We mistook mum’s incoherent texts for menopause before heartbreaking diagnosis
A WOMAN has shared how her mum’s ‘drunken texts’, which her family believed were linked to menopause, were actually the sign of something far more devastating.
TL;DR
- Andrea Harris's family initially attributed her forgetfulness, incoherent texts, and minor car accidents to menopause and stress.
- After hormone replacement therapy failed to improve her symptoms, she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's (Frontotemporal dementia) in 2025.
- Genetic testing revealed an inherited alteration in the MAPT gene linked to FTD, leading her daughter Emily to pursue genetic testing.
- Emily is awaiting her genetic test results, concerned about the potential implications for her children.
- The article highlights that early-onset dementia can affect younger, active individuals and encourages trusting instincts when something feels wrong with a loved one.