Welcome to the Series
Welcome to the Me with Dementia Talking About… weekly series.
Each Wednesday, I share an excerpt from my book—Me With Dementia Talking About—where I share reflections from the perspective of someone living with dementia. These gentle reflections are designed to help caregivers, family members, friends, and healthcare professionals better understand what dementia may feel like from the inside.
Whether you’re joining us for the first time or have been following along from the beginning, I’m glad you’re here.
Introduction
“Me” with Dementia, Talking About…
If you’ve ever looked into the eyes of someone living with dementia and wondered, “What’s going on in there?” — this book is my way of answering you.
I’m inviting you inside.
Inside the neurons, the senses, the moods, the memories, and the meanings that make up life with dementia.
Each page begins with “Me with dementia, talking about…” because that’s exactly what this is — a look at the world from the inside out. It’s not a textbook or a lecture. It’s a conversation. A translation. A bridge between the science of the brain and the heart of the person still living within it.
You’ll hear the voice of someone like me — someone whose brain is changing, whose neurons misfire, whose world flickers and fades and fills again — trying to explain what that feels like. You’ll also meet the caregiver’s heart in the spaces between the lines, because this journey isn’t mine alone. It belongs to both of us.
Part I — The Beginning of Understanding
We start at the smallest level — the neuron. Those tiny, sparkling messengers that once carried my thoughts, memories, and movements like a well-tuned orchestra.
Then we trace what happens as they falter: how dementia begins, why it’s called a brain disease, how it travels through different neighborhoods of the brain, and how those first little changes show up before anyone even says the word dementia.
It’s the inside story — how I experience it, how I notice it, and what it feels like when the doctor finally gives it a name.
Part 2 — Understanding the Dementia Brain
Once we’ve caught our breath, we’ll look at the brain itself — what’s happening physically.
You’ll learn about brain atrophy, cell death, and the gradual unraveling of functions like planning, problem-solving, judgment, and awareness.
But don’t worry — you won’t need a degree to follow along. I’ll walk you through it like a tour guide who knows the back roads, mixing plain-English neuroscience with a few human stories and a bit of humor to keep the lights on.
Part 3 — The World Through My Senses
Next, we step into perception — how dementia changes the way I see, hear, taste, touch, and feel.
You’ll discover why shiny floors look like puddles, why voices sound different, why touch becomes both confusing and comforting, and how the brain’s sleep and sensory systems lose their rhythm.
This part helps you understand not just what I do, but why I do it.
Part 4 — My Emotions, Mood, and Expression
Here, we move into the heart. Dementia doesn’t just change how I think — it changes how I feel and express emotion.
You’ll hear me talk about mood swings, fear, tears, depression, impulsivity, empathy, and those fleeting moments of joy that still break through the fog.
Because even when my logic fails, my feelings still speak.
Part 5 — Identity, Self, and Social Awareness
This part explores the deeper layers — who I am, and who I still believe myself to be.
Purpose, confidence, shame, frustration, dignity — they all mingle here. You’ll see how small victories matter, how humor helps, and why being treated with respect keeps my spirit anchored even as my mind drifts.
Part 6 — Communication and Language
Now we listen to the words — or the loss of them.
I’ll explain what it’s like to forget names, swap words, make up new ones, or lose speech altogether — and how nonverbal language, rhythm, and tone become my lifelines when sentences won’t come.
You’ll learn how to listen beneath the words and hear what I’m really saying.
Part 7 — Behaviors and Repetitions
This is the part many caregivers find hardest. I’ll take you inside the looping, pacing, tapping, shouting, and wandering — all the things that seem irrational from the outside but make perfect sense from within a changing brain.
Once you understand the “why,” the fear softens, and compassion can take its place.
Part 8 — Daily Living and the Practical World
Here, we’ll look at the everyday things — bathing, dressing, eating, sleeping, moving, and managing the environment around me.
It’s where dignity meets reality, and where small adjustments make the biggest difference.
You’ll see how comfort, familiarity, and calm become medicine in their own right.
Part 9 — Relationships, Longings, and Life’s Meaning
In the final part, we move into the soul of dementia — where love, attachment, grief, and legacy live.
I’ll talk about longing for home, searching for my parents, needing touch, grieving loved ones, and finding comfort in faith, stories, and ritual.
We’ll also face hard truths — neglect, exploitation, fear — and how I might show you I’m not safe, even if I can’t say it aloud.
Because even as my brain changes, my heart keeps searching for connection.
A Word from Deb
If this book does one thing, I hope it helps you see the person behind the behavior, the human behind the diagnosis, and the meaning still shimmering beneath the confusion.
Every page is a doorway — into understanding, into empathy, and into the tender space where knowledge and love meet.
So pour a cup of tea, take my hand, and let’s walk through this together.
It’s not an easy journey, but I promise — it’s a deeply human one.
“If you can see the person, not the disease — you’ve already found the way home.”
Continue the Journey
Thank you for reading this week’s chapter from Me with Dementia Talking About…
This series follows the book in order, one chapter each week, making it easy to read from beginning to end.
Continue Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Me with Dementia Talking About series?
The Me with Dementia Talking About series is a weekly collection of excerpts from Deb Jeffrey’s book that helps readers understand dementia through compassionate first-person reflections.
Who is this series for?
The series is written for caregivers, family members, friends, healthcare professionals, and anyone wanting to better understand dementia.
Do I need to read the posts in order?
No. Each chapter can stand alone, but the series is designed to build upon previous chapters.
What types of dementia are discussed?
The series explores experiences common to Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, and other dementias while focusing on the person behind the diagnosis.