25/05/2023
'It all started in my early 40s. I was doing my degree as a social worker when I was starting to forget names, faces, and even how to use a computer. I'd be riding my bike and suddenly didn't know where I was going; I didn't know where I'd been.
'Then I collapsed in Durham one day. It was my daughter's 10th birthday.'
It took almost a decade from experiencing dementia symptoms for Anita Goundry to finally get diagnosed.
She continues: 'They did a lumbar puncture because I had a bleed on the brain but didn't do any cat scans or MRIs. They didn't find anything, so they sent me home.
'Everything progressively got worse. I was going to the doctor, and I was saying, "Look, my memory is bad. I don't remember anything. I'm getting lost. My balance is going; my vision's not right."
'They put this all down to the menopause because of my age. They basically wrote me off.
'It took about seven years before they found out that I'd had three previous strokes. I also showed signs of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.
'I went back to the GP, who referred me to the memory clinic, but they refused to take me because I was too young. When I finally got a referral, I was told I had young onset mixed dementia, atypical Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.
'But there was no support, signposting, explanation of anything or compassion. I was told I wouldn't be able to work, but there was no pension advice. There was no benefit advice; there was nothing.
'I picked up a few leaflets just in passing. And one of them was the Alzheimer's Society. They were amazing. I said, "I need help," and burst into tears. They pulled me back from the brink.'
Anita's life completely fell apart 11 years ago. She's worked extremely hard to rebuild it and is determined to make the most of the time she has left. This includes providing hope for others with dementia, such as campaigning for us and setting up dementia services in her local area.
'Never be frightened to speak out. You know yourself more than anybody else does.
'I'm going to make sure other people aren't in the same position. If I can stop one person from having the same experience as me, that's good. If I can stop 20 people, that's amazing.'
If you are experiencing memory loss and other symptoms that affect your daily life, it could be a sign of something more serious. For advice and support, visit: alzheimers.org.uk/memoryloss or give us a call on 0333 150 3456.
