Fiona Phillips says she has no idea if her medication is working as she shared an update on her life since being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Two months since she announced the news of her diagnosis, each day is filled with anxiety, not knowing if the drugs she's receiving as part of medical trials are making a difference.
It’s clear Fiona is worrying about some new aspects of her condition. "My eldest son Nat has taken great... great…’ and then she pauses. ‘Oh, er, oh it’s awful but I keep having these moments where I think, ‘what’s the word?’ It doesn’t happen all the time.. just occasionally. And that’s just not me at all. I can normally talk until next Christmas. It is just weird when it happens because I’m thinking, ‘why has my mouth stopped and I’m still thinking about the sentence. It’s really weird.
"He’s been amazing", she says. "One of the things that has happened to me is that I’ve lost all interest in cooking and food. I did used to like that but now when Martin gets home from work he’ll cook. I do feel a bit guilty because it’s another pressure on him but I just can’t be bothered. There are some days I can’t be bothered to do anything. It’s partly this malaise that I’m in I suppose.
Despite changes in attitudes towards people with the disease Fiona is still nervous about people knowing she has it. Sometimes she forgets she told her story back in July which was followed nationally. She tells me that she hasn’t confided in one friend about her condition.. just in case the pal told her husband and the secret should get out.
One incident recently was clearly distressing for Fiona though. "I was really annoyed the other day because there is a brilliant pair of women who do nails and beauty treatments and I was going to see them. They have moved their location and I went there I couldn’t for the life of me find their place - I thought it was number 17 and went to number 17 and they weren’t there.. and I was thinking 'Where are they? Is it me? Or is it them? That upset me more than anything.