I feel relieved. Thanks for asking. Yesterday, I met someone who said they had the same issue. Also a mom, also a creative-type, also an entrepreneur.
It started for her at the same age. She is also wondering how and why. But unlike myself, she is taking steps to try and reverse it.
Both of us commiserated about not being able to remember a dang thing. And I mean things that occurred even seconds earlier. Especially troubling when you are mumbling to children to do things or get things — and you cannot remember what or where.
It is most definitely comical to the outside world. “Would you mind seeing if we brought back that thing-y from that place — the whatyoumacallit — place we went to, whenever it was.” “What was that, mommy?”
I truly believe that, in my case, I had stored so darn much information in my memory bank over the years — school info, vaccination schedules, scripts, story ideas, postal codes, business contacts, field trips, sports statistics, birthdays, and, and, and — that all the internal wiring simply short-circuited some time last year and has not found a way to repair itself.
I used to be mildly proud of remembering minute details of inane facts of mindless information. And now, poof! Gone! I make lists and sometimes remember where I’ve left them.
Some days I feel like I’m in a groundhog-day fog. Uncovering little layer by little layer til I get to the root of whatever I’m trying to remember.
I often feel we are all headed for a similar fate, though hopefully this is a short-term condition. When you consider all the passwords, usernames, PIN numbers, security info, phone numbers, and other data that’s neatly stored in our mobile devices, we don’t normally need to remember it because it’s automatically saved. But, when the day comes when that smartphone slips into the toilet, or the hard drive crashes, or the laptop freezes up and you and your computer have to get RE-INSTALLED — go ahead just try to recall what was stored!!
I have yet to do much research into the causes of my forgetfulness, but I plan to. I’m sure there are some mental gymnastics out there I can do!
All I know is even the most basic info stored in a mother’s memory bank is daunting. If I’m babbling, scratching my head, looking around into space quizzically, searching and not finding, then I’ve likely put 4 other people on that wicked merry-go-round — to where, again? I really don’t have time to forget. It’s just so inconvenient.
In the meantime, my main coping mechanism has been to take on less. Try to do one thing at a time. Send myself emails with lists. Articulate as soon as an idea pops into my head— because who knows when, and if, it will come back?
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Do you have tips on how to remember information? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.
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Five Ways to Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk and Keep Memory Strong
