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Christine Bryden Christine Bryden i(8853016 works by)
Gender: Female
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Works By

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3 y separately published work icon Before I Forget : How I Survived a Diagnosis of Younger-Onset Dementia at 46 Christine Bryden , Melbourne : Penguin , 2015 8853032 2015 single work autobiography

''Some days all I want to do is give up the constant, exhausting struggle and stop trying to be normal. But I can't. It's not in me to walk away from a fight. I'll keep fighting and telling my story. Before I forget.'

'When she was just 46, Christine Bryden – science advisor to the prime minister and single mother of three daughters – was diagnosed with younger-onset dementia. Doctors told her to get her affairs in order as she would soon be incapable of doing so. Twenty years later she is still thriving, still working hard to rewire her brain even as it loses its function.

'The unusually slow progress of her condition puts Christine in a unique position to describe the lived experience of dementia, a condition affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. In this revealing memoir, she looks back on her life in an effort to understand how her brain – once her greatest asset, now her greatest challenge – works now. She shares what it's like to start grasping for words that used to come easily. To be exhausted from visiting a new place. To suddenly realise you don't remember how to drive. To challenge, every day, the stereotype of the 'empty shell'. Brave and inspiring, this is Christine's legacy for people with dementia and those who care about them.' (Publication summary)
4 y separately published work icon Dancing With Dementia: My Story of Living Positively with Dementia Christine Bryden , London : Jessica Kingsley Publishers , 2005 13753420 2005 single work autobiography

'Christine Bryden was a top civil servant and single mother of three children when she was diagnosed with dementia at the age of 46. Since then she has gone on to challenge almost every stereotype of people with dementia by campaigning for self-advocacy, writing articles and speaking at national conferences.

'This book is a vivid account of the author's experiences of living with dementia, exploring the effects of memory problems, loss of independence, difficulties in communication and the exhaustion of coping with simple tasks. She describes how, with the support of her husband Paul, she continues to lead an active life nevertheless, and explains how professionals and carers can help.

'Christine Bryden makes an outspoken attempt to change prevailing attitudes and misconceptions about the disease. Arguing for greater empowerment and respect for people with dementia as individuals, she also reflects on the importance of spirituality in her life and how it has helped her better understand who she is and who she is becoming.

'Dancing with Dementia is a thoughtful exploration of how dementia challenges our ideas of personal identity and of the process of self-discovery it can bring about.'

(Source: Amazon)
7 y separately published work icon Who Will I Be When I Die? Christine Bryden , Blackburn North : HarperCollins Religious , 1998 13755380 1998 single work autobiography

'For many, Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia is a mystery condition affecting old people. Christine Bryden was 46 when she was diagnosed with dementia, and ‘Who will I be when I die?’ is the beginning of the story of her emotional, physical and spiritual journey since then. Christine is living positively with dementia, and provides a unique insight into how it feels to be gradually losing the ability to undertake tasks most of us take for granted. Her story is remarkable because of the vigour with which she is undertaking this battle in her life and her deep sense that her life continues to have purpose and meaning. Christine’s approach to health and well-being has made this book a must for many people with dementia and their families.'

(Source: author's website)
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