Our new normal

Dawn, aged 56, was diagnosed with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), a rare type of dementia, last February. Only two per cent of the population share this diagnosis which impacts Dawn’s sight and spatial awareness.

The diagnosis hit Dawn and her wife, Meryl, hard. Meryl shares, “I’ve gone from being a wife to being seen as a carer – you suddenly become a different person. Everyday things that we took for granted have become difficult for Dawn and she relies on me a lot.”

Nurse Cherylnn Harper runs a young onset dementia support group. She explains how getting an accurate diagnosis can take longer for a younger person, “Symptoms may be put down to other things such as menopause or work related stress.”

It was during Dawn’s treatment for breast cancer that the couple began to notice signs something else was wrong when she began struggling to tell the time. They hoped this could be due to her medication and a few months later, Dawn requested an Occupational Health assessment at work. But her symptoms were missed. Dawn recalls, “The consultant said, ‘This is menopause – welcome to the new you’.”

They joined the group in April 2024. Meryl said, “It hit home that the diagnosis was real. It’s only been a year and we’re still trying to come to terms with our new normal but I look forward to coming and chatting with the others.”

Dawn is now treated and supported by a Mersey Care psychiatrist specialising in dementia care, who encouraged her to learn something new. “Dawn has started playing the trombone, I’m learning the trumpet and we play with friends in a band. When we’re playing music together, it’s a chance to just be ourselves and the world feels normal again.”

Read more inspirational stories by amazing people in our MC Magazine.