One thing is for certain: as a result of this discovery, I made an important decision to approach the rest of my life with zest and positivity, savouring every second. I want to have adventures, enjoy myself and help other families going through what mine went through. I vowed to create experiences and achievements to be proud of, and I won’t be putting off until tomorrow anything I fancy doing today.

I started volunteering with Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK), using my lived experience to help clinicians and researchers better understand the dementia journey so that treatments and support can be improved. Other than a cure being discovered, my greatest wish is that a pathway is developed for people receiving a diagnosis, much like the one that exists for cancer patients, so that families don’t have a battle on their hands with finding support and care. Through fundraising – and several TV and radio appearances where I talked about my efforts – I raised over over £12,000. I know my mum and dad would have been so proud.

Turning 50 recently also made me realise I might only have another 15 good years left in me and I wanted to make the most of them. Although I’ve loved living in London, I realised I needed to look after myself better, and perhaps a slower pace of life would help. I sold my flat in Twickenham and moved to the West Sussex coast. My new life by the sea allows me walk in the glorious South Downs or blow away the cobwebs on the beach within a few minutes. It’s made a huge difference to my health and wellbeing. I consider it a major advantage that I know the score: the results have put me more in control, and that’s a good place to be. I’ve written a will, but top of my to-do list is to make arrangements for power of attorney. This is so often overlooked by my generation when we’re planning for the future, but it’s so important.

I’m much more conscious of my life choices now that I know I can help myself. Research has shown that challenging our brains through learning new skills could help delay Alzheimer’s. For me, learning new skills has meant taking a course to learn how to host and produce a podcast. The idea is to share some of the work I do with ARUK, interviewing guests relevant to certain topics and helping people who are supporting loved ones with dementia. Despite the subject matter being really tough, there will often be many funny anecdotes to share.

Ultimately, the test results have motivated me to be braver and throw caution to the wind – have new experiences, make new friends, start a new relationship, take chances and care less about what people might think of me. More than anything, I’ve learned that you have to go for it while you can.

“Both my parents died from dementia. Discovering I carry the Alzheimer’s gene changed my life for the better”