Recently a good friend of mine, whom I haven’t seen in almost a year, invited herself over for lunch (a common occurrence, now that I’m no longer driving). She is my daughter’s age, with two children in college; one just finishing a year in Italy and the other in his last year at school on…
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 for the introduction to MCI, and click here to learn what the condition is.
Evolving family dynamics
Dealing with MCI continues to be an uncharted journey, not just for me but also for my husband/caregiver and my family. Just when we seem to have established a routine for how we all work together and life seem to be humming along pretty smoothly—things change. In my experience with MCI, the illness itself ebbs…
Why haven’t you written about your fears?
This was a question my therapist asked me last week, and it has been circling in my thoughts for an answer ever since. I’ve been seeing the same therapist monthly since my diagnosis almost two years ago. I have mixed feelings about therapy. I know therapy is good for me, in that is a safe place…
Dementia research and initiatives
This spring I was a participant and/or test subject in three interesting programs focused on dementia and Alzheimer’s. Programs in this field are being conducted all over the United States, which speaks to the growing awareness of the increasing number of people impacted by memory and cognitive decline—both the afflicted as well as the caregivers….
Withdrawing is important to me
I’m fairly certain my therapist and most people who work with folks who have memory and cognitive issues will balk at this post; nevertheless I’m going to write it anyway. Part of my morning practice is to read from a selection of books of inspirational short essays or thought-provoking poetry—many of which I’ve read through…
Planning ahead for staying sexually active
As I’ve mentioned in past posts, Keith and I are fortunate to be associated with The Program in Human Sexuality at the University of Minnesota. Click here for an overview of the program and a video of Keith’s and my participation in a panel presentation to university medical students. This program has been of great…
A great suggestion for remembering
I have been very fortunate to maintain close friendships with seven of my friends from college—even now, more than fifty years after we graduated. We haven’t always lived near each other, but we’ve managed to stay in touch. Initially that took the form of a chain letter, which took months to travel across the country…
The memory of intimate touch
This is a rare instance of a post that is published in both categories of my blog—Intimacy & Aging, and MCI. While it was originally written toward people dealing with memory and cognitive loss, I feel it is relevant to many readers interested in intimacy and aging as well. On my website under the section…
Audio recording: Listen to my keynote about living with MCI
In April of this year, my hometown of Winona, Minnesota, hosted a Dementia Friendly Community week at our local senior center, to educate local citizens and organizations about memory and how to help those living with dementia feel safe and supported. I was invited to give the keynote presentation about my own experience with MCI….
Hardened memory
A couple of months after I received my diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment I asked my psychiatrist, “Why can I still write?” At that stage of my memory and cognitive experience, my focus was almost entirely on loss and decline. Every day I experienced another glitch or misfire in my thinking, behavior, or skill level…