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Memory problems, Dementia, and

watsup

DP Veteran
Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Messages
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Location
Springfield MO
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Male
Political Leaning
Liberal
Not sure where to place this discussion, so I guess this is as good as any.
The basics: I am 79 years olde with memory problems that are getting worse, I think, to the point of pre-dementia. Can’t remember a lot of place names anymore, to include the names of people thst I have known in the past. When in discussion with another person, I am constantly forgetting the appropriate word to use and having to make simpler substitutions “on the fly”. Same with postings in here. Often have to stop in the middle of a sentence to try to remember the appropriate word to use, but often end up, once again, having to substitute a simpler but not as effective word.
I am pretty much a hermit. I live alone and participate in very few conversations over the course of a week. I really don’t mind that as I am somewhat of a loner anyway, but it has been shown that the more social a person is, the LESS chance of dementia. I understand that, but I don’t expect to make any big changes in my life at this stage. I do have a girlfriend, but we don’t live together and I only see her a couple of times a week. I have a daughter, but she lives elsewhere. I participate in Silver Sneakers and Master Gardeners at present.
Which brings me to DP. I think that it is probably good for me because it causes me to have to think in reasoned terms at various times during the day even if it is sometimes difficult for the proper words to come forth. This is an example. Surely there are more appropriate words than “come forth” in the previous sentence, but my mind can’t find them.
I’m sure that we probably all know some people with dementia. In my case, it was the husband of my sister and the father-in-law of my brother. It’s scary.
 
I worry about asking this question because I am not sure if I am allowed or if you should be publicly answering, but if the answer is 'No.' I would suggest you give it some consideration; Have you consulted a medical professional on this? Which sort of leads into whether you are financially able to afford seeking medical help, but that is very likely not a matter that should be discussed in public, like here.

AND I have an odd suggestion; if you are able to talk with a medical pro you might ask her/him about the idea of taking Levetiracetam.
 
None of this would be particularly unusual for an older person. Definitely not in of itself indicative of dementia.

A litmus test doctors joke about - don't worry if you forget where you left the car keys. Worry when you can't remember what they're for.

Just talk to your doctor. They know what to look for.
 
Make an effort to stay engaged and to use your brain on a regular basis. Writing and interacting with others on DP (and other sites) is an excellent way to do this. The "can't think of the word" problem happens to a lot of people including me. Writing forces you to use your brain in a different way, as a side effect it brings out brain deficiencies or issues. If you never wrote, you'll never know. If you're concerned about it talk to a medical professional. They can tell you what's normal and what is not.
 

I can empathize with you. I'm going through the exact same thing, and I'm 79 this year as well. It seems to be happening over a very short time. When we moved to where we live now to be close to our son three years ago I did not have this problem. At first I wanted to fight it but now I work to adapt to it. My wife and I celebrated 50 years of marriage last December and we now spend our time visiting local attractions and enjoying our time together. We've worked hard and now it's time to rest a little. We've had a blessed life and feel very lucky.
 
I too, empathize with you @watsup. Just know you have many friends here, and your opinions and posts are very much enjoyed by many of us... I'm happy that DP helps to keep you engaged, I think it does for a lot of us! There are new medications on the market now that greatly improve memory loss, I hope you seek the advice of your doctor. Stay well, my friend.
 
You don’t walk alone.
 

This ^

Any concerns you have, share them with your regular doctor and find a primary care doc if you don't already have one. Not uncommon to have memory issues as we age. Forgetting words and names is frustrating but a part of aging.
 
Get in and see a neurologist- get an evaluation and this will serve as your baseline, this way if you are having worsening dementia, it can be more easily assessed. If it’s suspected, there’s occupational therapy/memory retention exercises that can be done, and potentially medication, although the risk/benefit of current drugs is not ideal.
 
I’m several decades behind you age wise, but I care for in-laws that are in your age group.

1. Get in and see your doctor and get blood work done. There are underlying medical conditions from something as simple as a UTI - or low potassium levels - that can impact cognitive abilities and memory - and can be easily addressed and are also very common as you age.

2. Your brain is aging along with your body - and also doesn’t move as quickly as it once did - just like the rest of your body. Give yourself grace.

3. Take a look at your diet and make sure you’re getting everything you need. Our bodies become less efficient at processing the older they get - talk to your doctor about your concerns and your diet and see if they have any recommendations.

4. Try to vary your environment. Go outside. Get a change of scenery. Try to see different people and places and things - keep those neurons firing.

5. Keep talking to us! You have some really great insight and are a thoughtful poster. Thank you for letting us be a part of your world.

And thank you for sharing. Sending you hugs.
 
@watsup there's a theory related to what you're experiencing. "Memory clutter" increases as we gain a lifetime of memories. As the mind becomes the repository for more and more information it becomes harder to retrieve stuff you want to recall.

It's normal, and harmless.


More details in the link below...

Memory ‘clutter’ makes it harder to remember as we get older - Durham University

www.durham.ac.uk
 
Thanks to all for your feedbac, encouragement, and personal stories. Yes, I am trying to stay active with Silver Sneakers, walking in the neighborhood on other days, volunteering at a local park, and Master Gardeners. My primary doctor is aware. I took an extended memory test with the local hospital a few years ago because I wanted a baseline, and I probably need to do that again soon. The scary part is that even if it is diagnosed as dementia, there’s really not much that can be done about it. It’s nice, however, to be able to “talk” to others about it, especially on an anonymous basis. I don’t want to spend my time essentially complaining to acquaintances about it, and talking about it to my girlfriend and my daughter just scares them, too. DP is more than just a political forum, it’s also a community of those who are strangers but who also often lend support to one another. I’ve seen that plenty of times before, and I thought that there would be other stories out there similar to mine, and there were.
So why not take this to an online dementia support group instead? Because I prefer feedback from a broader community than just those who are experiencing the potential illness. Plus I don’t want people to think, every time they see me, “poor George (not my real name), he has dementia”.
Anyway, thanks again. As others have said, it may be just the memory loss normally associated with aging.
 
I'm not an expert in the field, but I will say that evidence shows that regular mental exercise might help. An elderly relative of mine does a lot of puzzles like Sudoku and crosswords. I'll also add that since taking my current job which requires a lot of problem solving, I have felt noticeably sharper than I did when working less demanding jobs. I could be wrong, but I look at the brain a bit like a muscle that benefits from being challenged. As others have said, I think that staying engaged here is a great idea. I'll add that I haven't noticed anything about your posts that even gave me a hint that you were experiencing these issues.
 
The old hard-drive is only able to retain so much information!
 

Yes, I do crossword puzzles on a daily basis and it does seem to help, although I still “miss” words that I know until they are more filled in.
 
The first time they showed me a circle and asked me to fill in a clock with the hands @ 1350, I got a little indignant…..
 
Rexedgar said:
The first time they showed me a circle and asked me to fill in a clock with the hands @ 1350, I got a little indignant…..
Click to expand...

Yes, it does seem that advancing dementia has something to do with being unable to translate the hands of a clock. That seems to be a basic test.
 
watsup said:
Yes, I do crossword puzzles on a daily basis and it does seem to help, although I still “miss” words that I know until they are more filled in.
Click to expand...
It happens. A few weeks ago, I had a health event which resulted in some brain fog during my recovery. I found myself temporarily struggling to remember random things like the names of certain actors, among other things. I am normally pretty sharp, and I found it to be disturbing, so I have some small idea of what you're experiencing.
 

Exactly.
 
watsup said:
Yes, it does seem that advancing dementia has something to do with being unable to translate the hands of a clock. That seems to be a basic test.
Click to expand...
Yesterday I got up and went into another room and when I got there I remembered immediately why I went there!
Course, it was the bathroom, but still...
 
Never hurts to see a doctor, though I know some people don't because they're afraid to have their suspicions confirmed. My mother was one of those people. It created a huge mess because the decline was rapid and there were end of life decisions that had to be made when she wasn't completely herself that made little sense and were legally binding.
 
Allan said:
None of this would be particularly unusual for an older person. Definitely not in of itself indicative of dementia.
Click to expand...
I've been that way my entire life.

No doubt pretty scary for someone who's usually quite quick with such things suddenly finding themselves having trouble.
 
Taylor said:
I've been that way my entire life.

No doubt pretty scary for someone who's usually quite quick with such things suddenly finding themselves having trouble.
Click to expand...
I've had the same group of 5 friends since we were all 15.

When we sit around and reminisce some of us can recall in great detail experiences that others can't.

All of us are the same age (67) and still sharp. But our brains are hoarders and some stuff gets misplaced.
 
I can relate, @watsup ...2 phrases in my vocabulary are getting the work out more and more these days...hickybob and what's his/her name...
 
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