Until My Memory Fails Me

“This extraordinary book invites the reader to accompany Sharon Lukert as she comes to terms with the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. Despite the raw vulnerability of her personal story, the woman we meet is undiminished. This book harvests her skills as a chaplain and Buddhist practitioner and offers them to us with the voice of a poet, storyteller, teacher, and lifelong student. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who seeks to pull back the veil and shine a light on a world that many of us fear.” —Susan Gillis Chapman, author of Which Way Is Up? “This is a thoroughly enjoyable and smoothly instructive book. The author’s deft confluence of her own cognitive impairment with her long-term wisdom from Buddhist spiritual traditions, sensitivity from her time as a chaplain, and empathic caregiving result in delightful reading. She doesn’t just relate insight but beckons me into what it is like to be her as she gradually declines while continuing to care for cognitively declining people.” —Gordon J Hilsman, D. Min, retired board-certified chaplain and ACPE Certified Educator. “Until My Memory Fails Me is both a poignant story and a well-written handbook on how to help yourself and others during challenging times. Sharon’s honesty and integrity about her experience with cognitive changes makes this book a must-read, not just for people with cognitive impairment but for all of us who will face our own health challenges as we age. Sharon’s meditations and Buddhist teachings are interesting and practical, with some I’ll incorporate into my own daily routine. Sharon’s voice is vulnerable and powerful and conveys a perspective I want my patients to see.” —Nathaniel Chin, MD, Medical Director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) and Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention Study (WRAP)