Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Some people call me the space cowboy...

My sister told me that one of the signficant signs of Alzheimers -- the point of no return -- is face recognition.

Well. That makes me feel somewhat better. But whether it is a vitamin B12 deficiency or something else, I cannot keep things together these days.
  •  Whenever I leave the barn, I return to find I've left something out or left something undone. 
  • Almost EVERY time I leave either barn, I stop at the gate, get out, and go back and check to make sure the stall door is secure. 
  • I forgot the word "detour" when writing at work the other day. 
  • I stood by the car trunk and asked Bob to "open the door." He grilled me about my use of the word "door" rather than trunk.
 Actually this last one scares me the most.  Alzheimers does tend to run in my family.


  1. Stress can make you forgetful, and you've certainly had plenty of that lately. I wouldn't worry too much just yet.

  2. It is simply called "being overloaded", what with the saddle thing, your dad, your mom, Bob, your job, your two horses in two barns . . . stuff just tends to drop out.

  3. Stress. When your brain is occupied with big things (your dad, your mom, your husband) little things get lost. OCD type symptoms (checking) rear their ugly head, 'cause you know you are forgetting important things.

    ne of the first signs of Alzheimer's is putting items in the freezer. Folk do this because they can't remember what it is they have in their hands (food? tool? money? live animal?) and put it in a safe place, the freezer.

    What you experience with door/trunk switch is passing aphasia.

  4. You have had a lot on your mind recently with your Dad's illness. Your mind and body may well be a lot more tired than you realize.

    I've had words elude me every now and then. Don't know if it's anything to worry about as long as you don't make a habit of it.

    As for the barn rechecks...if you don't consciously take an action like locking a door, you may well lose confidence that you actually did it. When something becomes a habit and you don't think about it, it does not stick in the brain the way a conscious, thought out act does.

  5. It is called "being overloaded". You have your dad, your mom, Bob, your job, two horses in two different barns, the PayPal thing . . . there just isn't room in your brain for anything else. I used to get this from time to time and wouldn't even know until someone told me about something I had said or a meeting I had been at . . . and I would have zero recollection of it. When the stressors decrease, normal brain function returns.

  6. Don't forget that a lot of that can also be explained by the high stress levels you're experiencing due to so many issues in your life! I've had some curve balls thrown at me in the past several months that I can clearly see have led to more than a few space cowboy trail rides. If you're worried about missing the boat at the stable, try making a small check list you go through on your smartphone as you prepare to leave - food bins secured, tack room closed, stalls latched, etc. I will admit that I have one of these for leaving the office since I'd otherwise walk away without my laptop adapter!

  7. I had some weird, temporary symptoms like that when I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. Now that I have a baby, I have come to realize that it is completely normal for me to forget very basic things all the time. My attention is just so split these days. Maybe you are having the same problem, but for a different reason.

  8. You have several stressful things going on in your life at the moment which could account for this forgetfulness. There are supplements that are supposed to help so you might want to look into them.

  9. This sounds like stress but if you are concerned with developing the disease (especially since it runs in your family) it would be wise to start including coconut oil in your diet everyday and investigate the intermittent use of a ketogenic diet.

  10. Girl,please......

  11. No one in my family has developed signs of senility or dementia; most of the family has died much younger than I am now (70-plus), so I guess there is a first time. HOWEVER, you have been carrying a LOT on your plate as everyone above has remarked, and the occasional lapse--the forgotten word, the use of "door" versus "trunk," etc.--is understandable. My OWN situation is to forget whether I unplugged the curling iron, turned down the thermostat or dealt with the computer before I leave home. Nine times out of 10 I HAVE dealt with it, but it's an automatic thing that I just DO without thinking and can't remember it.

    Hang in there, gal. You are among friends. :o)

