I worry about the frequency of my forgetfulness. I worry when I can see a face as plain as day, but I can’t bring up the name from the depths of my foggy middle-aged brain. All this boils down to…..I worry about having Alzheimer’s or Dementia.
My sister-in-law was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and getting an up close and personal look at this horrible and unfair disease has scared the beegeebers out of me. I think back to an incident in the grocery store before she and her husband shared her diagnosis with the family and actions sadden me. I was always happy to see my SIL because she’s just a really sweet person, but that day she just snubbed me. I was a little miffed and came home telling HBL about how his SIL snubbed me and acted like she didn’t know who I was. I fumed about that for a while and then decided I’d be cool to her the next time I saw her. Yes, sometimes my maturity really shines, doesn’t it? I doubt I was cool to her “the next time” because I usually get over things, at least I hope I wasn’t.
After the grocery store incident was another event where her car stalled in a busy area and she couldn’t get her key out or get it started so she walked several blocks to my in-laws home to ask for help. She’s in her middle 70’s and my in-laws are in their 90’s but my mother in law was still driving so she drove SIL to the car and they realized SIL hadn’t put the car in park and that’s why the keys wouldn’t come out. I guess SIL had sat there for quite some time trying to get her keys out and finally just left them in the ignition and took off walking.
Those were signs that we all missed but looking back, they seem so clear and I’m very ashamed for thinking she’d do something hateful to me, on purpose. Now it’s difficult to remember (no pun, I promise) to stop saying things like “SIL, do you remember how many people were at this function last year?” She’s very good natured though and she replies “Uh no, I’m not sure I’ve ever been here before but I probably have.” Then I feel like a dumbass and make a mental note to stop saying do you remember.
Searching the web I came across a site that has good information about Alzheimer’s and Dementia. It’s a site from the UK and has a down-loadable booklet about awareness and things you can do to reduce your risk. Next I’ll be posting about a product my hormone doctor recommended for use that doesn’t create that sticky plaque build up in the brain that is present in Alzheimer and dementia patients. Believe you me, I’m all about stopping the build up of that sticky plaque in this girls brain since I don’t have that much to spare.
Bottom line: Get active, eat your fruits and veggies, do Sudoku or something that uses your brain, and watch your blood pressure and cholesterol. You want to hang around long enough to be problems to your kids, right?
HAPPY TRAILS, Y’ALL
July 10, 2008 at 1:59 pm
boy, doesn’t that just scare all of us!
July 10, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Wow. I was driving to a clients house yesterday and had to keep telling myself where I was going and then I drove right past her road and had to turn around. It scares me!
July 10, 2008 at 11:28 pm
I am terrified of Alzheimers, but not as terrified as my mother is — both her parents died of it. I keep reminding her that British research shows heredity to account for only a small percentage… Last I heard the biggest risk factor is uncontrolled blood pressure in middle age — too late for her, but now’s the time for us to get pressure checked and do something about it if it is too high. Having said that, every time I forget anything I worry it’s the start of an inexorable downhill trend…