Never give up on yourself. There will be so many others who will do that for you…..believe in yourself and live your life as best you can.

On the 31st July 2014 I was diagnosed with dementia. 5 years ago to this very day, here I am. I may not have much of a short term memory but that date never leaves me.

Should I be sad? Should I celebrate that I still here able to communicate and type?

That day I fell into a black hole of confusion. Assuming the phone would ring with offers of help and support, but the phone remained silent……

It was after a few weeks of feeling sorry for myself and believing it to be the end that I finally opened my eyes and saw what my reaction was doing to my daughters. If no one was going to help us I had to turn our world around and help ourselves, after all I was still a mum and that’s what mums do when life gets bad……

But I couldn’t have done this without the support of others. Peer support of Minds and Voices. Hearing Agnes Houston speak at the Women’s event in York, both giving me HOPE. Then finally having the confidence to speak out and since then I’ve never stopped.

Dementia has brought me many new opportunities, not least, the ability, through the friendship of Anna Wharton to write my book, Somebody I used to know – who would have thought that possible 5 years ago today? This in itself has opened up a whole new world of influencing and opportunities

But also I’ve met the most amazing people who I would never have met if I hadn’t been diagnosed with dementia.

But most of all I have to thank my daughters who have been at my side and never left it. Enabled me rather than protected me. Without their love and support I’d be in a very different place.

So on this bittersweet anniversary my one message would be….never give up on yourself. There will be so many others who will do that for you…..believe in yourself and live your life as best you can.