I used to be an accountant working in NHS.
About eight years ago I was talking to two small dogs. The owner was at the bar. I don’t generally like dogs, but they looked pleasant. The dogs looked at me. I thought that I would start with double entry bookkeeping. The dogs were enthralled. They wanted to hear more. But the owner of the dogs was looking suspicious.
Now I can’t play with numbers. The dogs would be ashamed of me.
It’s not fair.
It’s not fair.
It’s not fair.
The diagnosis
Friday 16 January 2026. Time 11.30.
We are hoping that the diagnosis will be there.
Logopenic progressive aphasia (atypical presentation of Alzheimer’s disease), symptom onset 2022 at age 66.
– MRI brain Aug 2025: moderate generalised at atrophy, no specific features
– FDG-PET Nov 2025: left posterior temporal and parietal hypometabolism
– CSF Nov 2025: A-beta ratio, tau and P-tau all positive for Alzheimer’s disease pathology.
The consultant neurologist explained that Alzheimer’s disease is the underlying cause for my progressive aphasia. This means that it could have been a lot worse.
I have said that my brain tries to do four different ways of saying something, or I forget words.
When I have calmed down, I can make a joke.
My consultant neurologist said that if you are trying to rehearse what you want to say, it evaporates. But then, you can crack a joke. It’s different parts of the brain.
It’s a pity that I can’t remember the joke.
Speech and language therapy
My wife Chris and I went to a communication skills group. We met two other partners, one of each having logopenic progressive aphasia (no longer ‘primary’, it’s now ‘logopenic’). From mid-January to February 2026 we met each week for five weeks.
The therapists talked about the topic for the week. The recurring activity was to make videos using with mobiles or tablets. Not quite Steven Spielberg, but it worked well. Each time, we focused on barriers and facilitators. Barriers make conversation difficult, and facilitators help make it easier.
For homework for the second session we had ‘Topics’. You have to name a category (e.g. animals) and then call out different animals in a minute. I got nine animals (again). Chris got over 30 pieces of furniture (I stopped counting).
My sporting life
Let’s have a look at how I’m doing with badminton, aqua and netball.
Badminton: not too good. But several people have said that I must carry on. So I must carry on.
Aqua: Before Christmas I stopped going. I thought it was very cold. It seemed that it didn’t bother the others in the pool. I looked it up. People with Alzheimer’s disease can be colder than others.
Netball: I enjoy it. So I’ll probably keep going.
How the story started – and ends
And so this story started with an Interrail holiday in 2022. Now I’ve got the diagnosis, Chris and I have got travel insurance. Rosie and Karl are coming with us. The story finishes with a river cruise in Holland in June 2026.
Let’s finish with the book David Copperfield. But not David Copperfield. The true character is Mr Dick. He sees that David Copperfield is filthy. “Why, if I was you”, said Mr Dick, considering, and looking vacantly, “I should…..”. The contemplation inspires him with a sudden idea, and he added, briskly, “I should wash him.”
David’s aunt says: “Mr Dick sets all right. Heat the bath.”
David Copperfield – written in 1850.
Aphasia 1861 – evidence found by Paul Broca (and named aphasia in 1874).
The writing process
Writing this has been interesting, and sometimes frustrating. Some of the small words have been the most difficult for me – such as ‘new’. You would think that they are easy. Oh, yes, ‘easy’ is difficult as well.
I use Google when I am stuck. If it is a long word, Google will probably give you an approximation of the word and you can work it out. It is the smaller words that are difficult. For example, if you try ‘esey’ instead of ‘easy’, you’ll never get ‘easy’. In fact, AI Overview gives you: “Refers to the name of a person, which has African origins meaning gift or healer and Hebrew origins meaning God will save.” Not so useful.
As I said at the start, I make a lot of mistakes.
But the sensation of letting your fingers use muscle memory, and knowing it is doing it, is exhilarating. Honestly.
June is Aphasia Awareness Month. Please raise awareness of the condition. With special thanks to the Say Aphasia Hove group.
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