Customer Reviews

Living in the Labyrinth: A Personal Journey Through the Maze of Alzheimer's

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This amazing book is written by an Alzheimer's victim herself. Diana Friel McGowin began having symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease at age 45. She gives us an inside look at what it's like to have this disease, from the first symptoms noticed, through the ordeal of searching for a diagnosis, to the finality in the diagnosis itself and the daily losses that come. Diana has a wonderful attitude, finding comfort in her memories of simple things: the smell of the small town library of her childhood, the the taste of icicles on her tongue, the sight of the first daffodils of spring, lightning bugs, a train whistle, her grandmother's violin. What a wonderful way to view it all, as she says "I can sometimes enjoy the sweet fragrance of night blooming jasmine when no one else can." We, the children of Alzheimer's victims, hope that a cure can be found, but if it doesn't come in our time, we do have an example of radiant acceptance.

Living in the Labyrinth is a very personal account of one woman's journey through the maze of early-onset Alzheimer's. I found this book to be incredible and helpful as I am coping with a grandmother with Alzheimer's.

I applaud Diana on her fight to maintain her independence as well as on her brutal honesty in letting the reader into very personal areas of her life.

I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like for a person so young to begin seeing their life slipping away from them and knowing that it will forever be different, no matter how much one wants it to stay the same. Diana does fight - she does not give up and she is still fighting. Her struggles throughout the book, her hiding information from her family and friends, all testify to her strength and fierce determination to conquer this disease.

I thought the actions and reactions of her children as well as her husband was very revealing and at times sad.

This is an excellent book for anyone coping with a loved one with AD - I found it very insightful, informative, and helpful. I found comfort in this book in helping me to deal with my grandmother.

Thank you Diana for allowing us to enter into your private world.

When I first began my zealous quest to understand the disease of Alzheimer's, I stumbled across this book. To this day, it remains the most influential book I've read for understanding stages 1-5. Written in first person, it provides a soul-revealing glimpse into the maze of AD as one woman shares her quest to deal with the loss of function and depression accompanying this stage of the journey. Years later, I still pick it up occassionally to reconnect.

As a 61 year old male caregiver I know a bit about Alzheimer's. I have read many books on Alzheimer's telling me to take care of myself. This book tells of the events in a woman Alzheimer's victim's life from her viewpoint The tales of sexual frustration, fear and confusion are riviting. I was supposed to return the book to it's owner for a friend. I glanced inside and just kept reading. For days I was a better person since I realized what was going on for the person afflicted. I bought the book after I read it, and I have loaned it out to other people who have also been moved! I was amazed that such a good book could be written by one with Alzheimer's

This is the first book I have read that let me know how the patient feels and see's this disease. I was concerned that my mother would know that she was loosing her mind. Diana has early onset Alzheimers and takes us on her personal & often fearful journey. God bless her. She counts her losses, her family counts what she has left. There is still a person inside, we sometimes forget that.

I am a patient with early onset Alzheimers. After reading this book I didn't feel so alone.

I read this book after 4 years of watching and helping my Mother maintain her ability to live independently as long as possible. Finally the day came when I had to take her to a care facility. After reading this book, so many of the experiences of the last 4 years made more sense and I gained a better understanding of how life was from my Mothers perspective. I wish I had read this book in the first year or two. I wish my Mother could have read it also. This is a wonderful book and I found much of it comforting.

Living in the Labyrinth is one of the first books I read when I began researching Alzheimer's disease. It is a gripping account of Alzheimer's disease from the inside. I found myself reading the whole book in one sitting.

Diana McGowin, though diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's, is still a clear and fluent writer. She suffers from the typical early symptoms of the disease, but can still write about them with perfect coherence.

On the whole, this is almost a cheerful book--because here is someone with dementia who is fully engaged with life. The bleaker, underlying story is only hinted at here, of all that the author is bound to lose. So far she seems to have lost little. She is, as she says, not just an Alzheimer's Who Talks, but an Alzheimer's Who Talks Back--which makes this a compelling read.

A few clichés slowed me down ("The bridge I was crossing was precarious enough due to its missing planks. I had to stop attempting to cross other bridges before I reached them"), but the book is also enlivened with some frank, almost startling passages, such as those in the chapter about her own sexuality. McGowin describes, with a light touch, her forays into masturbation, and concludes, "As I march--or am dragged--further into Alzheimer's Disease, I am less ashamed of my more primal urges." Courageous, and enlightening.

This is a wonderfully written book on the insights of dementia from the beginning stages.
I have recently passed this on to a friend whose wife (aged only 67) is in the beginning stage of Alzheimers. It has given him a lot of insight on how to handle certain situations and to be aware of feelings and the different circumstances.

Very well written and simply presented. I would highly recommend this book.