I was born in 1957 and grew up in a Lancashire industrial town overlooking the Pennines. I started hiking in the Peak District in my early teens, when there was no specialized outerwear, when you wore old clothes and a pacamak instead of a waterproof suit. Through osmosis, I learned to read maps and eventually even got a raincoat.
I continued my passion for hiking, often alone or with groups, in this country, but also in Europe, and in 2011 I finally did what I had been doing since I was twenty and went to Everest Base Camp. But that all changed in 2014, when I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 57.
My father had early dementia, but he was not diagnosed until the late 60s, when his condition worsened significantly. I started noticing that I was showing some of the same symptoms as him.
Like my dad, I didn’t call anyone by name because I couldn’t remember them. I worked in the real estate department of the local government, and there the symptoms were noticeably more noticeable. We took care of the board buildings and I was their compliance officer. I was responsible for ensuring that all buildings complied with safety regulations such as electrical and gas testing, fire and asbestos regulations.
My job was to advise managers and arrange tests, but I found that my ability to remember and plan effectively was waning. I found myself saying, more and more often, “I’ll let you know,” when I used to be able to quote the necessary rules. I went to school to talk about their fire risk assessment and took the wrong papers with me – I felt like an idiot. I spent a lot of time in the car, driving between buildings and often getting lost.
In the spring of 2014, I went to the doctor with a problem in my right ankle, and at the end of the appointment, he asked, “Anything else?” I took a deep breath and told him about my symptoms. He referred me to a memory clinic and I took memory tests before I was diagnosed. I know a diagnosis can be devastating for a lot of people, but for me it was almost a relief because I knew what the problem was and could get medication to slow it down.
After I was diagnosed, the consultant did a psychological profile to determine where my losses were. My language skills and vocabulary were good, but my executive functions—planning, decision making, and management—were severely impaired.
I finished my work at Christmas 2014 – I was referred by a professional doctor and my family doctor canceled me due to dementia. I then retired due to sickness and my corporate pension was released. This process took several months, so I officially finished work in June 2015, although I had not worked since Christmas.
After the diagnosis, I was not as active as before. I started baking and gained so much weight that I had to buy bigger clothes. I had a serious accident that could have been serious if my head had been a few millimeters closer to the radiator. It destroyed my confidence in my ability to take care of myself. I didn’t do anything for several weeks. One day, when I was almost 60, I heard a program on Radio 4 that basically described my physical abilities and the fast track to disability that I was on.
It was the shock I needed because I knew it was true. I googled exercises for the elderly and found Jane Fonda’s DVD for over 50s, which starts with a very simple, gentle exercise aimed at improving balance. I quickly moved on and began to walk through the streets of the village, and gradually the climb became easier. This was partly because I was in better shape, but also because I became more mindful of my diet and lost weight. I also ventured off the road and back into the surrounding hills, which I know well. In those days I used to walk alone and sometimes with my daughter Emma when she was at home.
I am driven by goals, so I booked another Himalaya trek, this time to Annapurna. I knew I needed to improve my fitness and stamina for this hike, so I increased my exercise and followed the plan suggested by the hiking company. These include weight training, using body weight to build muscle, and long mountain hikes to build endurance. Day off – walk for 3 km at a fast pace.
The training took some time, but it gave me the opportunity to plan a weekly program, achieve goals and focus on navigation. The spreadsheet will help and stretch the brain cells to memorize with Excel. As I gradually lost weight and became leaner, there was a positive psychological effect. I was more involved, I had more energy and more confidence.
The hike was amazing and being in good shape I was able to enjoy it without suffering, I just had satisfying pain in my legs working hard. The joy of returning to this Wednesday was so positive. I have to say that I ran with a very supportive group of people, all strangers. Officially, only the leader of the hike knew about my condition, but I told everyone, because on a hike you live quite close to each other. In general, I am quite frank about my diagnosis.
There were friendly reminders, there was always someone waiting for me, and people took care of me without being intrusive. I also arrived to and from Kathmandu on my own with the help of special assistance at the airports.
When I got home, feeling a little empty and with nothing to strive for, I signed up for a half marathon in the bath with the Alzheimer’s Society. Brain, I haven’t run in years, but I was in good shape after walking at altitude. I started running/walking and when I was able to run 3 miles I bought a good pair of running shoes and Google found an exercise program for me. I still climbed hills when the weather allowed. Half Bath was canceled in 2018 due to snow, so a few weeks later my daughter Emma and I spent half Merthyr to reach my goal and also earn sponsorship for the community.
After running, I focused back on walking, although I still run once or twice a week.
Most of the time I go out alone, also because I enjoy it, but dementia also prevents me from meeting others. I don’t like to call and people making changes to the plan can upset my balance. Sometimes I don’t feel like it. When I go for a walk with others, I try to take walks that I would not dare to take myself.
I still drive with GPS. With today’s technology, I can check where I’m going ahead of time or look at an aerial photo to see what my destination looks like. I plan my weeks and am very experienced. I usually have a daily routine and then a weekly routine. I totally use the calendar, paper calendar hanging on the wall because I forget to check my Microsoft calendar! On Sundays, I write the coming week on the blackboard.
Last summer I learned to kayak, and this summer I planned a trip to the Tatra Mountains in Poland. I was recently assigned to a local forestry charity that organizes activities such as willow weaving and green, untreated woodworking. I am in the process of carving the bowl which is the first one. I’ve always enjoyed doing things from tailoring to greeting cards to silver jewelry, so it’s a great experience. I am also a volunteer with the Alzheimer Society’s Voice of Dementia, which helps shape the work of the charity based on my personal experience with dementia.
My father gave me an idea of what my future looks like. The longer I can delay it with my attitude and medication the better and my dementia is still classified as mild. Over the years, I’ve learned what I can’t throw away and celebrated what I can.
To support the Alzheimer’s Society, join one of Trek26’s charity events at eight stunning locations across the UK. Visit alzheimers.org.uk/Trek26 to end dementia
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.