I know I’ve written about acceptance before..but as the title suggests, I feel I’ve reached another plateau in my journey of memory loss and and cognitive decline: an attitude of more acceptance, characterized by a lack of remorse and even, sometimes, with a tinge of gratitude. This was clearly apparent to me last week as…
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.
Good conversations
My last post was about some challenges of living with MCI. Today I’m going to write about the frequent and uplifting telephone conversations I have with my sister, Karen. She lives in Florida and is six years older than me. She’s been a wonderful big sister and friend. Oh yes, I failed to mention she,…
Dreams versus nightmares
I am not perfect, nor is my experience of life. I am not always happy. I often feel resentful, sad and afraid. I silently and frequently ask, Why me? Have I done something to cause this? Will I become a burden to Keith and my children? Will I need to be institutionalized? Last night I…
Dealing with nightmares and more
For a number of months (of course, I can’t remember the exact time period) I’ve been experiencing persistent nightmares. Horrid dreams which wake me up in a cold sweat, my heart pounding, and my mind replaying the fearful dream scenes again and again. Even as I try to recall the nightmares I can’t bring back…
Q&A with Keith: Part 2
Along with Part 1, this post was inspired by readers who asked me to interview my husband, Keith, as well as my children as to their reactions, feelings, concerns, and fears regarding my MCI. After reading Part 1, my editor asked for more Q&A from Keith! Here we go… Question: If you could go back…
Q&A with Keith: Part 1
This post was inspired by readers who asked me to interview my husband, Keith, as well as my children as to their reactions, feelings, concerns, and fears regarding my MCI. To my readers: two days ago, while sitting at our kitchen table drinking coffee, I interviewed Keith. The following is a partial transcription of that…
Dear reader, I need your help!
I’ve been writing these posts for—I really don’t know how long now—at least two or three years. During this time, I’ve done my best to be honest and forthright as I’ve expressed how I experience memory and cognitive decline (MCI – Mild Cognitive Impairment) both to help myself and hopefully others as well. Writing has…
How does MCI feel?
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…
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…