I am a little frustrated right now with cooking. I have finally begun to have enough energy to do a little cooking. Most of the time, I prepare dishes from memory, like cook...
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Yipee for cooking
Sandy
Thursday, October 09, 2008 at 11:22 PMre: Yipee for cooking
Leah
Friday, October 10, 2008 at 06:27 AMHi, Sandy! That is a great story! Your grandson sounds precious. I will be having a Christmas Craft party for my two smallest grandsons. We will be "making" stockings and decorating them. I will also pre-mix some cookies and have them put the cookies onto the pans to bake. Maybe next year I'll have them help actually make the mixture (when they are older). A good place for inspiration or to buy craft kits is orientaltrading.com. I used that site when I taught public school. I'm glad I could make you laugh...after all, laughter helps keep us YOUNG! Take care and God bless.
Leah
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Short Term Memory
Connie Moore
Friday, October 10, 2008 at 05:31 AMLeah you never bore anyone with you persistance. Most people would throw up thier hands and say I can't do this it's to hard. You struggle but you continue doing and it sounds like you are doing great what might take you a little longer to do we more times then not would go for fast food. I admire you atitude, you aren't going to let anything stop you, keep going!You help keep us grounded and realizing our life isn't so difficult after all.God Bless and keep you. Connie
replyre: Short Term Memory
Leah
Friday, October 10, 2008 at 06:32 AMHey, Connie! I'm like the Energizer bunny....I just keep on going and going and going... My goal in writing--aside from allowing me to vent--is to give those not affected with short term memory loss an idea of what it is like. I hope this will allow those with loved ones being affected to understand what it takes to go through the day. Maybe there will be a little more tolerance, patience when dealing with people with this disability. A second goal is to open up discussion with those who are now dealing with short term memory loss themselves. We need to de-mystify it and deal with it. I hope my blog will be a forum of open frank discussion about the realities of the disability. Thank you for your support. It is greatly appreciated!
God bless!Leah
replyre: re: Short Term Memory
Connie Moore
Friday, October 10, 2008 at 07:25 AMThank you I too want to be able to open up discussions on short term memory loss and thank you for not judging me for not being able to share this with everyone one yet. It's just I am so new to this and not use to people that know what I am going through and not being judged by it. Reading what you go through gives me hope. I have to concentrate on my husbands health and needs right now. I do take care of my own health ( that's sort of funny considering I am fighting Phenemonia right now, it first was a cold then broncitis and now phenemonia but I am on my second antibotic shot and second round of antibotic pills and I will take them all and follow up with my doctor. I am getting better as each day passes) and being able to talk helps so very much thank you again Connie
replyre: re: re: Short Term Memory
Leah
Friday, October 10, 2008 at 08:01 AMGet well soon, Connie! I've had pneumonia twice and thought I was going to die each time. I know the pain that comes with it. Take care. And keep talking. Having this disability does not change who we are...just what we are able to do. Those people who judge us are merely ignorant. We are not any lesser a human being. I know it's easy for me to say that it their problem...but, it really is! We are strong. You are strong. Keep caring for that wonderful husband. Cherish the better moments. May God bless you both.
Leah
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"Cookin' With Gas"
Bill
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at 08:23 AMLeah,
I enjoyed your latest post. It reminds me of myself just trying to double check that I am following the all the steps as carefully as possible. You never did say how the meal turned out - I'm guessing it was wonderful (personally, I've always been partial to Hamburger Helper!).
I bet your family admires you for all of the effort you put into making dinners for them. He probably knows you are putting the special ingredients into what makes a ordinary meal (or anything for that matter) extraordinary...dedication, hard work and love.
Keep giving life your best - I'll promise to do the same.
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short term memory loss
Terrie
Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 08:03 AMHow can you write so well, if you have such difficulties in cooking? I cared for my mother n law before she passed away and she had severe dementia. So it was clear that she could no longer function. But what scares me is the little things that I do like almost pour sugar on my plate, or stand with the refrigerator open and not remember why I am standing there. I too love to be alone. Is this a bad thing? I enjoy my husband's company and being around my grandchildren, but I find other people require to much energy. Are these early signs of trouble?
replyre: short term memory loss
Leah
Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 10:03 AMHi, Terrie. I taught grades 2-6 for 34 years, specializing in Language Arts. I was editor of my high school newspaper. I have always loved to write--ever since elementary school. Luckily, I have been able to maintain that skill. And, I've found that the more I write, the better and easier it is. It makes me use resources like the dictionary, thesaurus, quotation books, and the internet/Google. I also tutor my granddaughter with her vocabulary assignments--which brings back words I had long forgotten.
The little things you mentioned can be very disconcerting. I experienced them and, when I told my doctor, he would say that it happens after the age of 40 or 50... I was a little worried, but still accepted his answer. It wasn't until I woke up one day and went to put on my shoes that I knew it was something far worse. We keep our shoes at the entry door from the carport...dont' want to dirty the carpets, you know! Anyway, I went there and looked at the shoes and NONE of them looked familiar. Now, I figured some of them must be mine since only my husband and I live here...so I figured out which were mine by comparing the sizes of shoes. The big ones must be his, the smaller ones mine. I put on a pair and they fit...but it was like they were someone else's shoes. It was then, that I knew something more was wrong. Then there was the time I went to drive the car, found where to put the key and turned it on, stepped on the gas, and the car didn't move. It took me awhile to figure out that I needed to put it into gear...
Memory can be affected by other issues besides just getting older. If you have a lot on your mind or are under stress, your memory can be affected. If you are worried, read about dementia (Alzheimers is one form of it). You can find valuable information on this site. Visit your doctor; but remember to jot down notes about your concerns before you go. There are wonderful medications which can help one to live a more natural life. I use Aricept and it has proven to be a miracle. I can follow simple recipes now (granted, I have to revisit the directions continuously) which I couldn't do before. And, there are many other ways it has helped. I recognize the vacuum cleaner now...though I usually forget to use it! (Nothing and no one is perfect! )
I hope I have been helpful. Looking forward to hearing from you again sometime!
Blessings to you! Leah
replyre: re: short term memory loss
Terrie
Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 10:46 AMThank you Leah, your answer was helpful. The funny thing is I had to hit back page to remember your name.
I am 59 and I have been under a lot stress as a caregiver of our elderly relatives. I have started doing a blog on blogspot because writing has always been my weakest link. I am great at sudoku but forget the crossword puzzles. Lately I have had a lot of trouble remembering how to spell words. If things don't improve soon I will mention all of this to my doctor. Thank you so much and may God bless you.Terrie
replyre: re: re: short term memory loss
Leah
Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 10:52 AMKeep on writing, Terri! As for me, I am just your opposite: Suduko--NO WAY!!! THose numbers just "bust my butt" and I get very frustrated. Crossword Puzzles are my thing...well, to a point. Thanks for getting back to me!
Leah
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sounds like me, 20 years ago!
Gregg
Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 08:32 AMWhen I was in college I smoked a lot of pot -- and I mean, A LOT. Eventually, I "burned out", which in my case meant that the drug made me too paranoid to function properly and I had to give it up. But the lasting effect was a loss of short-term memory. In the years immediately following my graduation, I had many, many cooking experiences pretty much just like you describe here (and not just cooking...many life experiences went this way...there were times when I'd end up driving to a destination only to sit there in the car wondering why in the world I was there, at that place, at that time...). To this day, I do not follow recipes...I read them and practice any techniques I'm unfamiliar with, then I generally just go with the flow. People tell me my dishes are tasty, so I must be doing something right. :-)
I had to hold down a job after I got out of college, and the lack of short-term memory threatened that. So I developed strategies for dealing with the short term memory loss -- and one of those led me into my current career as a software developer. I realized that I didn't need short term memory to actually -do- things, as long as I kept moving forward and using logic to work my way through situations. There is a difference between "short term" and "working" memory -- your working memory has an extremely short lifespan, measured in seconds, and you only have 7 (plus or minus 2) working memory "registers". The stress that THC (the active component of pot smoke) puts on the brain evidently does not damage working memory...and from your posts, I suspect dementia doesn't damage it either (otherwise, you wouldn't even be able to formulate the questions that drive you nuts when fixing dinner!) I learned that the best way to deal with my weak short term memory was to rely on "first principles" and logic and just think my way through everything -- which made me a great software developer, because, well, that's exactly what a developer does!
I still have a weak short term memory...my brain never completely recovered from that early drug abuse. But I have such a full toolbox of tricks that use working memory and long-term memory now that it doesn't really matter. The downside to this is that if I ever develop dementia too, I'll probably never know about it till its too late (...is there a "too late" for dementia? I know next to nothing about the condition...)
replyre: sounds like me, 20 years ago!
Leah
Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 09:37 AMI appreciate your candor. Thankfully, dementia has not destroyed my verbal capabilities and communication. I think that you will know that something is wrong...or "wronger"...if you should develop dementia. Mine is not hereditary. If you keep your blood pressure in good control and not get diabetes, you will probably not go through any early dementia...Of course, old old age can bring on a dementia of its own. It's good that you have developed coping mechanisms with following directions. Taking the small steps you mention is the way to go... So many people do a job just because it is there...you were smart enough to know your strengths and weaknesses and built upon your strengths. I wouldn't worry about dementia...there's not much found in our families (Note: Gregg is my nephew.). Love to you all, Aunt Leah
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Leah.....I am still laughing....not because it is actually funny but because that is exactly how it goes when I cook......it is exhausting but if we are lucky it will taste ok. I had my one grandson for a sleepover and decided we were going to make cookies. He is 5 and needless to say it took way longer to prepare the first batch of cookies because of the looking at the directions over and over.....children get impatient fast! To quote my grandson,,,,,"Nana, I did not realize it took so long to mix up cookie dough...I think I will take a snooze while they bake and hope it doesn't take as long".
Take care and happy cooking,
Sandy
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