How's your memory?

Three months ago, I would have said my memory was as good as it has ever been. Meaning that most of the time it works fine, but if I am doing too many things at once, I mislay things.

I never worry about this, as I have done this all my adult life.

Since DH was diagnosed with cancer three months ago, my memory is shot to pieces. I attribute this to stress and hope it will become easier to remember things again soon, when I have suceeded in accepting as far as possible the current situation.

Yesterday, I mislaid my Visa card three times and today once, so I have promised myself to pay more attention to where I actually put it after use!

I forgot the word “tangerine” yesterday when I was about to eat one. It freaked me out as I’ve always relied on my memory…

I think that the older we get the more 'stuff' is kept in our brains, so the longer it takes to dig anything out that we need. A bit like having too many clothes, it takes longer to find what you want to wear.

To quote the great Vin Garbutt - "My memory is so bad ....so bad, I can't even remember how bad it is"

Madeinyorkshire
If you’re suffering from anxiety you won’t be able to concentrate.
When you’re anxious your body pumps adrenaline, adrenaline is a fuel for the body to either fight or take flight.
If this fuel isn’t burnt off it plays havoc with your cognitive skills.
Doctors won’t tell you this but there’s lots of info online.
Here is one video, there are lots more.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rCagq5ELv4

I can`t tell you how encouraging it is to read the comments in this thread.. I am getting on in years,, really, so many years, I hate to mention it , really! and it is this last two years I have started to feel my age,, so I have done well,
but living alone, these last 3or 4 years, and not being the sort of person that can share easily, I do worry, I know I am "anxious" and "stressed" and yes, I worry about dementia,,, so thank you for starting this thread, and thank you for the posts... I love you all, whatever your names are ! grin!

kittylester that is a really useful and reassuring link, thank you

'Of all the things I've lost, I miss my memory most.'

My dear Mum and my Auntie both developed Alzheimer's in old age. Having cared for them and witnessing their sad decline, I live in fear of the same.
I used to be good at quizzes and daily Popmaster, but now it takes me much longer to remember answers I know. I use a daily notebook to jot down ' to dos', but sometimes I forget check the notebook...

I have just had an assessment at the Memory clinic this morning. It took 2 and a half hours.
What I didn't realise was how much the effects of constipation and waterworks problems can have on your memory function too.
Also the effects of taking some long term medications can effect memory loss as well.
I now await the next appointment with a Consultant who will also tell me the results of my head C T and what happens next.

Yes at 71 do forget so frustrating but most of my friends the same. Also say we have lived in such an era of change our generation has had to store so much information. Names are the main problem. Pray don’t get dementia

A good friend of mine, a retired psychiatrist, told me that if you can remember within 24 hours what that word/name/whatever was that you'd forgetten, then you are not dementing.

Oh dear, have I forgotten how to spell forgotten?

Callistemon21: It was Gary Sunderland, of Burnage Grammar School, 1959

I was so worried I had a brain scan, all was correct…. I was told. However, I am always forgetting things. I recently phoned my telephone supplier asking (accusingly ) why my phone bill had doubled since buying a new mobile phone. I had completely forgotten that, instead of paying for the device in full, I had, agreed to pay in monthly installments. I apologized profusely, they were very kind and understanding.

Its my iPad and mobile that cause problems.

I think ‘ok I must check up on weather/WhatsApp messages/banking/recipe/etc. I open them up only to forget what it was I was going to look at.

My 'Forgettery' is working well these days 🤗

A friend told me it is not dementia, just intellectual overload! Another saying is..."if you go upstairs and cannot remember what you went up for BUT arrive downstairs with something, it is not dementia.

I was trying to remember a ladies name, I told my friend I thought her surname was A - It turned out that was her husband's name. But there were 3 of us trying to remember her name! Got it in the end.

I'm getting really dreadful at remembering all sorts of things. I even find that I start doing something, get distracted and then forget all about what I was doing until maybe hours later when I come across a half finished task. I've also noticed that I find it difficult to remember characters when reading a book so really getting quite worried about it all.

I do this all the time - names are particularly hard. They usually pop back into my head in the middle of the night.

Am so lucky. No problem with the brain. My Surgery chose me as the least likely to develop dementia. No idea why. I love wine, so no idea how it works. My uncle was a brain surgeon. Long may it last. Have other health issues though.

Yes- thanks for that link kitty lester. Reassuring if nothing else !
Another thing that really affects my memory now is alcohol, even one drink, so I usually stick at just the one these days.

Bugger just wrote a long post and my hand trembled and lost the lot . Not so much a memory problem but physical.

My mom had dementia her mind died long before her body. And became violent last 4 months of her life. But it's out of fear she didn't know who she was ,where or who I was. Mom lived with me last 18 months of her life. She was 90 when she died. But she never wet or soiled herself she always told me when she needed the commode. So she retained that part of her memory.

The best thing we can do is keep our mind and body active everyday. And take time out each day to relax. I read but love holding a book not a Kindle. And I cross stitch which is a slow craft but keeps your mind active as I do counted cross stitch.

Don't worry about the what ifs or you will miss the here and now. I was widowed at 45 . I was born disabled and also have a hole in my heart but it was my fit healthy husband who got Cancer and died aged 47.

Live your life to the full and try not to worry about the what's ifs . Hard I know but you will miss the joys of the now.

Just posted them repeated myself within a couple of sentences but that's me in real life. But it's down to my rare hereditary neurological condition. 😊

What a thoughtful post Whiff. I will try not to ‘lose the joys of now’.