A couple of weeks ago I was at a loss for a topic to write about in my posts. I just couldn’t come up with anything that seemed of value. I finally asked my editor for a suggestion, and without hesitation she offered: “Write about how it feels to have memory and cognitive decline.” My…
MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment)
On this blog, I share my story of coping with an MCI diagnosis, how it has affected my lifestyle and the tools I've learned to preserve or improve my quality of life. Click here to learn what the condition is, and click here for my introduction to MCI.
What I’m doing during social isolation
We all have been affected by the restraints of Covid-19—I’m certain in very different ways and with various ever-changing mindsets. At least I know this is true for me. Some days I appreciate the quiet, the lack of contact, and the freedom from commitments. Other times, as one day seems to blend into another, I…
What, oh what to do with worry
There are very few people right now who don’t feel the stress and strain of the COVID-19 virus. I live in Minnesota, which is one of the many states observing social distancing. For the past weeks our social life has been essentially non-existent. Our weekly Sunday ritual of sharing a meal with our daughter, son-in-law…
Grateful for the right doc
A month ago, I started having awful, terrible, dreams—nightmares which caused me to awake short of breath and anxious. I tried walking off the blurry, ugly visions, but the residing tension followed me into the morning. After repeated nights of disturbed sleep, I began to dread going to bed. After two weeks of persistently interrupted…
What I’ve learned about living with MCI
It seems the right time to write a short recap of my more than five-year journey of memory and cognitive decline. Consider it a summary for new readers of my 40 plus entries here, and perhaps a review for my steadfast followers. I’ve learned…I need a team of professionals and specialists to help me deal…
Socializing
“Continue to socialize and stay engaged,” they say. By “they”, I am referring to the experts—this advice is echoed by physicians and therapists, websites, and all the books dealing with memory and/or cognitive loss or decline. I, however, feel there needs to be a caveat added to this piece of advice. Something like: Continue to…
Retrieving the past
In December I signed up for an online group for women writers. The topic was “Before 2020;” we were to write a post about our life for each year during the last decade, beginning with 2010. What a great concept, I thought! Select one year and replay it—from a distance. I didn’t write the first…
Thankful…
Thanksgiving Day has passed, and I’ve been thinking about the wonderful gathering I attended at the home of my niece Amy. The table was laden with an abundance of delicious food, and a diversity of people gathered around it. Keith and I and Amy’s mom were the oldest. The next generation included my daughter, son-in-law,…
Words matter
As a writer, words are important to me. Consequently, I will often invest a lot of time searching the dictionary, thesaurus and Google, trying to find the very best, most accurate, articulate, and precise word to describe an emotion, thought, event, or person. Seven years ago when I was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment, I…
A moment of serenity
Last week I wrote in my journal this spontaneous and uncensored entry: “I’m grateful for good days, calm days full of peace and acceptance, and for seeing life as beautiful, just as it is.” What a gift this entry was to me. Re-reading it conjures up the way I felt when I wrote it, and…