David, and "All"

A coupla-three years ago I found myself having a
buncha "Senior Memory-Loss Moments."  Not only
was I stunned at the loss of memory ("Now WHERE
did I put my reading glasses, and WHY did I want them
in the first place when am going to be cooking, not
reading? <Uh DUH Barbie>

I started to have panic attacks then, too, because I
envisioned myself like my late mother, who had had
dementia due to several small strokes -(may she rest
in peace, tho WHY she'd RIP where she is NOW
when she never RIP'd when she was HERE is beyond
me!) <grin>

My memory became progressively worse until one
about day 'bout 6 weeks after I moved to my new
home (end of last November) when I was literally
going CRAZY because of all the workmen pidling
arond and moving and/or CHANGING the physical
location of everything while neglecting to tell ME to
expect a change somewhere or other in 610 foot
condo.

 HECK! How COULD they tell me about any
changes to be made when THEY didn't speak English
and _ I _ don't  speak fluent Spanish???  So we SMILED
at each other a lot, but THAT never stop me from taking
some tumbles that were record setters!!

I went for a walk (to get away from the tumalt of the
remodeling) and to think over WHY I was
falling - did I move fast?  YES.  Did my shoes reflect
the fashions of the day, or were they "Parkie-safe."
Once I was HONEST with myself, I admitted they were
more fashionable then safe.  Was I falling for ANY
other reason besides the unsettled state of my home?
YES. My sense of balance was "off kilter," and I didn't
HABITUALLY *THINK* about walking or moving in a
safe manner.  WHY didn't I THINK about my own safety?
I was too busy thinking on all 8 tracks about OTHER
things, tho adittedly, crashing to the gound in a fancy
restaurant is ONE way to get one's own attention and FAST!

That said, I've concluded I don't NEED to use all 8 tracks
of my mind at the same time.  It's  OK to DIRECT forgotten
words, and actions, and things to Track 4 or 7 or
8 for  - arbitrarily deemed the" slow tracks," and let THEM
plod along muddling over WHY I went into my bedroom in
the middle of watching OPRAH!

In fact, I've discovered that once I slowed those I''m losing
it" kinda thoughts down, I tended  to remember things
ALMOST as rapidly as I did in more youthful TIMES
Which, after all, was mere DAY or two ago, if I remember
.correctly! <smile>

FORCING oneself to THINK in ADVANCE of ACTING,
is one way od tackling those darn "Senior moments without
having to ALSO deal with panic at the same time.  Let
yourself feel GOOD when you recall something that you
had mentally written off as "forgotten."  Make as  BIG a
DEAL out of remembering as you did when you forgot
something!

And finally, HANG IN THERE' because.... because... OH RATS!  I
FORGOT WHAT WAS GONNA SAY! <ear-to-ear grin>

Barb Mallut
[log in to unmask]



-----Original Message-----
From: davidmeigs <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Monday, July 31, 2000 2:16 PM
Subject: Re: NON-PD-Counseling


>Camilla wrote:
>
>>"Dear David-- what you say re: memory is really strange-- I hope
you can
>get
>>some clue about it from the neuro. It must be distressing.
Usually it is
>>the short term memory that goes first, giving us those "Senior
Moments"--
>>does that make any sense? "
>>Snip
>
>My short term memory became a problem several years ago, around
37.  For the
>last few years I have had to keep a pad of paper with me at all
times.  By
>senior moments I think you mean things like: "Who am I? & What
was I doing?
>& Where am I going to?"  Oh boy have I ever had some "senior
moments".  I am
>pretty laid back so I have never got to upset by any of that.  I
just
>figured that it made me kind of "flaky" & therefore kind of cute
in a
>pathetic sort of way.  (My wife just rolls her eyes, and shakes
her head)
>
>I salute you Camilla for the work you have done.  I'd love to
swap stories
>with you sometime (if I could recall any).
>
>Take care,
>
>
>David Meigs  aka: Pappy
>[log in to unmask]