Walking for change

Reagan’s story

My partner Jackie is a gentle soul and one of the nicest people you could ever meet. Kind, thoughtful, caring and always looking out for others.

She’s highly intelligent and worked all her life in the financial sector – the last 10 years as a financial adviser. At just 54 though, we started to notice signs that things weren’t quite right. She was having issues with her memory and started struggling with tasks at work and at home that she would usually have found easy.

We went to the GP and Jackie was initially signed off with stress and anxiety and told that she would get better. But we quickly suspected there was something more serious going on. Even as Jackie’s symptoms worsened over time, NHS health professionals kept insisting it was anxiety.

It took five long, frustrating, stressful years for them to finally confirm Jackie, who’s now 59, has young onset Alzheimer’s disease. Now her condition has progressed to the point that she struggles with personal care and even making a cup of tea.

Doctors don’t seem to realise the huge impact of not having a confirmed diagnosis, especially when the person is still in work. It caused major issues around Jackie’s continued employment, and it blocked our access to things like income protection insurance, benefits and other support that could have made a big difference to our lives.

It has been an incredibly stressful time trying to get Jackie a diagnosis and the support she needs. The system urgently needs to change as no one should have to fight like we did just to be taken seriously, and for basic care and support.

Months have passed since Jackie’s diagnosis and even now, we’re still waiting for further help from the NHS, having been promised post-diagnostic support. I still work full time but I’m lucky to have an understanding employer who facilitates me working flexible hours to help me care for Jackie.

When I saw the advert for the 90k Steps challenge in support of Alzheimer Scotland, I knew I wanted to sign up. I’m quite a fit person and knew I could do it physically – but what was most difficult was finding the time to go for walks in between working and looking after Jackie.

But I was determined to get it done, and Jackie ended up coming out on walks with me for the last 30,000 steps. The weather made it a bit of a struggle, but we got there. I’m so grateful to the support we’ve had from family and friends and delighted to have raised more than £3,000.

I hope the money goes some way to helping the great work of Alzheimer Scotland in supporting families like ours – and, most importantly, in raising awareness of people like Jackie and the importance of quicker diagnostic pathways in those showing symptoms at a younger age.