Seven years ago, when I was approaching 70, I discovered ‘The Brain That Changes Itself’ by Dr Norman Doidge. His research claimed I could regain the memory and brain I had 20 years ago if I followed his suggested brain exercises.

I’m nearly 78 and dyslexic, with just four 0-levels (GCSEs) to my name. I lived in Italy for 41 years and returned to London in 2004 after a long career teaching English as a foreign language.

I subscribed to the online brain gym Lumosity, in 2013, and was excited at the idea of overcoming brain fog and the feeling of words escaping me. I’ve had brain fog for much of my life, particularly when studying and I’d put it down to being dyslexic.

Doing the daily Lumosity exercises was a real commitment but felt heartened when I was compared with others in my age group of 70 and found to be in the top 80 percentile.

In 2015, I came across a programme run by Kings College for the prevention of dementia, which required participants to do brain gym exercises online. They monitor my progress and, with my agreement, will inform my GP if they note any deterioration in my brain health. This is what I wanted, an objective monitoring of my personal brain health.

Within a month, I noticed a marked improvement in remembering facts, names, and numbers.

At the risk of showing off, I now know my credit card number by heart, although I won’t be sharing it in this essay!

I am not a very physical person and therefore my mental ability and the pleasure I obtain from using my brain has always been a source of my mental and inner nourishment. I enjoy listening to all kinds of audio-books and radio programmes – the type of material which is too steep a gradient for my dyslexia for me to be able to read and retain.

I enjoy writing, playing online bridge and I create material for those teaching English and Italian as foreign languages. I am also very interested in alternative medicine in all its aspects.

I feel if I can have good brain health I can really enjoy the next 20 or more years ahead of me and frankly no price is too high for that.