An Ocean of Time: Alzheimer's: Tales of Hope and Forgetting

In ancient mythology the dead began their descent down the river Styx. The river was shrouded in mystery, fear, and doubting. So also with Alzheimer's disease. It often seems that the Alzheimers patient has begun the trip in advance of dying. Their world, like the Styx, seems engulfed in darkness and uncertainty, both spatial and temporal. On such a dark and lonely journey, a guide would be a necessity.On the darkest of days, An Ocean of Time:Alzheimer's:Tales of Hope and Forgetting, is such a guide. The author, Patrick Mathiasen, MD, is the Medical Director of the Northwest Hospital Geriatric Psychiatry Center. Mathiasen weaves together information about the disease process with vignettes from the lives of his Alzheimer's patients. If you are a caregiver looking for an Alzheimer's 101 text, choose another book. An Ocean of Time is geared towards those who have seen their loved one mentally kidnapped and wonder where they are. It assists the caregiver in understanding the "windows" that are typical of the disease. It helps caregivers to dialogue meaningfully with their loved one, especially when those "windows" occur. Indeed, I had a greater sense of hope and imagination about the disease as a result of its mystery. There have been many wonderful books about caring for these patients, but few have invited us to enter into their world, and even fewer to ascribe meaning and hope to the experience. Mathiasen does so with passion.If you are in need of a guide on that dark and lonely river, this is the book for you.