So I claim chemo brain regularly. My husband agrees. Sometimes he even suggests I might possibly be a space shot. Today's newspaper has an article about memory loss as affecting older adults (not me) and what is normal and what is not:
What’s normal and what’s not
A memory problem is serious if it affects your daily life.
- Sometimes forgetting names or not being able to recall a word.
- Memory lapses that include walking into a room to retrieve something and then blanking on what that was.
- Forgetting where you put the keys to your car. (Forgetting how to use the keys is not normal.)
NOT NORMAL
- Forgetting how to do things you’ve done many times before, such as cooking a dessert you’ve made for years.
- Repeating phrases or stories in the same conversation.
- Unusual trouble making choices or handling money.
- Permanently forgetting the name of a close friend or relative.
- Frequently misplacing something such as a purse and putting it in inappropriate places, such as the fridge.
SOURCES: American Academy of Family Physicians, US Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Eliza Shulman
I asked my husband to read this list. He says he believes I am in the normal range. But let me tell you my side:
- Last weekend we replaced the screen door on our house and switched it so it opens from the right, not left. I still try to open it from the wrong side.
- I open the refrigerator when I was going to put something in the microwave.
- I routinely cook on an off burner.
- I can only find my car in parking lots because I can make it beep from a distance.
- Every day I have to go look at what I blogged on yesterday before I can post today.
So as you can see my brain is a sieve. But I am normal. So I can feel better. But still I claim chemo brain so the expectations are not set too high.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I Started a New Blog
I started this blog when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. Blogging really helped me cope with my cancer and its treatment. Howe...
-
I started this blog when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. Blogging really helped me cope with my cancer and its treatment. Howe...
-
Yesterday I had a (not so fun) back procedure. As my arm has been acting up, I wore my lymphedema sleeve on my left arm. I am going to the l...
-
This is the misunderstood side of my life - how I live with limitations. The other day, I visited my mother who also has RA. We went for a w...
2 comments:
I have the same things like mixing the microwave with the fridge. I always say by memory cards are full so what can I do?
Remembering names and words is sometimes tough for me. And to drive in the city it is a major effort to figure out how to get from "here" to "there". But I'm finding that my chemo brain is alleviating as time goes by.
Post a Comment