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Losing My Mind

In Losing My Mind, Thomas DeBaggio chronicles the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and it’s devastating impact on him and his family from his perspective as the person with the disease. He starts at his day of diagnosis with AD at the age of 57 and continues until he was no longer able.

Losing My Mind is engaging, emotion evoking and informative. DeBaggio has been writing for much of his life. He has several books to his credit and his skill as a writer comes through. He addresses us in the first person and chronicles the very personal observations of the vagaries of his mind as it becomes less and less the reliable resource that helped him through his life. He is poignant in his telling of the ebb and flow of his mental abilities, at times leading us into fear for ourselves. He details how he was able to cope for a while by the compensations we have often heard are helpful: lists, asking for more help, taking longer and going slower. He waits for disappearing abilities to return, only to find the space between the appearances keeps growing. The poignancy is particularly touching when he feels the pain of watching his family deal with him and their fears for him and themselves – especially his son with the unstated questions about his own future and whether he carries the same gene[s] as his father.

He artfully entwines that thread with two others that together form the book. Every time the personal questions and pain are about to get too much for the reader, DeBaggio takes us to the story of his family life and his growing up, connecting to the characters that are still in his present. The third thread is the most objective and gives the reader a wealth of information about the ‘science’ of Alzheimer’s disease. The book was printed in 2002 and the writing took place earlier, but most of the information presented is still relevant and applicable today.

Losing My Mind is much more than about loss of memory, it is about the ability to function, to think and to survive. As he chronicles his decline, DeBaggio gives love and glimmers of hope in this tale of his passionate fight to stay connected to his cherished world and life.

The book is well done. It is one articulate man’s sharing of feelings that should not exist; their cause is too incomprehensible. This book can speak to anyone who has any experience with dementia and feelings about it, be they connected to them personally or professionally. This is a rare and very personal look at a life none wants to see, never mind experience and we are richer for the look.