David, oh my gosh loved your term "organ recital", that is a keeper :)
When it comes to memory or mind matters, I wonder if we tend to over analyze it. I have learned so much about Dementia/Alzheimer's these past 3 years that there are times I think I have it whenever I can't remember someone's name.... good heavens, I couldn't people's names when I was a teenager but it didn't bother me back then.
The way I look at it, our brain is like file drawers and we put in as much information as we could over all these decades so now the drawers are filled. Thus we can't add anything more. So when we are looking for a particular bit of information and can't find it in the file, we go into a panic. Then we stress which makes it worse.
My boss is an older gentlemen so he and I laugh that between us there should be one good brain :)
I am glad you posted this. I have a terrible fear of having Alzheimer because my mother, two aunts, and two cousins have it now or have died with the disease (2 are still living). I have had the symptoms you mention. I am glad you don’t have Alzheimer. I have had a couple of mini-mental exams and everything seems okay and my primary MD says I am ok but I just know something is wrong and it is like you and MaryKathleen described. Now I have hope that if I do have some type of cognition impairment, it might not be Alzheimer. Maybe now I can stop the fear and just work with what I have. I have to take care of my mom with Alzheimer and my husband with liver cancer. I need to keep my brain together so I can take care of them. Then I have a brother who has COPD and eye problems and diabetes and I help him a lot also. I know no-one is indispensable but they need me and I want to be there for them. Thank you all for posting.
This is me!! I don't get confused about where I am or directions YET. I don't now how to explain it, time has no meaning anymore. I have to live by my calendar. I can't explain it which is troublesome in itself. I can't tell you what I did when. I hate it when doctor's ask me, when did you have this or that. Hell, I don't know. I want to do something get busy and forget. I hate it when people discount my problem and say, "Oh, everyone is like that, I forget things too". Everyone is not like this, I didn't used to be. I can't remember people's names, or nouns. I can describe something, but can't tell you the name. A lady down the street, had us over for New Year's eve. I can't remember her name. Is it Connie, or Carol? I am so frustrated, yes frustrated, over and somewhat scared too. I am 81, I don't want to be a burden to my kids. My husband went to the Chiropractor Wednesday, she asked if I was coming in. Did I have an appointment I forgot to put on the calendar or in my cell phone? I don't know. It is awful.
I have noticed a trend lately that people seem to view things in either black or white with no in between. I recently had surgery for a macular hole and resulting retinal detachment. I was told my vision would return to some degree. I have people constantly asking if my eye is back to 100% though I have told them it is a long recovery and central vision is frequently lost in the effected eye. This always makes me feel like I should be recovering better vision. I wonder if the computer age has somehow led people to see things either one way or the other and that individual human conditions are not considered because of this way of thinking. It is as though people cannot understand anymore all the "in between" factors that usually are there.
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All Better Now? Not Quite...
When it comes to memory or mind matters, I wonder if we tend to over analyze it. I have learned so much about Dementia/Alzheimer's these past 3 years that there are times I think I have it whenever I can't remember someone's name.... good heavens, I couldn't people's names when I was a teenager but it didn't bother me back then.
The way I look at it, our brain is like file drawers and we put in as much information as we could over all these decades so now the drawers are filled. Thus we can't add anything more. So when we are looking for a particular bit of information and can't find it in the file, we go into a panic. Then we stress which makes it worse.
My boss is an older gentlemen so he and I laugh that between us there should be one good brain :)
But I still worry myself silly.
Everyone is not like this, I didn't used to be. I can't remember people's names, or nouns. I can describe something, but can't tell you the name. A lady down the street, had us over for New Year's eve. I can't remember her name. Is it Connie, or Carol? I am so frustrated, yes frustrated, over and somewhat scared too. I am 81, I don't want to be a burden to my kids. My husband went to the Chiropractor Wednesday, she asked if I was coming in. Did I have an appointment I forgot to put on the calendar or in my cell phone? I don't know. It is awful.