'Just like Fiona Phillips, my mother had dementia - she suffered brain fog in her 60s'
22.07.2023 - 11:17
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A grief-stricken Manchester woman has recounted her shock at how her mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in her 60s after suffering brain fog.
Emily has revealed how the family struggled so much in dealing with the diagnosis that they wouldn't use the condition's full name, referring to it instead as "the big A".
Janet Allen's journey mirrors that of Mirror columnist, journalist and television presenter Fiona Phillips who was diagnosed at 61 following bouts of anxiety and confusion. The former breakfast TV host had kept the illness secret for 18 months, again similar to Janet's experience as she and husband-of-45 years Andrew tried desperately to hide the diagnosis from their three daughters, the youngest of whom is Emily.
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Emily, who was living about 80 miles away at university at the time of the diagnosis, told The Mirror in a candid interview: "I think it's like the scariest thing. I think it's almost like the glimmer of hope that it could be anything else like you know; menopause, stress, depression, anything that could be causing memory loss. Alzheimer's is so horrible. I just think it's one of the worst bits of news you can get for you and your loved one."
Janet's initial symptoms, just like in Fiona's case, included brain fog. She couldn't remember her debit card PIN and struggled with administration in her role as a teacher at a school for children with special educational needs. And, at just 60, the mum of three was eventually diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Emily, a 37-year-old project manager now living in Manchester, said today: "Our denial was so strong that my dad didn't even tell us it was