Cathy's feelings about being diagnosed with dementia

The first feeling I had when I was first diagnosed with vascular dementia was relief that I wasn’t being a drama queen or imagining it. That feeling soon turned to shock as there is no treatment and no diagnoses for when it will get worse.

My children who are grown men don’t want to talk about it. I lost my job and felt worthless. I followed information that was given to me by the memory clinic. I now go to a dementia group on a Thursday and Friday. This has given me a purpose in life. I talk to people who are in the same situation as me and we talk about how we cope with different situations. I have also started knitting again and joined a club once a month on Saturdays. This is not a dementia group but really helps with my confidence. I try not to think too far ahead as I find that really daunting. I believe that getting involved in groups and research is the way forward for me, it will keep me busy and help me learn more about dementia. Hopefully I will be able to help other people in this area.