Book group: Everything Your Doctor Doesn’t Have Time to Tell You

As a GP, Matt Piccaver knew there was so much to say to people dealing with a recent dementia diagnosis that routinely doesn’t get said. 

So he wrote Dementia: Everything Your Doctor Doesn’t Have Time to Tell You. 

John Kemp in South Yorkshire, who has Alzheimer’s disease, says, ‘Dr Piccaver acknowledges the professional difficulties that dementia patients inherently give him – for a start, they need more than the standard 10-minute consultation that we, society, employs him for. 

His obvious empathy has helped him write a book for a wide audience which is successful in all respects.

Celia S says, ‘One of my parents is very close to receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. I don’t know as much as I’d like to about the condition, but the amount of information online about it is overwhelming. 

‘It’s not always easy to judge which sources of information are reliable, and it can be especially upsetting going through forums and hearing about some people’s experiences of the disease. 

With the NHS under pressure, appointments are like a revolving door, and there is definitely not enough time to really go into the detail of explaining the condition like it does in this book.

‘So, in that sense, the book really does what it says on the tin. I didn’t know there were any treatments available, so I found that information valuable as I will know what to encourage my parents to ask their doctor about.’ 

Easy to read 

Michele P in Essex says, ‘It’s not too long with easy to read print, and the style of writing aims to make you feel at ease when reading about such a scary subject. 

‘The author’s tone is one that tries to make you feel comfortable with little quotes or sayings that everyone will relate to, not dissimilar to my own doctor.’ 

Ailsa in Cornwall agrees, ‘I found the way Dr Matt Piccaver wrote this book made it very accessible, like talking to a friendly GP who wasn’t on a time limit. 

As I had researched my husband’s condition, a lot of what was covered was not new to me, however, there was information that extended and consolidated my knowledge.

The book is frank about dementia having no cure, and ultimately Celia was thankful for this even if it was hard to read. 

‘The only advice is to take all the help you can get and try to maintain the best quality of life you can,’ she says. 

‘The book is quite blunt about this and it might be upsetting for some to see this written so plainly in writing (it was for me), but this is a message that cannot really be sugar coated.’

What happens next 

John found the ‘What happens in clinic?’ chapter too brief, and he suggests a follow-on chapter called ‘What happens after the diagnosis?’ 

He says, ‘The very first thing is that we might have a patient in shellshock. Perhaps delayed a bit. How do I know? It happened to me!’ 

Michele says, ‘Some of the later chapters could be reordered, as I feel these are the things people are most concerned about initially.’ 

Despite recognising that the book couldn’t cover everything, John would also have appreciated more about what people with dementia may still be able to do. 

He said nothing about whether it stops you from writing book reviews or playing the classical guitar (I’m still learning new pieces – the delightful 20th century minuet from Antonio José’s Sonata).

Michele adds, ‘Some of the information is already out of date (my husband was diagnosed with the use of a PET scan, which I believe back in 2020 may not have been the case) and with new advances in medication on the horizon, this is something that will need to be updated.’ 

Solid starting point 

‘Overall, the book has a lot of useful, easily digestible information, possibly aimed more at the later stages of the disease,’ says Michele, ‘but a good reference book to have at hand, without being overwhelming.’ 

Ailsa says, ‘This book would be ideal for someone either newly diagnosed or who has a friend or relative with dementia.’ 

‘It doesn’t have all the answers, but it’s a solid starting point to find out more,’ notes Celia. 

‘The book is very well set out, and well written for a lay audience, but not patronising,’ says John. 

It’s stuffed with information and explanations that we can all learn from. The bottom line: Buy this book!

Dementia: Everything Your Doctor Doesn’t Have Time to Tell You, by Matt Piccaver (Sheldon 2020), 112 pages, £9.99 (prices vary), ISBN 9781847094827. Also available as an ebook.