32 In Fabulous over Fifty/ Health Lifestyle Choices

Memory loss….am I still ok?

 

Do you find yourself forgetting things? I bought an iron from Amazon 2 months ago. It arrived and I was (sadly) thrilled! I ironed everything in sight….do you think I can find that thing? I have hunted high and low and have had to revert back to my old one…wth? 

On Friday morning I got into my truck to take Tank to school…he loves school…a mom can just tell!  I was using my spare key as I  couldn’t find my usual one that has my house key on it. I got into my truck and my glove compartment was open and a few things were scattered about. I quickly realized someone had broken into my truck over night.

I was immediately concerned that I had left my usual keys in the truck and they were stolen.

 

 I dropped Tank off at school, came back home and  I scrambled looking all over the house…upstairs, downstairs, in drawers, pockets, purses, washer and dryer….they were nowhere! Holy sh** I got on the phone right away and called a locksmith. Thankfully a super nice guy came over and changed the locks on the house for us. I then took my truck to my sons for a sleepover so nobody could take it from my driveway as I could not get the Fob changed until Monday.

Let me tell you….first of all, I felt like a complete idiot…Second of all, Steve was definitely not happy with me…thankfully Tank couldn’t care less and just followed me around the house while I was looking for the keys.  He is a great little helper even though he did manage to steal a sock while I was preoccupied with searching.

At 3:00 AM this morning I woke up and thought….’hmm, I wonder if the keys are in the backpack I use when hiking’. I hopped out of bed, went downstairs to the garage and retrieved my backpack. I reached into the front pocket and pulled out the keys AND my driver’s license that I didn’t even know was missing!!

Is this normal? Do I have a memory problem?

There have been other things lately…I forgot to take Tanks leash to school. I set the alarm on my phone to ring at 2:30 PM the other day and still cannot remember why. I asked Steve to pick up some milk for me because I had forgotten to get some at the grocery store that day. When he brought it home and I put it in the fridge only to realize I had milk the entire time! I completely forgot that I invited a couple to join us for dinner on Canada Day. Don’t even get me started on the number of times I have left the stove on. Thankfully, once the pot has been removed from the element it shuts itself off. Who knew I needed that safety feature?

I take Lyrica for some nerve issues that I deal with…it can cause confusion and drowsiness. Maybe that is the problem.

I enjoy a CC & Ginger almost every night…maybe it is too much. Maybe that is the problem.

Perhaps I am just super forgetful or I have a more serious issue. Maybe that is the problem.

I turned to the Alzheimer’s site for some information…this is what they say on normal vs dementia. 

Normal Aging Dementia
1-Not being able to remember details of a conversation or event that took place a year ago 1-Not being able to recall details of recent events or conversations
2-Not being able to remember the name of an acquaintance 2-Not recognizing or knowing the names of family members
3-Forgetting things and events occasionally 3-Forgetting things or events more frequently
4-Occasionally have difficulty finding words 4-Frequent pauses and substitutions when finding words
5-You are worried about your memory but your relatives are not 5-Your relatives are worried about your memory, but you are not aware of any problems

Normal – I am 5 for 5. Although I think Steve might be worried about my memory issues! ?

Dementia – I am pretty good remembering details and conversations, so far I am able to recognize everyone in my family, I did forget Canada Day, guilty of number 4…Number 5? I think maybe my family and I are both worried about my bloody memory!

However, according to the above chart, I am happy to say I am in the normal range…tra la la. ?

The Alzheimer’s Society of Canada suggests the following for coping with normal age-related memory issues

  • Keep a routine
  • Organize information (keep details in a calendar or day planner)
  • Put items in the same spot (always put your keys in the same place by the door) hahahahha I should have read this before!!!
  • Repeat information (repeat names when you meet people)
  • Run through the alphabet in your head to help you remember a word
  • Make associations (relate new information to things you already know)
  • Involve your senses (if you are a visual learner, visualize an item)
  • Teach others or tell them stories
  • Get a full night’s sleep
  • Learn more about what you can do to maintain your brain health and strengthen your memory

Obviously, if you are really concerned about memory loss you should see your Dr. Forgetting someone’s name, or where you put the iron or even forgetting to turn off the stove does not necessarily mean that you are getting dementia. Maybe we just do too much….all this multi-tasking…we need to remember to slow down. Now that we are of a savvier age we need to remember that it is not a necessity to be superwoman! How often have you preached to your kids to slow down, stop and smell the roses….we are the guiltiest of not practising what we preach!

Drop me a line BELOW and let me know what you’ve forgotten that has you wondering if you are off your savvy rocker!!

 

(don’t ask me about the font change partway through this post…I have tried for the past 1/2 hour to fix it….?)

This is Tank at school with all his buddies. I love the little guy beside him….he’s looking at Tank like ‘buddy  what’s with the tongue hanging out?’ ?  ?

 

 

You Might Also Like

32 Comments

  • Reply
    Leslie
    July 6, 2020 at 9:14 AM

    Being married to Steve for so long has finally taken it’s toll??

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 6, 2020 at 9:57 AM

      OMGOSH!!! YOu are probably right! I never even thought of that Leslie!!!! I hope Muskoka is being good to you! Enjoy this beautiful weather.

  • Reply
    marion hunter
    July 6, 2020 at 9:16 AM

    Haha. This is a good one M and the memory issue is quite familiar. I was happy to check off at 5/5 normal ✔️. This pandemic has our subconscious worry gene on full tilt I think and that affects memory as well. Love your list . Thx. Ummm Marion…right?!? ?

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 6, 2020 at 9:55 AM

      hahah….I thought YOU were Marion…now I am really confused!!! LOL….anyways Marion, thanks for dropping me a line. I think you are right in that our worry gene is on full tilt. I feel like I have a ton on my mind. Too much time on my hands I think! Have a wonderful day.

  • Reply
    Val
    July 6, 2020 at 9:29 AM

    This is such a good read Mare! Yup things change as we…..mature! Hate to say it!

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 6, 2020 at 9:56 AM

      Thanks Val. I can’t believe I went through all that! DUH! What a dope! Have a great sunshiny day!

    • Reply
      Lauren
      July 7, 2020 at 2:18 PM

      LOL you and technology ?‍♀️ Great post Mare!

      • Reply
        Marion
        July 7, 2020 at 3:58 PM

        ? ?‍♀️ Thanks Lauren. LOL

  • Reply
    Steve Duffield
    July 6, 2020 at 10:04 AM

    Leslie …’Being married to Steve so long has finally taken its toll’. Very disappointed. Expect that from others, not from you. Have erased you from my favorites list.

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 6, 2020 at 11:44 AM

      You are going to have nobody left on your fav list! xo

  • Reply
    Deborah Dennison
    July 7, 2020 at 6:27 AM

    Marion, I can’t thank you enough for ‘normalizing’ my memory loss. I was able to blame it on chemo for the first year but now I can say I scored 5/5 on your Normal aging list. LOL. You made my day!

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 7, 2020 at 1:55 PM

      Thanks for stopping by Deb!!! I am happy that you are in the normal range…more important you are with us! xo
      So happy to have made your day.?

  • Reply
    Brenda
    July 7, 2020 at 7:01 AM

    Great read Mare. Been there and done that! Good to read it’s normal!

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 7, 2020 at 1:53 PM

      Thanks, Brenda. Good to know that apparently everyone else is with me on this…the normal not so normal list! LOL

  • Reply
    Joan Livermore
    July 7, 2020 at 7:04 AM

    Great read Marion! So scary when we start to second guess ourselves….. and as usual I love the comment section.

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 7, 2020 at 1:52 PM

      Thanks for commenting Joan. I love hearing from people especially on subjects like this. Knowing I am not alone makes me feel so much better!!LOL

  • Reply
    Mary Lynn
    July 7, 2020 at 7:07 AM

    Well i feel much better now- think i am in the normal range as well. Biggest thing for me is calling my kids or grandkids the other ones name ? they answer anyway. I find men are much worse at forgetting where they put things, i work part time and the guys are always asking me where they put something and i might add they are young. I do think we all worry about dementia etc as we get older?
    Think i will just have a glass of wine and forget everything-dam it’s only 7AM ?

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 7, 2020 at 1:49 PM

      I do the same with my family….at least we are calling them names FROM our family and not outsiders!! LOL
      I would say I am more forgetful than Steve…but I also think I verbalize it more. He could be losing things daily and doesn’t say anything. lol
      …..go for the wine ML…dodon’t worry about the time. Pretend you are in Paris…at least it will be afternoon! xo

  • Reply
    Suzanne Colasimone
    July 7, 2020 at 8:31 AM

    Lol!! What a great post Mare. I’m 5 for 5 as well however I’d be worried if I forgot that I’d invited guests to dinner. Knowing you, I’m certain you handled it very smoothly and everything was “Perfect “. You are always the hostess extraordinaire. We’ve all been there. Thank you so much for making us all feel better. Oh dear….. just remembered I have Pilates.

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 7, 2020 at 1:45 PM

      Well my guests were very nice people ?

  • Reply
    Rose Scherle
    July 7, 2020 at 8:45 AM

    Loved the stories Marion. So nice to friends going through the same things. I thought I had Ted’s birthday card but when I when to sign it it said anniversary. I gave it to him anyway and just changed the anniversary to birthday. Do you think Ted thinks I am losing it. ?‍♂️?‍♂️?‍♂️ Rose

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 7, 2020 at 1:43 PM

      HA HA Rose!!! At least it wasn’t a sympathy card!!! LOL

  • Reply
    Patti
    July 7, 2020 at 8:56 AM

    You think it’s bad at your age…wait until you gat to my age!

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 7, 2020 at 1:42 PM

      Say it isn’t so!! You know you are the lady that I aspire to be Patti!!!!

  • Reply
    Mary Ferguson - Allan
    July 7, 2020 at 10:37 AM

    Glad to see I’m still in 5 for 5 even though I still call everyone in the family the wrong name, right Catherine !! ha ha ha. Mom

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 7, 2020 at 1:40 PM

      haha…the amount of times you called me “William, Jim, Stuart I mean Marion” still rings in my head!! LOL

  • Reply
    Betty
    July 7, 2020 at 11:21 AM

    Do I know you???? Just joking! Good to hear that I am still in the normal range or maybe not??

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 7, 2020 at 1:39 PM

      You definitely know me and there is no getting rid of me!!! xoxo

  • Reply
    Mo
    July 7, 2020 at 2:23 PM

    I hope I’m still on his favourite list!!!!!! He’s in mine!!!!!!!
    Got a kick out of this Maresy……I think we are all in the same boat…..or is it ship??????

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 7, 2020 at 3:57 PM

      I am sure you are still on his list…not sure about CJ though. My boat crashed…we are on the same ship…or is it shi*! LOL

  • Reply
    Cathy Farley
    July 7, 2020 at 5:03 PM

    Hahahaha… too funny…. don’t worry happens to us all.. I can’t count the number of times I go downstairs to get something and before I’ve even gotten to the bottom I forget what I was coming down for… Go back upstairs start doing something else and all of a sudden remember why I was going downstairs…duhhhhhh…. probably to get another bottle of wine….

    • Reply
      Marion
      July 8, 2020 at 9:40 AM

      Lol I can just picture you doing that Cathy!!!
      Never mind…the night after I wrote this blog I did the most ridiculous thing!!! My toothbrush was in the downstairs powder room. I wanted to take it upstairs when I went to bed. I put it on the railing so I wouldn’t forget. I got upstairs and realized I forgot it. I went downstairs again and it wasn’t on the railing. I checked the powder room, kitchen, family room, went back upstairs checked all over. I had no clue. I used a spare toothbrush and went to bed. As I pulled the covers over there was my friggen toothbrush!! How on earth did it get there. I am actually blaming Tank. He MUST have done that. I couldn’t have been the absent minded…could I?

    Leave a Reply