Renee had shoulder surgery yesterday. She’s doing great. As I’m no longer dependable, we have in-house, around- the-clock nursing aides to take care of both Renee and I during the acute stage of her recovery. They’ll probably be here for 3 to four more days then we will shift to day-time help only.
To further assist Renee in her recovery, her childhood friend drove in from Norfolk. Andrea is on a low fat diet and is going to help me get my shit together. At 250 pounds, I have a lot of work ahead of me. For the next 2 weeks Andrea will be my Will Power.
I’m loving the attention. Yesterday, I had 3 back rubs. So far, I’ve had one back massage today and its only 5 am. Breakfast is being prepared while I type this article. If this is what assisted living is going to be, sign me up.
Since my last article, I’ve noted some subtle changes in memory. The changes are most visible when we play bridge. Cards are shuffled and dealt. Sometimes, if I count points from right to left I get a different number than If I count from left to right. It’s sad as I used to be somewhat of a math whiz. Immediately after the cards are played the conversation goes like this:
Renee -Whose deal is it?
Me- I don’t know. I think Drew dealt that hand.
Drew-I think Ellen dealt it.
Me – I’ll deal.
And the conversation continues after every hand. Short-term memory loss is common amongst my friends. If it wasn’t so funny, it would be sad. I find myself using word substitutions more frequently as well. Memory loss is scary. If you are worried about memory loss, watch for progression and the severity of loss.
Getting lost while driving in familiar areas is particularly threatening as is forgetting to turn the stove/burners/water off. If these symptoms start showing up, see your doc immediately. Forgetting names or whose deal it is are much more common and may not be significant.
Neuropsych testing is the BMW of testing to study memory loss and should be instituted if you are worried or showing signs of progressive loss. I have a mild cognitive impairment consistent with my age which is why I substituted BMW for Hallmark.
Medications for memory loss are often helpful and your doc may prescribe meds to be taken daily. Here’s today joke:
My dad suffers from short term memory loss…
I hope it doesn’t run in the family because my dad has it too.
Did Renee have rotator cuff repair or shoulder replaced?
Hope both of you get better fast!
Nice article, Stewart. Keep moving forward my friend!
Hi,
This article couldn’t come at a better time. I’m getting concerned about dad and his memory.
He forgets things and constantly asks the same questions over and over throughout the day. What signs do I look for to let me know it might be time to worry.
I’m trying to differentiate between age related memory loss and dementia.
I couldn’t help but smile reading about card playing and trying to remember who dealt last😊 My best to Renee for speedy recovery. Keep the blogs coming!