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Am I losing it?

(95 Posts)
grannyactivist Tue 13-Oct-15 13:14:05

Last week I put a pan of eggs on to boil, set a timer for ten minutes and then went off to do something else taking the timer with me. The smell of burning prompted a sprint to the kitchen where my pan of six eggs was a charred and blackened mess. I had no memory of the timer going off, but think I may have heard and ignored it.
When putting eggs on to boil today I was very conscious of my previous disaster and so set the timer, put it on the table next to me, and felt confident that I wouldn't repeat my previous disaster. Wrong!!
The smell of burning is permeating the house and my six exploded eggs - again charred and blackened - are now in the bin and the pan soaking in the sink.
There is no problem with my timer and no problem with my hearing - so why didn't it register that I needed to go and take the eggs off? Am I really losing it?

Charleygirl Tue 13-Oct-15 13:16:40

Are you 100% certain that the timer went off? Mine has a mind of its own, some days it works perfectly, others it never rings.

ginny Tue 13-Oct-15 13:18:35

Sorry, I had to laugh.

On Sunday I did the same with potatoes that I intended to par boil and despite smelling them burning, it did not register with me that they had been boiling for over half an hour.

Also this morning I walked around with the fabric I was looking for in my hand and only realised when a friend called in and asked what I was going to do with it !

merlotgran Tue 13-Oct-15 13:21:14

Not just you, ga

DH often calls out, 'Your timer's just gone off'.

How come he can hear it two rooms away and I seem to blank it out. hmm

loopylou Tue 13-Oct-15 13:24:04

Oh, that's reassuring! I've just spent 30 minutes going through drawers looking for a roll of black bags.....which are sitting in full view, on the worktop 20" from my nose.....

I swear they weren't there half an hour ago but DH has been out all morning so I can't blame him this time

As for boiling potatoes, even after wondering what the smell was, it wasn't until the smoke alarm went off that I realised.

Little hope really confused

Anya Tue 13-Oct-15 13:52:58

GA in reply to your OP, the answer is 'probably yes' sad

Marmight Tue 13-Oct-15 13:56:48

Very appropriate thread this! I arranged to meet Marelli this morning so set off taking the scenic route as it was such a glorious autumnal morning. It took longer than I thought to wind through the lanes and up and down the hills so I stopped and messaged her "on my way!". I arrived 20 minutes late at our rendez-vous, but no Marelli. I waited, and waited, then it finally dawned on me. Quick phone call to find out I was in the wrong place, had misread the arrangements and had, in fact, driven past the correct meeting place some 15 minutes earlier. So, 55 miles, a quarter of a tank of petrol, 3 hours and £85 poorer (I stopped in Asda.....) meeting aborted and I am now home feeling very cross with myself; but we did laugh grin

Marmight Tue 13-Oct-15 13:57:56

GA I think we are all losing it to some extent wink

MiniMouse Tue 13-Oct-15 14:17:02

I love this thread, it's such a comfort knowing I'm not alone smile

Luckygirl Tue 13-Oct-15 14:24:17

My OH has a watch which beeps when his many drugs are due. He has got so habituated to it that he does not hear it most of the time. I wish I could get one with a different tone.

grannyactivist Tue 13-Oct-15 15:10:02

Oh no....I've just called a restaurant to make a reservation and I couldn't remember my landline number. confused

I am really tired I know and I have an awful lot on my plate at the moment, but I am a little bit worried by my repeated lapses of memory. My doctor diagnosed mild cognitive impairment following an illness some time ago and I'm beginning to suspect it isn't so mild any more. [gulp]

whitewave Tue 13-Oct-15 15:24:26

Made some custard at lunch time from custard powder. Instead of using milk I used wzterconfused

whitewave Tue 13-Oct-15 15:24:43

Water!

Lona Tue 13-Oct-15 15:25:25

I feel your pain ga, I cannot remember anything at the moment! My memory has not been good for some time, but lately it really scares me that I have no recall of things. My childhood, marriages, children growing up, most of it has gone!
I too have had a tremendous amount of stress and upset in the last few years, and I'm just hoping that as things calm down and get better (if they do), that my mind will relax and start to remember again.
It really is frightening though and I can understand how distressing it must be for you too. (((Hugs)))

whitewave Tue 13-Oct-15 16:11:22

I am sure that stress impairs your memory. I had an extremely stressful job, and when my line manager asked me often a very simple question I simply couldn't remember. Eventually my mind shut down completely, and I had a breakdown, but I have hardly any memory of the time for few months before and during the breakdown.

KatyK Tue 13-Oct-15 16:44:03

Every time I put some of those bake yourself rolls in the oven I forget about them and have to throw them away. I agree that stress impairs your memory.

loopylou Tue 13-Oct-15 16:49:36

Stress is a definite brain-blower.
I had a horrendous six months this time last year and I'm sure my mind hasn't recovered- very much like yours whitewave and Lona, there's a big blob of nowt in the middle of that time. It's quite scary but I'm determined to continue trying to put it behind me.

Perhaps we'll have some calmer times soon to help us smile

rosequartz Tue 13-Oct-15 16:51:13

Sometimes I make stock and as it takes ages I go off to do something else. A couple of times DH has come in and said 'what's that burning smell'.
The pan has boiled dry and is black.

I've also boiled eggs until they exploded, we were watching tv in the evening, and I said to DH that I thought someone was breaking into the house.

rosesarered Tue 13-Oct-15 16:54:08

KatyK I do that with bake your own rolls/ baguettes! I don't remember a lot of holidays from years ago ( although DH does.) I agree that stress does play a part though, so maybe it is that grannyactivist.Try not to worry too much about it, unless it keeps getting worse,you may simply have a lot on your mind.

sprite66 Tue 13-Oct-15 16:57:34

I think worrying about remembering things somehow makes us more forgetful- stress reaction I imagine. I recently did an online memory function test and answered yes to the question "do you ever go into a room and not remember what you wanted"- but I have done this all my life.
I think we all have "blank moments" whatever age we are.

kittylester Tue 13-Oct-15 17:33:56

They say that a woman loses 25% of her brain each time she is pregnant so I've just worked out that I'm down to 17.79% of my original capacity - well, that's my excuse!

rosequartz Tue 13-Oct-15 17:35:28

kitty grin

Elegran Tue 13-Oct-15 17:47:18

kitty Is that 25% of the original amount of brain, or 25% of what she has left? If it is of the original brain, I am at zero.

Galen Tue 13-Oct-15 17:54:44

What a load of *********

Stansgran Tue 13-Oct-15 18:13:31

We have so much to remember ,too much .