Christine Bryden: A conversation about dementia

Yesterday, July 17, 2014, was the 5-year anniversary of Vicki receiving her diagnosis of having something called “Frontotemporal Dementia” (FTD), and was told she had only 6 months to 2 years left to live.

I visited Vicki 4 weeks later. She’d been trying to find out as much as she could about this disease. One of the things she found really helpful was a book titled Dancing with Dementia: My Story of Living Positively with Dementia
written in 2005 by Christine Bryden, an Australian woman who had been diagnosed with FTD at the age of 46. She was told she had at most a few years to live. But 20 years later Christine is still alive, still educating people about dementia and advocating for effective dementia care.

Last year, the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency produced a video with Christine and her husband Paul about the experience of living with FTD.

They share their insights about living with dementia. Hers has been an emotional and spiritual journey, accompanied by Paul, a loving and supportive husband. She has a positive outlook on life, despite the challenges she faces each day.

After viewing the video, you can visit Christine’s website, Dementia from an Insider’s Perspective, to learn more about her amazing journey.

By the way, I read Dancing with Dementia: My Story of Living Positively with Dementia right after my August 2009 visit with Vicki. It was, and still is, a great help.

Jim