated too. While sometimes they don't remember and so things aren't a big deal, there are times when they are lucid and know that something is not right, or want to have a say but not sure how to say it. Yes, it is frustrating for the caregivers too, but sometimes when we give people labels it is easier to take away what little humanity and dignity they have left by just doing everything for them, even decision making.

I really loved seeing the different relationships in Alice's life. Her disease brought her closer to one daughter, and really, closer to her family in general, as she is realizing that family is the most important thing, not the accolades of the world.

The relationship with her husband was at times hard to watch. Here is a man, who's work is everything to him. Yes, he loves his wife and family, but he feels that his work in cancer research is what he needs to focus everything on. When he stops having time to run with her because of his lab I wanted to slap in on the head. Pass the torch man, there are times and places for things and it was sad, yet understandable how he was putting his work first and wife second as that was his way of dealing with the devastating prognosis.

While I'm sure there is poetic liscense and it might not be 100% accurate for what the patients with Alzheimer's think and feel, I think this is a great book to help get rid of the stigma of Alzheimer's, especially the early onset of it, and to increase our empathy for those living with it and those in their family.

The only drawback to the book is that now any memory slip or lost word I have makes me think I have early onset Alzheimer's. I am a lot more paranoid about it now. Maybe that is a good thing?