Posted 1/25/24
We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! -1 Cor. 13:12
What a few days we have had in the Ozarks, weather-wise! First it was suuuuuuper cold…I mean well below zero cold. Then it snowed and iced a little. Then it got just warm enough and it rained on the permafrost that is our soil. The result? FOG. It looks like London out here and has most of the last few days. Amazing… Welcome to the Ozarks… If you like a variety of weather, we got it!
Today I attended a presentation by a colleague called The 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s. Here is a piece that simplified the signs even further. Amber did a great job and the folks were helped. I am always blessed by attending such as it hardens my memory of the topics just like it hardens my resolve to make them go away with a cure. 🙂 She talked about when memory issues are regular aging and when they are more than that. I feel comfortable boiling it down to FOG as we work through the difference in dementia and just getting older. I hope this helps. 🙂
Front of mind- Are the things you are forgetting in the front of your mind…or are they things you would have to dig for a little? I mean, is it a grand kid’s birthday/age, especially if you have many…or your own birthday/age? Is it remembering a pie recipe you have made a thousand times or one you made once, even a few months ago? Is it how to work on a new car or is it how to use a hammer? See where I am going here? Is it exactly when someone passed away or is it their cause of death, especially if it was something dramatic that you can’t remember? Give yourself grace since we all forget sometimes, but be honest: are the things you are forgetting things that NOBODY should be able to forget? One of the signs that my mom was struggling is she started messing up stories that she had known well for decades. One was a family friend who had died she absolutely insisted was cancer but was just an accident. Another friend’s husband was a mechanic for decades, mostly in the military. One day he asked his wife for “that tool that takes a nut off” and couldn’t figure out which it was from the toolbox. When taken to the doctor, he also couldn’t remember his Social Security Number despite serving and using it often. If it is something critical that you SHOULD know…it may be a problem. Ask your primary care doc to clear the fog! Today.
Other Causes?- Are things suddenly worse? Life events and ailments can cause all sorts of memory issues! Trauma. Loss of a close loved one. Injury. Surgery, especially with anesthesia. Medicine change. Stress. High Blood pressure. Urinary Tract Infection. Sleep apnea. Vitamin issues. Other things that mimic dementia and cause memory problems. Maybe those things caused a short term memory problem? In doubt, even a little? Ask your primary care doc to try to help clear the fog! Today.
Getting worse? Are things getting worse? Ask those around you for help with this one. Keep a journal. The big concept in this getting worse realm: did it NOT interfere with your day-to-day world before and now it does? Is it unsafe now? Is it costing you money or friends? You know my response by now: Ask your primary care doc to try to help clear the fog! Today.
Why the hurry? Oh, I could give you a dozen reasons!! Here are a few good reasons:
- New drug classes require early detection
- Existing drugs work better earlier
- Preparation. You can take the reigns, even for a while, and plan out your care and somewhat take the burden off family and friends. You can work out a care team, get finances set so that they don’t all go to Medicaid, and explain your care planning clearly.
- Clinical research- The earlier you know, the more you can be tested and the date used to find a cure. You leave a legacy every time you do!
- Not knowing doesn’t make the problem go away…it just lets it get out of control. Ask me, I take calls all day on the topic.
So friends, is your brain getting foggy like an Ozarks’ morning? It is time to cut the brain fog, today…
#EndALZ
Update: Mom is a little raspy today, but about the same. I wish soooo much I would have known how much she was struggling several years before her diagnosis with full-blown mixed dementia so I could have cut the fog sooner. She is a wonderful lady and deserved better. Regardless, we are where we are and I look very forward to hanging out with her tomorrow evening 🙂
Out my car on the way to work: