Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Alzheimer’s: Know the Signs #7—Misplacing Things and Losing the Ability to Retrace Steps


Excerpt from “Indelible” (memoir in progress):

I went with Jim to see our family doctor about his memory problems.

“Tell me what kind of problems you’re having,” the doctor said.

“I go to the garage and can’t remember why I’ve gone there,” Jim said.

The doctor smiled at him and said, “At least you remember that you’re forgetting. That’s a good sign.”

Jim was having trouble remembering where he put a lot of things. Sometimes he was looking for items that weren’t even kept in the garage.

It wasn’t long before Jim’s language skills began to slip away. “Right here, but I can’t find it!” he would say to me in a frustrated tone.

“What are you looking for?” I would ask.

“Right here!” If I was lucky, he’d point at his bare feet, and I’d know he was looking for his shoes, or his head and I’d know it was his cap. Too often, he’d just wave his arms, and I would help him look although I had no idea what object he was trying to find.

Copyright © November 2016 by L.S. Fisher
http://earlyonset.blogspot.com

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