If you are forgetting stuff, write down the good things and review them daily...that way you will fill your brain with more good stuff than bad. Read "A Stroke of Insight" where a neurology researcher had a massive stroke and chose to refill her memory without the bad things. Also read "Still Alice", eventually you will be living moment to moment, which is what some teachings strive to attain.
David, you sound just like me or I sound like you! I was diagnosed with mild Alzheimer's a couple of months ago. I wondered what took so long as I felt this for a long time. Even though I have mentioned to a few people including my brother, everyone says the same things to me. Everyone forgets and on and on. My husband and I are quite used to me forgetting for a long time now, and losing keys and many other things. I knew I had been forgetting for a long time, but yesterday I looked back at a old computer disk I had copied personal files onto many years ago.
As far back as 2002, I had complained to my doctor about forgetting. This was a every visit complaint. I had been seeing him since 1992. I realized yesterday that I had been forgetting lots of things even when I left my job on disability in 1996. I recall that I couldn't remember how to set up a machine. Eventually with help, I could finally have enough recall to do it. Normally, when I forget something very important, I will remember it at a later time. I have had the blessing of not fully realizing what was wrong with me, and all these years of being diagnosed as mild Alzheimer's. I am 75 years old.
So live your life the best you can. I am proof that some of these changes can take a long, long time.
David, I am only 52, but I notice that I don't absorb information like I did when I was younger. By contrast, I watched my grandchildren memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism, a series of more than one hundred questions and answers dealing with reformed theology. My 7 year old memorized all the answers within a few months. The youthful brain is a marvel to behold, and I'm just hoping to "beholding"on to what I "used to know, " and MOST of what I'm adding now. Best regards!
Sometimes I question myself am I going to have Dementia/Alzheimer like my dad when I got old? And start think how it did start with my dad, am I having these diseases symptoms? And just a small slip up will scare me but if it ever got them I will deny it till it won’t make no difference with me.
David, I am glad you wrote that article. There are times when my mind slips up and it scares me silly, the rest of my is ruined. I now realize I am being too hard on myself for what is just normal oops in our brain.
Last week when I had my Dad at the ER, I was cool, calm and collective. I was the voice of reason as my Dad was a bit out of it from the meds. Once I was back home, the next day my mind felt like someone took all the Scrabble cubes off the board where they were nicely arranged and shook them up, must had been a delayed reaction as underneath it all there was a lot of stress.
A co-worker of mine who was in her 80's was our company front desk receptionist. Any time she had a brain oops, she just proudly stated that she's in her 80's and earned the right to such a situation... and that there will be more :)
I think we all slip up due to many reasons. When you notice it, then set up a compensating system; use your cell phone calendar every single time for example. I have clocks that tell me what day of the week it is, otherwise they would all be Saturday! Sometimes people are keeping track of so many things and people they loose track. If you don't have a regular work schedule, it is easy to loose track. If you worry too much about stuff like loosing track, you loose track!!! We all age at different rates, we were all born with different capacities. The key is to compensate, and be consistent.
If I dare to say since I have not walked in your shoes: sounds like you are being too hard on yourself, David. I realize it must be hard to see yourself slipping away and not meeting your own expectations. I too am my own worse judge and get upset with myself when I don't perform at my highest levels. Maybe you should start sharing your calendar with your family just to give you that little extra bit of help. Best wishes.
You obviously sound like an educated person, you didn't state your age but i'm guessing sixties. As some of your friends have said, we all forget things and the older we get these lapses are more likely and don't always lead to dementia. Mild cognitive impairment does lead to drmd tia but NOT always. I am menopausal and my head feels like cotton wool sometimes, I forget lots of things (some information I choose not to absorb on a conscious level because I feel I have too mu h to cope with). But other things which i choose to remember but DON'T do concern me. But I'm sure I haven't got mci (at least I hope not) What im tryi ng to say is that from your post, you sound a very inteĺligent, able person. Enjoy your lovely family and don't think about what might happen....if you HAVE been diagnosed with mci, it might stay stable for years and you might die of something else. kind regards.
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Am I the Only One Who Notices My Impairment?
My husband and I are quite used to me forgetting for a long time now, and losing keys and many other things. I knew I had been forgetting for a long time, but yesterday I looked back at a old computer disk I had copied personal files onto many years ago.
As far back as 2002, I had complained to my doctor about forgetting. This was a every visit complaint. I had been seeing him since 1992. I realized yesterday that I had been forgetting lots of things even when I left my job on disability in 1996. I recall that I couldn't remember how to set up a machine. Eventually with help, I could finally have enough recall to do it. Normally, when I forget something very important, I will remember it at a later time.
I have had the blessing of not fully realizing what was wrong with me, and all these years of being diagnosed as mild Alzheimer's. I am 75 years old.
So live your life the best you can. I am proof that some of these changes can take a long, long time.
God Bless!
Do not lose your sense of humour about these lapses. It is good to know that you are still human. :)
Last week when I had my Dad at the ER, I was cool, calm and collective. I was the voice of reason as my Dad was a bit out of it from the meds. Once I was back home, the next day my mind felt like someone took all the Scrabble cubes off the board where they were nicely arranged and shook them up, must had been a delayed reaction as underneath it all there was a lot of stress.
A co-worker of mine who was in her 80's was our company front desk receptionist. Any time she had a brain oops, she just proudly stated that she's in her 80's and earned the right to such a situation... and that there will be more :)
I am menopausal and my head feels like cotton wool sometimes, I forget lots of things (some information I choose not to absorb on a conscious level because I feel I have too mu h to cope with). But other things which i choose to remember but DON'T do concern me. But I'm sure I haven't got mci (at least I hope not)
What im tryi ng to say is that from your post, you sound a very inteĺligent, able person. Enjoy your lovely family and don't think about what might happen....if you HAVE been diagnosed with mci, it might stay stable for years and you might die of something else.
kind regards.