Just about everyone I know has what we all laughingly refer to as “senior moments." It’s a handy excuse for forgetfulness. But after three months of daily living with two people whose senior moments are legitimate and frequent, I am downright scared at my own lapses. Could it be I’m in the early stages of Parkinsons?
Last night, for example, we were out for a stroll around the pond and we noticed plugs of dirt in the grass. I could not for the life of me remember the name for that process – which is performed on my own yard every year – in which a machine takes out plugs of dirt so that the lawn can absorb more moisture and nutrients. Mom couldn’t remember the word either but after all she’s been through, I wouldn’t expect it.
Finally, after about three or four minutes it came to me – aeration – but by then I was ready to make an appointment with the neurologist.
I take comfort in the recent news that there are new medications and vaccines for Alzheimers on the horizon. I pray that my mental decline does not outpace FDA approval.
Meanwhile, I picked up a new book of Sudoku puzzles. I’ve never been fond of numbers, but I can handle 1-to-9. Does the fact that I can’t seem to get past the “easy” puzzles mean that I’ve waited too long to begin exercising my brain? If it’s words I’m forgetting, should I be doing word-memory exercises instead? Or, should I invest in one of those new brain fitness software programs?
I’ll bet it’s not compatible with my Mac.
Sue
About Me
- Sue
- I'm a self-employed business consultant and Certified Professional Facilitator who enjoys helping teams collaborate creatively and productively in meetings. I'm also one of those Boomers caring for elderly parents, which is the main topic of this blog series. How does someone who is not a trained caregiver, who has always had a lousy bedside manner, abandon the life she loves to care for parents and still maintain sanity? Read on.
2 comments:
Sue,
I really enjoyed this blog, I too forget words I should know, and right away think im losing my mind. Recently I started doing some research on how to keep my brain sharp (crosswords, soduku or just reading) and what I ended up deciding was that a brain training program seemed like the best idea. I found a really great one from Posit Science, www.positscience.com, which is actually backed up by legitimate scientific data. They also have a site called the Brain Fitness Channel, bfc.positscience.com which provides tons of information on the brain and how to keep it at its best. Good luck, I hope this was helpful!
Thanks so much for the response. I'll look up that site.
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