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Old 04-24-2019, 09:22 AM   #21
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So far, in nearly 7 years of ER starting at age 51, I haven't actually permanently lost anything. But I've misplaced things so many times. Is this early-onset dementia or just a series of CRAFT (Can't Remember A Thing) moments?

Yesterday I couldn't find my house keys. No biggie, as I have lots of copies and I only need the one key, but there were a couple of loyalty card fobs and an occasionally-useful USB stick on there. Searched everywhere. Tried to remember when I last had them and worked out that I used them to enter the house on Monday evening, so they "must be here". Emptied the trash because on a previous occasion I dropped the mailbox key in there absent-mindedly, but no dice.

Felt way more down about this than I needed to, as I had had a small neurological incident a couple of days prior and been to the ER as a precaution. (Double-checked that I didn't lose the keys there, as they put me on a gurney and my effects went into a bag, but if I had lost them there, I wouldn't have got back home afterwards.)

Went to bed and as I was undressing, found that for some reason I had put my keys in the left butt pocket of my jeans, where I never, ever put anything...

Still, perhaps not as bad as a friend who lost his credit card. He called the bank and cancelled the card, and spent the rest of the day trying to work out how he could have lost it. When he went to bed, he found that he had stuffed the card into his sock.
I am almost 71 years old and I pretty much never lose things like car keys or credit cards. Believe me, it's a lot easier not to lose such things if/when one lives alone. Nobody else is there to move something from where I put it.

Also it helps that I don't really use keys. My car doesn't have keys - - it has push button ignition and remote entry, with a key fob, and the key fob is tethered to my purse so I always have it (and my driver's license) with me. Also I have push button deadbolts on all external doors to my house, so I can't lose my house keys. As for my phone, it is either in my purse or the recharging station. It's not allowed to be anyplace else, ever.

On the other hand, what I DO often lose is whatever seldom used word or name I am trying to think of when I am conversing with F. That is so annoying and I hope it is not the onset of dementia. F says it happens to everybody. He says our minds are like file cabinets and at our age they are full, so when we remember one thing another thing falls out. OK.....
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Old 04-24-2019, 09:24 AM   #22
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We also have a shelf and key holder right inside our door. Still have to help DH search for keys, wallet, phone frequently. I try to be diligent about putting things back after use, as I can be forgetful/easily distracted.
I read an article that said we can't really "multi task", that our brain can only process/"do" one thing at a time, but can switch gears rapidly. I am unable to find it right now, but it was interesting, due to so much expectation and information about multi tasking.
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Old 04-24-2019, 09:24 AM   #23
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Originally Posted by Teacher Terry View Post
I read most of that is normal unless you are doing some bizarre like putting your keys in the freezer.
It wouldn't be bizarre if that's where you keep your keys on a regular basis.
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Old 04-24-2019, 09:25 AM   #24
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I'm with you all on temporarily misplacing things. Most of what I'm looking for are keys and tools. My wife is better than me, however she's never had a keyring (which drives me nuts.) I often have to physically backtrack where I've been walking to find what I'm looking for.

Last week, I finally went to the locksmith and got duplicate car and house keys. And I finally got a keychain for my wife that backs up my keychain. So if I really lose any keys, at least I've got a backup--and am not locked out of any house or car.

Another problem with keeping up with tools is that I never quit building. And we have a lake house 1/2 hour from our main home where there's always projects in process. I often run back and forth--finding what I'm looking for.
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Old 04-24-2019, 09:26 AM   #25
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For as long as I can remember, I have been a compulsive “thing loser”. As a result, I have had to come up with systems to accommodate this shortcoming, such as:

- Key rack in laundry room by garage (when I enter the house, the keys ALWAYS go on the proper hook)
- Wallet is always in the right rear pocket or on right dresser caddy
- Reading glasses are always in the left front jacket pocket (unless it’s too warm, then I get messed up)
- Pen is always in shirt pocket (don’t buy shirts without pockets). Friends love teasing me about this until they need a pen.
- TV remote is always on the round table beside the couch
- Checkbook, tools, stamps & envelopes, etc. all have their places.

My 26 YO Son loses things too and is finally starting to create his own system. Seems a bit OCD, but it’s literally the system that keeps me from losing things.

BTW - the “find my phone” feature is a lifesaver. As for reading glasses, I just have multiples everywhere...
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Old 04-24-2019, 09:29 AM   #26
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Are you on Stains?
What are Stains?
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Old 04-24-2019, 09:47 AM   #27
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I couldn’t find my phone, so I went to my iPad to use the find phone app that makes your phone start dinging. Couldn’t find the iPad. Normal day for me.
Lol. +1, I use that find my phone app on a regular basis. Even had DW iphone flung off the bumper of my truck 4 blocks away, run over and smashed...but we found the iPhone
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Old 04-24-2019, 09:50 AM   #28
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I'm ADD. I've lost lots of things. I have misplaced a zillion things. I forget one out of every three things I'm supposed to get at the store.

Years ago my stepdaughter bought an outdoor rug for me. I was to turn it to face me as I stepped out the front door. Written on the rug were:

Meds
Cellphone
Keys
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Old 04-24-2019, 03:59 PM   #29
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I had a really good tale to tell. Read a few more posts and forgot...
Oh yeah, I find myself putting cup with cold coffee in cabinet next to microwave. When I see all the empty mugs in there, I feel very down, and want to cry.
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Old 04-24-2019, 04:27 PM   #30
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I think everyone has a different Normal. So, if someone rarely misplaces anything, and now, later in life, that starts - then perhaps there is an issue. But if they've always done so and there's no real uptick...less so.

The caution is those of us in the latter group will say stuff like "eh, that's nothing I lose stuff all the time" leading those in the former group to mistakenly think everything is fine. Which of course is what everyone wants to think - so it becomes confirmation bias. A visit to the doc might be in order if you are experiencing enough of an uptick to be concerned.

Now.. me? Before the days of taking a photo of your parking space, I've wandered around airport lots for way longer than I care to share looking for my car after coming back from a trip. Even had friends drive me around a work multi-story at the end of a long day when I can't remember from 8 hours early. I've imagined calling the cops thinking it's stolen and them saying "ma'am, are you SURE this is where you parked?" And I'd have to confess, nope, not even a bit now.

I have lost keys for weeks or months on end. I'm always finding stuff in pockets or purses that I completely forgot about (kinda nice sometimes!).

If I ever get a real memory issue, unfortunately, that means I won't be able to self-diagnose early, because I have always dealt with this, it will not be new.
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Old 04-24-2019, 04:30 PM   #31
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Being retired at times I lose track of what day or what time it is. But no complaints.
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Old 04-24-2019, 04:32 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigNick View Post
So far, in nearly 7 years of ER starting at age 51, I haven't actually permanently lost anything. But I've misplaced things so many times. Is this early-onset dementia or just a series of CRAFT (Can't Remember A Thing) moments?

Yesterday I couldn't find my house keys. No biggie, as I have lots of copies and I only need the one key, but there were a couple of loyalty card fobs and an occasionally-useful USB stick on there. Searched everywhere.....
I heard an expert on the radio once who explained that if you can't find your keys, that is likely just normal aging. However, if you can't remember what keys are used for, that's dementia.
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Old 04-24-2019, 04:52 PM   #33
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I like this description:
Age-related changePossible issue
Memory loss that disrupts daily lifeForgetting the occasional nameForgetting important dates and events
Challenges in planning and problem-solvingTrouble occasionally balancing a checkbookTrouble keeping track of monthly bills
Difficulty completing familiar tasksDifficulty recording a TV showDifficulty driving to a familiar place
Confusion with time or placeGetting confused about the day of the week, then remembering laterGetting confused about where you are and how you got there
Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationshipsDifficulty seeing due to cataractsDifficulty recognizing your own reflection in a mirror
New problems with words in speaking or in writingHaving a “tip of the tongue” momentHaving trouble joining or following a conversation
Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace stepsLosing track of your glassesLosing the ability to retrace your steps to find your glasses
Decreased or poor judgmentMaking the occasional bad choiceMaking large telemarketing buys
Withdrawal from work or social activitiesNeeding a periodic break from family and social obligationsDropping completely out of social groups; giving up hobbies
Changes in mood or personalityExperiencing irritability when a routine is disruptedBecoming easily upset, increasingly confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful, or anxious
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Old 04-24-2019, 06:02 PM   #34
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For those who may be interested, a clear explanation of the 7 stages of Alzheimer's.

My own situation is stage four.

https://www.alzheimers.net/stages-of...imers-disease/
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Old 04-24-2019, 06:10 PM   #35
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You're not alone, these tracking devices like 'Tile' seem to be popular and big sellers.


I have something similar attached to my key chain. I was losing my keys all the time and that's why I decided to buy it, but as soon as I put the thingie on, I no longer lose my keys for some reason. Some kind of magic.
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Old 04-24-2019, 06:12 PM   #36
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From braumeister's post #33

below were listed in the possible issues column:

Getting confused about where you are and how you got there

I would think if a person took the time to reflect about himself, wondering where one is and how one got there would be not necessarily be a possible issue kind of confusion.


Difficulty recognizing your own reflection in a mirror

This has happened to me as I have gown older. It occurs when I catch a side-ways glimpse of myself in a mirror but more often catching that sort of glimpse in a window while walking down (or up) a street. For the briefest of seconds, I wonder who that old guy is.

I also wonder if have ever used the word "glimpse" twice in the same paragraph.
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Old 04-24-2019, 07:24 PM   #37
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Memory gaps are common with age, but glad you had the evaluation done.

I was experiencing memory gaps about 2 years ago that I was afraid would force me to retire sooner than I planned. Evaluation was negative so we looked at meds and life style.

I stopped statins (women have more memory gaps on statins then men) , had a sleep eval to be sure I was getting quality sleep, exercise on stationary bike to 80% of resting heart rate for 30 minutes 4-5x/week, rarely drink alcohol now. Eat more fish.


I still have days when I am not as sharp as I would like - but the above lifestyle changes have helped.
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Old 04-24-2019, 07:37 PM   #38
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Originally Posted by BigNick View Post
So far, in nearly 7 years of ER starting at age 51, I haven't actually permanently lost anything. But I've misplaced things so many times. Is this early-onset dementia or just a series of CRAFT (Can't Remember A Thing) moments?

Yesterday I couldn't find my house keys. No biggie, as I have lots of copies and I only need the one key, but there were a couple of loyalty card fobs and an occasionally-useful USB stick on there. Searched everywhere. Tried to remember when I last had them and worked out that I used them to enter the house on Monday evening, so they "must be here". Emptied the trash because on a previous occasion I dropped the mailbox key in there absent-mindedly, but no dice.

Felt way more down about this than I needed to, as I had had a small neurological incident a couple of days prior and been to the ER as a precaution. (Double-checked that I didn't lose the keys there, as they put me on a gurney and my effects went into a bag, but if I had lost them there, I wouldn't have got back home afterwards.)

Went to bed and as I was undressing, found that for some reason I had put my keys in the left butt pocket of my jeans, where I never, ever put anything...

Still, perhaps not as bad as a friend who lost his credit card. He called the bank and cancelled the card, and spent the rest of the day trying to work out how he could have lost it. When he went to bed, he found that he had stuffed the card into his sock.
I lost my keys a few months ago and turned the house upside down, finally found them in the garbage can. Have had a bunch of similar mishaps over the last at least 5 years but they occur randomly and have not gotten worse, so I'm calling it normal (I'm 53). Since what you're describing is no worse, I think and hope it's nothing as well!
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Old 04-24-2019, 08:22 PM   #39
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I lost my keys a few months ago and turned the house upside down, finally found them in the garbage can. Have had a bunch of similar mishaps over the last at least 5 years but they occur randomly and have not gotten worse, so I'm calling it normal (I'm 53). Since what you're describing is no worse, I think and hope it's nothing as well!
LOL. My wife lost her car key a couple of years ago during the Christmas season, after coming back from the grocery store. I was upset since modern car keys are expensive to replace, with the remote and the security chip. We also turned the house upside down and looked in all the garbage cans (at least twice).

After a week, they showed up in a bag of grapes in the fridge.

I love my wife, but when she comes back from driving, the keys might be deposited on any horizontal surface in any room.

My solution was to put up a key rack in the front room, and made my wife agree that the first order of business when coming home is to hang the keys up (both house and car). She's got positions 1 and 2 on the key rack. We have 5 cars, so we have lots of keys to keep track of. The spares go there too. All the keys have the own positions, so I can tell at a glance if any are AWOL.

This system has worked well. I was surprised our 2 sons also embraced this without any nagging.
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Old 04-24-2019, 08:46 PM   #40
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What are Stains?
I am going to guess "statins" - cholesterol lowering drugs?
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