It seems like every time I say anything, my spouse and I get into a fight. This is very unusual for us. Our relationship has been harmonious for decades.

I have difficulty remembering what day it is. I cope by checking either the newspaper or my cell phone.

I get upset when things aren't the way they are supposed to be. Yesterday, my spouse got a cramp in their leg and had to push away the ottoman in order to straighten their leg. This caused a big "wave" in the area rug that just screamed "FALL HAZARD" to me, and I wanted to straighten out the rug immediately. Spouse would not permit it and insisted on finishing the TV program first. I was too distracted by the possibility of the potential fall and spouse's refusal to let me fix it immediately to be able to focus on the program. Big fight.

(I have also noticed that I have difficulty following the storylines in movies, TV shows and books.)

I have tried to avoid spouse as much as possible today. Less interaction, less likelihood of fighting.

I've been looking up symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's, and some of them seem to fit. But that's like when you study abnormal psych in college. By the end of the class, you are convinced that your brain is described in chapters two, five and seven. (But in fact, you are fine, just scared.)

Am I just getting paranoid, or is there a basis in fact here? It feels like being on the Titanic and trying to re-arrange the furniture on the deck. (Would I be able to think in a simile like that if I had squash-rot??)

Anybody who has had experience with kind of thing in an elderly relative - I would appreciate hearing from you.

I don't know if there's a basis or not.
Neither do you.

Time for a doctor visit, I think...
But you already knew that, huh?

I understand that you might not, in some ways, *want* to know if there's really something to worry about. Nobody wants to find out they're starting Alzheimer's or dementia. But, please...do go get checked by the professionals.

And let us know how it turns out?

Best wishes.

I'm really sorry you're going through this. I have and it's scary.

It could be something like you said, but memory problems, obsession, short temper are also signs of depression.

Please go see a doctor. Believe me, worrying about what it might be is more stressful than knowing what it is.

And, remember, some of this could simply be aging. Getting old is not for pussies. It can be very distressing.

Let us know what the doc says.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2019 05:33PM by Heidi GWOTR.

I would go to my primary physician. Not being sure of the days is probably a sign of concern.

If you are not working, there is little reason to remember the day of the week. I often forget it when I am off for summer vacation. And it could be that the storylines that you are following are overly convoluted or simply not that interesting to you.

Having said that, if you have a concern, you might see your doctor. Or talk to a close friend or one of your kids and see if they have noticed any changes.

One of my aunts had a mild forgetfulness and it wasn't a big deal. There's a lot of wiggle room between such forgetfulness and full blow dementia.

The lady at my county office told me the same thing. That retired people forget days of the week all the time because they don't have to remember what day it is.

She sees it a lot as a clerk for the county.

That's one thing my dad said after he retired, he sometimes has no idea what day of the week it is. That's because after working his entire adult life, he no longer has to pay attention to what day of the week it is.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2019 10:12PM by doyle18.

What you are describing could be symptoms of several different processes and disorders.

If you have a family doctor, the first step would probably be talking to that person and getting their expert opinion.

In most cases, if they think there is a problem, they will refer you to a specialist for diagnosis.

If you want to skip the family doctor, then look for a specialist in geriatric conditions (neurologist, geriatrician...possibly a psychiatrist specializing in geriatric disorders).

This doesn't necessarily relate to the number of years lived. I grew up knowing a man (who was somewhat of a public person) who was, at that time, the youngest person "known" to have Alzheimer's--although this was never determined to a medical certainty.

In any case, you do need to tell someone appropriate (meaning: someone with the required medical expertise) about what you have described here. It could be as simple as a mini-stroke you didn't realize had happened to you....or it could be something else.

I wish you all the best in every way, and I know how scary this must feel to you right now. I am very sorry for what you are going through.

Most people I know who are getting older joke about having senior moments.

Forgetting what day it is may or may not be symptomatic of something more serious. But you should get a complete physical and tell your concerns to your doctor to get a better understanding of what may be causing your forgetfulness.

It may or may not be onset of something more serious. Let's hope it isn't. I wouldn't panic yet.

I had a concussion almost six years ago that caused me to forget dates. Nothing else but calendar dates and what day it was. Because of that I had to retrain my brain basically to remember what day it is. Just from a mild brain concussion. I thank God it wasn't more serious. I know of people who've died from hitting their head. One little boy I grew up with had to start over from early infancy to re-learn everything just from a ball hitting him in the head.

Get an examination first before you jump to the wrong conclusion. Then get a second opinion if you still aren't sure.

Make a medical appt as soon as you can. While you are waiting to see the doctor, keep good blood sugar control.

Please keep us posted.

See your primary care physician. He/she can determine if you need to see a therapist for depression, or (most likely) you are fine. The relief of finding out you do NOT have Alzheimer's can improve your present state of mine! Like insomnia, the more you stress about not getting enough sleep, the worse the insomnia gets. Doctors say that an early diagnosis can greatly improve the outcome, of any disease. There are things that can be done to help dementia--but I forget what they are!

Ask your doctor to give you a blood test, to determine if you have a Vitamin D or a Vitamin B deficiency, both of which can cause symptoms like you described. Even lack of exercise can cause symptoms like yours. I had all of these last symptoms, plus sleep apnea, which I didn't know about, so I was sleep-deprived. I thought it was old age, but my energy and alertness returned within a couple of months.

Denial--the wrinkle in the rug is not a hazard. Maybe it will go away on its own.

Normal--the wrinkle in the rug is a hazard, especially for old people, and should be taken care of as soon as possible.

Dementia--you might forget how or when the rug got wrinkled

Paranoia--you would think your husband deliberately put the wrinkle in the rug, to trip you.

Schizophrenia--Strangers jumped out of the TV, and put the wrinkle in the rug (I'm not kidding, this was a real case).

Alzheimer's--you are upset but can't remember why, and who is that person you are yelling at?

I was complaining to my therapist about how I can't do simple math in my head. When I was working, I would figure out percentages and estimate amortizations in my head, but now I can hardly help my granddaughter with her 7th grade math. My therapist said, "Could you do math in your head, when you were a SAHM, before you went back to work?" Some kinds of thinking comes with practice. I assume you are retired. Most retired people complain of "losing their edge" and "dumbing down."

This just might be your "new normal", but experts can tell you for sure. The fact that you are aware of traits you don't like in yourself, indicates that you are fine. You are never too old to change--that is true--and you can monitor yourself. I'm always having to deal with PTSD flashbacks, and knowing what to do really helps. I believe in therapy!

really.

What has been described doesn't sound too bad to me. Having to reread what you just read happens to all of us, I'm in my 30s and I have to do that. We should keep our minds active by reading or solving algebra or Trig problems everyday or puzzles or study languages.

But drink more water, you might be dehydrated this affects the brain?

I found taking supplements like Gingko Biloba and Vitamin B12 plus CoQ10 helps boost brain energy and memory. I'd been using those for a long time, especially before big exams when I was younger. Now I use them everyday as part of preventive care.

Green tea is also good for memory enhancement and to delay Alzheimer's and aging diseases.

My dh has ADD. He never knows what day it is or the date. I have to tell him over and over, even though he has computers and cell phone for constant reminders and reads 2 newspapers every day. He still works as an attorney (way past retirement age) but he can tell you some esoteric point of law or recite an IRS code that you've never heard of.

However, this sounds like you are undergoing a change. You don't tell us your age. Think about the suggestions here and definitely if it is causing problems, get a check up.

Also it can be stress, hormones, eyesight, SAD, poor lighting, the list is immense. You go to your doctor and he sends you to specialists and they still can't find out so they send you to more specialists.
OR they find out that there is something that you really need to pay attention to.
And that cramp in your spouses leg could be the start of a back issue and you are picking up on little things that are unrecognized until someone puts 2 and 2 together.

Menopause

My doctor told me that when you start to forget what common things are used for, that's when to worry.

(I had to ask.)

Good be a dementia type condition. Or something caused by drug reactions, mineral deficiency or depression.

Please see your doctor ASAP.

Anon for This One,

How old are you?