Television presenter and journalist Fiona Philips has revealed how she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The columnist was told she had the illness a year ago following months of brain fog and anxiety.
At just 62, Fiona is currently undergoing trials for a life-changing new medicine which scientists are hoping could slow or even reverse the illness for millions of sufferers around the world reports the Mirror.
The former breakfast host said: "This disease has ravaged my family and now it has come for me. And all over the country there are people of all different ages whose lives are being affected by it - it’s heartbreaking. I just hope I can help find a cure which might make things better for others in the future."
Fiona revealed deep down she had always feared this moment - when a doctor told her one afternoon last year: “Your results are back.. And yes, I’m afraid they do show early stages of Alzheimer's Disease."
“It’s something I might have thought I’d get at 80”, she says. “But I was still only 61 years old.
“I felt more angry than anything else because this disease has already impacted my life in so many ways; my poor mum was crippled with it, then my dad, my grandparents, my uncle. It just keeps coming back for us.”
Fiona's husband and This Morning editor, Martin Frizell agreed. He said: "“Yes, tragically Fiona’s family has been riddled with it.”
For 18 months, Fiona has carried the weight of her illness secretly, however, she has finally decided to share the news.
“No one has known because I haven’t been blaring out loud, ‘oh yeah, I’ve got Alzheimer's. And I have been so worried people will judge me or put labels on me.
“It’s a horrible bloody secret to divulge.”
The mum-of-two has now decided she will no longer live in fear of judgement and hopes by telling her story she can help end the stigma which remains around the disease,
Her aim is also to provide comfort to others by sharing news of clinical trials in which she is taking part which could revolutionise future Alzheimer’s treatment.
“There is still an issue with this disease that the public thinks of old people, bending over a stick, talking to themselves,’ says Fiona.
“But I’m still here, getting out and about, meeting friends for coffee, going for dinner with Martin and walking every day.”
Behind Fiona's smiles were subdued sense of anxiety - something which emerged in the months after Covid and first gave concern for her health.
Martin added: "It all started with Fiona feeling crippling anxiety towards the end of 2021.
“And I’d never had that in my life,’ Fiona adds.
“We thought maybe it was the menopause because all the symptoms were there; brain fog, anxiety and confusion,’ says Martin.
“We got in touch with a menopause specialist who took her under their wing and put her on HRT but while that improved some symptoms, the brain fog remained.”
"Really?" replies Fiona, genuinely intrigued by her husband’s anecdote.
"I don’t recall any of that."
After her appointment with the menopause specialist, it was recommended that Fiona seek further help to explain why she was struggling with her memory.
After months of cognitive tests and then a lumbar puncture to assess spinal fluid came the diagnosis she had dreaded.
The nature of the illness means there are parts of the story Fiona is no longer able to remember
Martin reveals that when he heard the news of Fiona's diagnosis, he felt 'sick'.
“We both sat in silence. There was no funny line to make this go away. Nothing smart to say. Nothing. And then the doctor said he’d leave us in the room alone for a bit to digest it all. We just looked at each other and said: ‘Sh*t. What are we going to do?”
Fiona adds: “It was the shock.. Total shock. And then we said to each other.. ‘Shall we go and have a drink? So that’s what we did. In fact we’ve now become locals at the pub on the square by the hospital!”
“The doctor had said it was very early stages so we just had to go home and try to live our life as normal for now,’ says Martin. ‘That was all we could do.”
Worldwide more than 130 tests are currently taking place and finally, it feels like a significant breakthrough in Alzheimer’s treatment is within touching distance.
It may not yet be a straightforward cure but doctors are hopeful there may soon be treatments which mean people could live well with Alzheimer’s in the way people are now able to live with HIV.
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