Decline Documented

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I privately lamented the loss of my brain due to a bad cold. I searched for words and hit a blank wall. Mixed up dates were the new norm. I failed to put necessary items on the shopping list. I knew you by face/name, but I couldn’t remember when I last talked to you. Like the flaky taste buds, the brain seemed to work every other day. I played a game on my phone that I win 99% of the time, and I couldn’t get past the initial moves. Hours later I could win steadily. I wasn’t overly concerned until the sock incident. Now this post could be the first recording of Alzheimer’s disease for me, although I spelled that name correctly without help.

Yesterday I looked for a pair of socks I knew I had worn. They were not near shoes, not on the bed, not in the laundry basket, not in the bathroom, and not anywhere logical. My eyes happened to land on the wastebasket, filled with tissues. There, tucked carefully to one side, were my socks. I have thrown socks away when they were beyond redemption, but I remembered when and why. You might try to comfort me that it was the middle of the night, but I know my brain was AWOL. Away! Gone! Recording turned off!!

I am on high alert to notice these periods of blankness, and I’ll forgive my family for watching me closely.

Published by Anne Mehrling

I'm a retiree who loves to write about life in the mountains of North Carolina.

Published

39 thoughts on “Decline Documented”

  1. An infection of any kind will do that to you. We thought our mom was dealing with dementia when we found out later she had a bladder infection. Once it cleared up she was OK. It is your cold that is affecting your mind. Hang in there.

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  2. Once in a while my husband’s mind goes AWOL. I know he’s thinking about something else and at this point, he can’t multitask. I always threaten to have him tested! I can’t talk about myself. Too scary!

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  3. I’m glad your family is around and they CAN check on you, be grateful for them…I know you are. I hope you get over your sinus infection and you get your brain back soon!

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  4. With your recovery imminent your games skill will soon return and people recognition will be instantaneous. The only thing I;’m not too sure of is the sock disposal method.
    Huge Hugs

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  5. Ah yes, the case of the wandering socks. Glad it turned out well! But do you know what’s perhaps even worse than that? The case of the wandering *sock*. Yes, you know what I mean, don’t you? I still forlornly keep the remaining sock of a broken pair, the same as I do my lonely earrings. I refuse to accept defeat! Some day, I imagine, the errant item will suddenly return, none the worse for wear. Silly me. It’s hard to face reality… sniff… 😄

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  12. Anne, those are the kinds of things I do on a regular basis. I don’t even have a cold to blame the decrease in my brain function on. And I could never spell Alzheimer’s without spell check. I am a terrible speller. Horray for Grammarly!

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    2. I always made 100 on spelling tests. It was memorization. I probably couldn’t spell the words a week later.

      My mother was an excellent speller. Naturally gifted, I’d call it. She told me she was sorry when spelling checkers came to computers. She missed laughing at all my misspelled words.

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  13. I was shocked to learn how dramatically a UTI or mild dehydration can affect a person’s mental acuity and even cause personality changes. Of course, it’s good to be aware of all possibilities, but often it is a simple, treatable condition. Best wishes to you! BTW, I found your blog through a comment you made on Savoring Sixty. I will definitely be back.

    ~Christie

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Christie. Perhaps I was dehydrated, but I was drinking lots of water. I know! The water was used to clog my lungs and fill my sinuses. Yes! Dehydration was the problem!

      I tried to find your blog, but I think my brain is off duty again.

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  14. Hi Anne, I hope you are feeling better. The person who commented about an infection causing thinking problems is right on target. I’ve seen that in family members when they’ve been very ill with an infection. Could it also be the time of year? I don’t feel I think as well and often feel sluggish in winter. Might sound funny, but have they built new communication towers nearby?

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    1. Let’s blame the head cold for my foggy brain. I don’t think there are any new communication towers nearby, but I can see that could cause problems.

      My brain gets sluggish in the summer, but it usually snaps crisply during the winter. Recent snapping while ill was like a flag in a strong wind, producing nothing but silly sounds.

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        1. Yes! Maybe the wind blew my mind back together. Last night I left the tap on in the kitchen sink, but Rose noticed almost immediately. I hope I will soon be well enough to live alone. Maybe I never was well enough to be alone!

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