Thursday, May 31, 2012

Debi? Is that you?


I'm losing it! Book me a room at the home cause I'm coming!

I don't know what the heck is wrong with me, whether it's just menopause fugue or early onset Alzheimer's – having just read Still Alice, of course I'm now thinking it's the latter – but whatever it is I really am losing control of my mental faculties.

The other day Dave and I were coming out of the local hospital and I saw this woman sitting on a bench. "Geez," I thought, "is that my cousin Debi? Cause it looks like Debi and she works at the hospital..." As I was mulling this over the woman looked over at me, no doubt wondering why she was being stared at, and she smiled, so I thought for sure it was Deb!

"Hi Debi, how are you?" I asked. Brightly. With such utter confidence.

The woman's smile disappeared.

Dave nudged me with his elbow and whispered, "That's NOT Debi."

And I was like, "Really? Are you sure?"

Dave said, "Yes, I'm sure. That is not your cousin. She doesn't even look like Debi."

I looked at the woman, confused.

The not-Debi smiled again and said, "I'm positive, I'm not Debi!"

I apologized profusely and walked to our car, my face scarlet and my mind still confused.

A similar incident happened to me yesterday, only it wasn't Debi I imagined I saw, it was someone else. I wish I could remember who it was I thought I saw but I have drawn a complete blank. I remember being out in the car and seeing someone drive by and thinking it was someone I knew, but I can't remember who I thought it was. My short term memory is getting ridiculously short.

This memory thing is so frustrating. I have never had a problem remembering words but lately and often I can't seem to find the words I want to say. I draw word blanks with increasing frequency. Not so much when I write, but when I'm talking.

Like I said, book me a bed at the home, Mildred, I'm coming in.


49 comments:

  1. Roomies? Cause if you need one, I need one too. I blame the kids. They ate my brain, little monsters. I was trying to tell one of the kids where the plastic spoons were this morning. Do you think I could come up with the word 'drawer'? Nuh-uh. It's ok. We're allowed to have lapses in between brilliance. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have not called either of my two kids by their correct first name, the first time, since the second could talk. One time, I called the oldest "Chris." What the hell?

      Memory farts m'dear. They happen!

      Delete
    2. "Nuh-uh." I like the way you say that, Laurita. After reading your comment this morning I was nuh-uhing all day long!

      And Chris, you should have just pulled a George Foreman and called them all Chris.

      Delete
  2. I do that all the time. Guess we're all crazy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm there too. Actually, I've been there for a while. I like Laurita's theory. Kids eat parents' brains. At least you see people that you think you know. I see things like tarantulas and shadow monsters.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've been noticing lately how there are only so many different looks. Like here in the midwest so very many of us have pointy chins and big noses and look quite alike. You would think we are all cousins, and actually probably are distant ones. Anyway, I'm terrible with facial recognition and if someone changes one thing about themselves such as the color of the hair all of a sudden I don't them any longer. We all have this a bit. Or maybe not? Ha. Anyway, I do. It's probably hormones. Some days the brain works well, and others not. For me, when it's working well, I'm always rather shocked.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha!!!! "I'm always rather shocked."
      *looking to see if your chin is pointy but it's cut off in your little avatar head picture*

      Delete
  5. Oh, that's so sad. And yet, I find myself doing that on occasion. Now, I just stop saying hello to people.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well, if you don't need glasses, then you should come to terms with it. I did. It becomes quite nice to smile vaguely and say "Oh, dear." A good vague smile is essential to have.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have no officially packed a vague smile in my arsenal, Joanne!
      *smiling vaguely*

      Delete
  7. I'm useless with names and faces and always have been. Lately, I've been losing words as well. Most frustrating. I eventually get them but by then it's too late and I've already looked like an idiot. I think our brains are overwhelmed with information overload these days...that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good excuse, Delores!! Yeah, I don't know... I have just noticed a sharp decline in these kinds of things. Just getting old, I guess. Sucks, though!

      Delete
  8. The kids theory doesn't explain me. I don't have any. Yet a couple of times I've been fooled. I'd see someone on the street and think oh that's such and such but before I say hello, I realize it can't be that person because that person is on the other side of the world.

    My short term memory is erratic. I can forget where I put something with in moments of putting it down.

    This happens regularly. So I blame medication. To control tremours, I take propanolol- this is a notorious drug for wreaking havoc with memory. Truth is, tho, I was forgetting crap before I started taking the drug. I think my mind's information filter works overtime.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well I'm just glad i'm not alone, Torggil! Like furnaces, perhaps we just need our brain filters cleaned once a year.

      Delete
  9. It probably is hormones and being busy and stress. You were just coming out of the hospital, so something must be going on with someone you care about. I have done that before though, especially when going to another town ... I look around and some people look familiar, even though they aren't, but I am thinking, hey isn't that weird that so and so is here? Then I realize it isn't them.

    Take care,

    Kathy M.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely hormones and busy-ness and stress have a big part to play. I've been very stressed at work lately - HUGE deadlines and enormous pressure and even bigger egos!!!

      Delete
  10. Short term memory only really lasts a few seconds anyway, like the length of the entire memory of a gold fish.
    Poor goldfish.

    I blame all memory issues on my children. I'm certain it's reverse genetics or something.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha!!! Andrew, I LOVE the goldfish analogy - such a short term memory that every time he goes around the bowl the castle is a brand new experience!

      Delete
  11. I was told that was normal for my age...did they lie?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, probably not.. .sigh... age is a terrible thing but the alternative does not bear thinking about!

      Delete
  12. Replies
    1. Hahahahaha!!! Oh, it's that little blue avatar head that fooled me!

      Delete
  13. I think, Cathy, it's probably a combination of things - chief of which is probably the 'M' word! Having reached this great milestone in life, myself, I frequently find my concentration wandering, and unable to articulate what I want to say, as well as forgetting what I've gone upstairs (or into another room) for....

    ....er, what was the question...?

    ;-p

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you're right, Sue, that's exactly what it is. And man, I do the "going into the room and forgetting thing" all the darn time. Sad, really.

      Delete
  14. Blame it on the benedryl! It'll do it to ya every time! ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know what, Liz? The Benadryl probably had everything to do with mistaking the lady for Debi. As for the other stuff, that's just old age setting in!!!

      Delete
  15. LOL!! I've done that a couple times; mistaken people for someone I thought I knew. It's embarrassing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Maybe it was Debi and she was the one with the memory loss? ;-)

    Either way, you deserve and award so I'm giving you one. Pop over to my blog http://justermie.blogspot.co.uk to collect it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, it probably was... HEY DEBI, YOU ARE OLDER THAN ME AFTER ALL!!!!!! (She's gonna get me for that, Ermie!)
      And thanks for the award!!! WOOT!!!

      Delete
  17. Any kind of meds, allergy pills, etc. etc. do it for me. I cannot take anything but Advil. But stress does bring it on. Then you get more upset because you can't remember. Take it easy, look out at the gorgeous scenery you have around you and relax.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're right!!! ABsolutely! And yes, the scenery is phenomenal. I went for a bike ride last night along the riverbank and all my stress washed away.

      Delete
  18. The more you get around in life, the more you run into the same models of human beings. I've seen dead-ringers for friends, bullies, bankers, even doctors I held grudges against - though their dopplegangers were sadly on janitorial duty.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Or maybe the bullies and doctors had a comeuppance and that was their new jobs!!! HA! Wouldn't that be a nice kick in the pants!

      Delete
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