Fiona Phillips has given a heartbreaking update after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, just a few months after she shared it with the public.

The beloved ITV star, 62, has confessed that she is struggling to believe it but is getting through it however she can. She said: "I'm living with it by not letting it ruin things. I am just carrying on as much as I can."

Fiona first spoke of her Alzheimer's diagnosis in July of this year, explaining she had received it a year earlier when she was 61. She got checked out after experiencing anxiety and brain fog.

READ MORE: Seven warning signs of Alzheimer's disease as Fiona Phillips shares tragic diagnosis

READ MORE: Want more showbiz? Daily Star has just the thing for you!

The star, who is married to This Morning boss Martin Frizzell, believed her symptoms were related to the menopause. However after seeing a specialist and pausing her medication, the brain fog was still there.

Months later and after a number of tests, including a lumbar puncture, she received her diagnosis of Alzheimer's. She decided to keep her diagnosis a secret for 18 months over the fear that people would judge or label her.

Now she is speaking out to raise awareness. She told The Mirror: "It's when I talk about it that I can't quite believe I'm talking about myself – I'm used to talking about it in relation to my mum and my dad having it.

"My whole family have been slaughtered by it. I'm not sure if the drugs are working or not.

"I don't think anyone would know there is anything wrong with me… but who knows? Would they?"

Fiona is hoping that by her speaking out about the disease, she can raise awareness. However she also shared some of the symptoms she has been having – including one that came on during her interview.

As she told the publication that her eldest son Nat had been looking after her, she struggled to think of the right word. She said: "It's awful but I keep having these moments where I think, 'What's the word?' It doesn't happen all the time… just occasionally."

She explained that she has been struggling with her mouth and brain not being in sync during conversations. But doctors are monitoring Fiona to see if trial drugs are having an effect – for good or bad.

Neither Fiona nor her doctors know if she is actually on the drug though, or if she is on the placebo as part of the experiment. This is in order to keep the experiment fair and allow volunteers to provide data properly.

Despite her speaking out, Fiona confessed she is still concerned about the reaction she will get from people. And she even said she sometimes forgets she made it public, and avoids telling friends in case they tell her husband, and the secret will get out.

But she is trying to be positive and ignore her diagnosis. She laughed: "Sometimes I don't even remember that I've got it – probably because I've got it."

For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.

Source: Read Full Article