The author writes, "depressed patients often complain that they're unable to concentrate or remember things, while those with dementia are generally unaware of any mental problems." And yet, DeBaggio himself seems painfully aware of his own ever-increasing lapses, at least initially. One reads simply, "This may be my last chance to dream." Why are these remarks so moving? Do they ever remind you of your own privately held feelings?ģ. One of the most poignant aspects of the book is the use of short italicized quotations from DeBaggio's journal - dispatches from his most personal thoughts. What is the effect of this technique? Did you notice any interesting juxtapositions?Ģ. Rather than treating these subjects in three separate sections, he alternates between them rapidly, creating a complex texture. One records his memories from early childhood onward, another relates the present-day frustrations of the disease, and the last collects bits and pieces of the latest Alzheimer's research. As he says in the Author's Note, DeBaggio weaves three distinct threads into this narrative.
While keeping up with his family-run herb and plant business, he began work on his new project immediately, writing in his journal to capture the personal angle and researching the latest scientific information on a still poorly understood disease.
Diagnosed one beautiful spring day at the age of 57, longtime journalist DeBaggio initially viewed the condition as a death sentence, but also knew he had a story he ought to tell. In Losing My Mind: An Intimate Look at Life with Alzheimer's, Thomas DeBaggio records in heartbreaking detail an experience that few have recounted and no one hopes to share: the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
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