MADISON, ALABAMA
7/22/25
Let us talk about dementia a bit. The OFM (soon to be 79 yo) is in the beginnings of Dementia which is not a disease to my surprise. Here is my understanding of what is happening. My brain gets to the point it cannot remember all the different things a person usually does recall to live a normal life. It is the term to describe the way my brain forgets lots of things it used to know and use.
It is the collection of things that no longer work right as we age. My immediate main trouble is my short term memory is practically non existent. I am an accomplished specialist at totally forgetting what I "learned " in the last few minutes but can recall in great detail what I learned hours ago sort of. This creates me making LOTS of notes when I am awake to attempt to remember what I "learned" yesterday. It is not a nice way to live.
To those who have been on this wild learning journey with me, my sympathy goes with you. But the better news is I am learning ways to live with this aging mess. If you are not in this mess, have heart it is still a life worth living, settle down and learn the "tricks" of the time of your life and keep on living. You cannot defeat it but it is possible to accommodate it and still live a great senior life.
As an example of accommodations I am making I now do colorings and hang them on my assisted living living quarters door to the hallway where others get to see them and have fun making jokes about them.
The OFM thinks that his blog may get to be better soon but in a different style than in the past. A new to me life style is seemingly developing. The OFM gets nearly daily psycho help in living his new style of life and even if it is different it is still great fun. So tighten your seat belts it is looking like a new style of wild riding is coming on. YAHOOOOOOOOOOO.
Keep at it Barney. I still look forward to the smile you put on my face everytime you share with us.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. It really helps my day on along to get comments like yours.
DeleteI agree. I smiled at least twice. :o))
DeleteLove & hugs to you, Barney!
You can do this Barney, stay strong and take care.
ReplyDeleteI do not know about strong but I am definitely hardheaded, just ask my ex-wife.
DeleteI understand what you are saying as Kathy is more advanced than you.
ReplyDeleteStay Safe and keep pushing.
It's about time.
"Adapt and overcome"
ReplyDeleteIn her later years I remember The Wife's grandmother walking into the wrong house a few times, never figuring out who I was, trying to scrape the picture of a slice of pie off the menu ("this pie is really stale" she commented, while still scraping away), and getting distracted by mirrors where she would have long, animated conversations with 'that old lady', but she was having a blast most every day!
ReplyDeleteLove it! Keep on keeping on.
ReplyDeleteHappy to see despite setbacks, you are figuring ways around your issues and more importantly keeping your positive attitude! Keep at it! Wishing you well!
ReplyDeleteWishing you the best. I can see your scientific mind is still active. You can figure your way through this.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are getting the care you need. Keeping a notebook handy is a smart move!
ReplyDeleteI used to tell my dear old Dad that his "hard drive" was so full it was getting difficult to pull data out.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you are engaging with life and VERY glad to hear you are using those colored pencils. Your cheer is an encouragement!
ReplyDeleteI am a few years older than you. And, yes, our brains are like a hard drive with X-amount of memory. I have known thousands of people. I have had hundreds of thousands of experiences, with over eighty years of history packed into my brain, and twenty years of schooling... My hard drive is full. I, too, live with a calendar and notebook to keep track of my obligations. I have always said that if your life passes in front of you when you die, mine will be a double feature. Perhaps senior dementia is a product of having lived a full and exciting life.
ReplyDeletethe Ol'Buzzard