"Misplacing your car keys is normal. Failing to remember standing appointments or becoming confused in your field of expertise is not normal." Beth Macy, Parade Magazine November 13, 2011
Ms. Macy goes on to say that occasionally forgetting to pay a bill on time is normal; while losing control of the finances is not normal. Having trouble summoning the right word is normal; while repeatedly losing the tread of a story or conversation is not normal. Needing help setting up a dvd or computer is normal as we age; while becoming disoriented in a system once mastered is not normal.
As I look back on our three years since the diagnosis of Lewy Bodies Dementia, I can see examples in each of these areas. Dwane is perpetually confused with time in general, what day it is and when we might have something scheduled. A first occurrence for me of concern was when he forgot how to put gas in the car; when he had worked in a gas station to pay his way through school -- and of course, has done it on a regular basis since self-serve was eliminated. He also lost all ability to get finances straight, and I find in conversing with him, he often loses some important aspects of the conversation or the story line in a movie. He used to record movies for his history classes, and now has trouble working the remote to turn on the television. The examples Ms. Macy provides are excellent markers for when to be concerned about cognitive functioning.
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