ChrisCoaster
2011-06-12 12:46:58 UTC
. . . have this thing called Alzheimer's Disease - or at least the
early version of it?
It was 4pm one weekday and I brought up the possibility I might have
early Alzheimers to my cross-the-hall neighbor in my apt. bldg. I
listed some symptoms and he nearly blew a conniption. He seems so
insulted! Turns out he has a friend(relative?) with full-blown AD.
He pointed his finger at me and said "those things don't always mean
you have AD! My friend doesn't even know his/her own face in a
mirror!"
Needless to say we are still friends and have good conversations and
some lively political debates together.
So WHY do I think I have the early version??
1. Well, I'm a 41 1/2 y/o male. My memory pattern - PISS POOR in
the short term - daily to weekly, but incredibly VIVD with regards to
the dates, colors, and even smells of events 10, 30 years ago! My
supervisors at work are dying to be rid of me because I never seem to
remember or recall tasks they assign me, but thankfully their boss(and
mine by ext), has apparently been keeping them in line, presumably
behind closed doors.
2. I put down objects - keys, TV remotes, wireless remote keyboard
and mice we place in meeting rooms where I work, and I'm glancing all
around me where the HECK did I put such and such down. One of my
guardian angels(I call him that because he literally saves my ass
every time, good soul, only 25 years old!) grabs it or points to it -
usually right in front of me.
3. Names. After 3 years of working with mostly the same 5-6 guys at
my job, I'm still calling Robert David, and David, Ty. And so on.
There are four women in the office whose job is to book video-
conferences around the building. I'm always calling Liza Andrea, and
calling Wendy Isabel!
I could go on and on.
Basically, I've had every type of cognitive paper & pencil test done,
those "blotch" tests where you report what you think the ink stain
looks like. I've had advanced tests - MRIs, contrasting CAT scans,
blood tests. EEGs. And my brain and nervous system came back
NEGATIVE for anything out of ordinary.
Oh, and another big red flapping flag: My math skills are and always
have been abysmal. I can't count the number of chairs in our large
conference room, even if some of them are stacked in fours(for safety
any more than four will tip). I always get a different count! LOL.
And facial recognition? I've already been diagnosed as a milder case
of Asperger's(and wonder if that's tied in here somehow). I
absolutely cannot watch a serious movie(The Reader - Kate winslet)
(Inglorious Basterds - Pitt) because all the main faces blend
together!!
So people of this group... WHAT do you think is going on here? I can
actually tell you what responses I expect, so you know enough not to
furnish them:
"You're not concentrating hard enough". "Focus more!" "You're just
preoccupied, that's all".
I did NOT come here to hear those type of response. I came here for
whatever support or suggestions you may have, and I thank you in
advance.
-ChrisCoaster
The "Coaster" signifies my hobby - I spend lots of time on them!
early version of it?
It was 4pm one weekday and I brought up the possibility I might have
early Alzheimers to my cross-the-hall neighbor in my apt. bldg. I
listed some symptoms and he nearly blew a conniption. He seems so
insulted! Turns out he has a friend(relative?) with full-blown AD.
He pointed his finger at me and said "those things don't always mean
you have AD! My friend doesn't even know his/her own face in a
mirror!"
Needless to say we are still friends and have good conversations and
some lively political debates together.
So WHY do I think I have the early version??
1. Well, I'm a 41 1/2 y/o male. My memory pattern - PISS POOR in
the short term - daily to weekly, but incredibly VIVD with regards to
the dates, colors, and even smells of events 10, 30 years ago! My
supervisors at work are dying to be rid of me because I never seem to
remember or recall tasks they assign me, but thankfully their boss(and
mine by ext), has apparently been keeping them in line, presumably
behind closed doors.
2. I put down objects - keys, TV remotes, wireless remote keyboard
and mice we place in meeting rooms where I work, and I'm glancing all
around me where the HECK did I put such and such down. One of my
guardian angels(I call him that because he literally saves my ass
every time, good soul, only 25 years old!) grabs it or points to it -
usually right in front of me.
3. Names. After 3 years of working with mostly the same 5-6 guys at
my job, I'm still calling Robert David, and David, Ty. And so on.
There are four women in the office whose job is to book video-
conferences around the building. I'm always calling Liza Andrea, and
calling Wendy Isabel!
I could go on and on.
Basically, I've had every type of cognitive paper & pencil test done,
those "blotch" tests where you report what you think the ink stain
looks like. I've had advanced tests - MRIs, contrasting CAT scans,
blood tests. EEGs. And my brain and nervous system came back
NEGATIVE for anything out of ordinary.
Oh, and another big red flapping flag: My math skills are and always
have been abysmal. I can't count the number of chairs in our large
conference room, even if some of them are stacked in fours(for safety
any more than four will tip). I always get a different count! LOL.
And facial recognition? I've already been diagnosed as a milder case
of Asperger's(and wonder if that's tied in here somehow). I
absolutely cannot watch a serious movie(The Reader - Kate winslet)
(Inglorious Basterds - Pitt) because all the main faces blend
together!!
So people of this group... WHAT do you think is going on here? I can
actually tell you what responses I expect, so you know enough not to
furnish them:
"You're not concentrating hard enough". "Focus more!" "You're just
preoccupied, that's all".
I did NOT come here to hear those type of response. I came here for
whatever support or suggestions you may have, and I thank you in
advance.
-ChrisCoaster
The "Coaster" signifies my hobby - I spend lots of time on them!