I recently read another very interesting article about dementia, but it was discussing a neuroscientist’s firsthand experience with the condition. Dr. Barbara Lipska, who is now in remission with the condition, became diagnosed with melanoma in January 2015 that had spread to her brain. This led to her overall brain functioning failing and she beginning to exhibit symptoms of dementia and schizophrenia.
However, just when doctors were trying to figure out what to do, the immunotherapy prescribed to her worked, and eight weeks later, she was back to normal. Amazingly, she is now able to recall her unfortunate experience with clarity. Not too many dementia patients can do this. Here are some of the details she shares in her 2018 book, “The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind: My Tale of Madness and Recovery,” about life as a dementia patient.
Growing Distorted Awareness
One change Lipska mentions in her behavior was her distorted awareness of things. She suddenly had difficulty recognizing things and places she known for years. When she would go out running or biking, she found herself getting lost in her neighborhood. She even started getting lost driving home from work.
Her diminishing awareness has caused her to become confused about things moving around in her house. She couldn’t recognize her problems with getting around. She started to develop some mistrust with her family and become irritable. Despite being a neuroscientist who is trained at recognizing these symptoms in others, she was unable to realize she was starting to experience them.
Personality Changes
Another aspect she mentions about living with dementia is the personality changes. This is definitely what we’re seeing in my aunt’s condition. These sorts of things happened to Lipska as her personality shifted from assertive and strong to irritable and impulsive. While she wasn’t able to notice these changes, her friends and family were. These changes in her personality caused them to send her to the doctor for a brain scan. That was when they discovered an extreme swelling in her brain. Although these changes were painful to watch for her family, they were still the key to saving her life.
Struggled with Anticipating her Body’s Needs
With the diminishing awareness and personality changes, there were also problems with anticipating her body’s needs. Lipska no longer developed a build-up towards hunger, fatigue, or the need to go to the bathroom. She lost the ability to plan for what her body needs and urges started to come on quickly for her. This has caused her to shut down her ability to focus on anything else.
These were some of the behavioral changes this doctor shared in her 2018 book. It’s amazing that this woman not only recovered from dementia but was able to recall her symptoms. Her story is truly an inspiration for people going through this condition. As usual, feel free to share this story with your loved ones.
