Memory hiccups and how to prevent them

[anne]

I'm very much aware my memory is getting weaker and I'm trying to work out whether this is through lack of use, natural ageing (I'm almost 59), or accelerated ageing following large doses of platinum based chemo, etc 15 years ago. There is also the chance, in my case, that I might have had minute little blood clots in my brain due to my bone marrow condition (huge numbers of platelets) and that could cause memory problems.

My long term memory was never brilliant for those things I wish to forget at the time, and now I can't drag them up however hard I try. An old school mate has been emailing with me and obviously trying to reminisce about our walking up Guildford High Street to school in the mornings - I can't for the life of me remember, although I do remember L herself. I just hated school and have forgotten lots about it because it's "convenient" - so that's one type of memory failure I understand.

However, on Saturday at the museum reception desk - my third shift, first solo - I completely forgot to ask about Gift Aiding, I forgot to hand out museum brochures and chased visitors like a squawking schoolgirl flapping information at them. It takes an effort to remember what I'm supposed to be doing during the week ...

I *hate* the idea of sounding as if I'm blaming cancer treatment for this, because obviously it's saved my life so far. However within the next year I will be back on chemotherapy, albeit mildly, for my blood condition.

So what techniques and advice do people have which we can share? I'm trying to keep my brain active with reading and suppose I could try to repeat back to myself what I've read - but that takes the joy out of it ..
Keeping lists is a good idea I suppose, carrying a diary around ..

any foods that are especially good?
brain exercises?
bombarding myself with small, new experiences to build up my synapses?

[suze]

hiya - - totally know what you are on about here!

my main thing is to let some of it go ... I know there is stuff I can't remember and it doesn't bother me! That takes some of the stress out of it ..

tho in complete contrast to you, I was talking to an old school pal this week I found I could recall both of her brothers' names tho I never met them even then! I was not unhappy at school though .. liked it a lot, in fact!

In the last four years I have chosen not to remember stuff and I think that is a perfectly good way of dealing with unhappy stuff, even if other stuff gets forgotten alongside it, what is the point of remembering stuff you didn't enjoy first time round?

of course this is not what you asked .. you want strategies to sharpen up your memory ... which I have not really taken seriously as a need for me ..though I think it is, I had platinum based chemo too .. is that famous for memory damage?

At the museum, it is partly just about getting into new routines .. you were on your own for the first time so there ws a built in stress to that .. I think you even said as much b4 you set off to do it .. so for that I would say it will settle in a few gos and you will be totally efficient ...

I quite often double book myself, and all my efforts at using my iphone calander and wall charts still come undone at times .. I try to be strict about checking the calanders, and don't think I have actually missed anything, but I am very alert to the problem esp as we flit between two homes now, and try to be mechanical about recording and checking my plans .. again, you will find it easier when you settle to a routine in your new hmoe, I have got a few patterns with the gym etc and I don't forget them so often now they are habitual patterns! I also skim ahead in my calander and talk it out loud in words to try and fix it ..

funnily enough I enjoyed teaching for its routines, and hated the last 1/2 term of any academic year when we had less teaching at college, and lots of new different things every day .. so it is not a totally new issue for me, that!

I wouldn't do that repetition for a novel, but I was doing it today in my gym class cos the routine was complex and I had to say it in my own words every step to keep it straight!

I started doing some brain power things last year, but have not kept them up ... I guess the French is serving some purpose in that I am having to LEARN stuff, and keep testing my memory of that .. tho not as often as I perhaps ought to!
x

[suze]

www.lumosity.com/

this is the brain training website I joined for a while, they were doing a promotion via my newspaper so I took it up, but I have let it lapse now ..

I did think it was quite good, with a good variety of activities but whether it really does anything for the issues you describe, anne, I couldn't say!
x

[anne]

suze, I was coming on to say thankyou for your reply anyway, but thankyou ever so much for this as well.

I'm going to reply to both messages when I've thought it through properly

x

[anne]

hi

interesting you should mention your French classes. I took classes with a small group of people at Bristol Folk House for a couple of years and I remember the tutor telling us that it's been shown (evidence?) that learning a language in middle age and later is very good for exercising the memory. This maybe something I could take up again. It also involves the speaking out aloud you mention, and I'd agree that does help.

I think you're right about the museum experience too - even though I knew it all in theory, in practice, confronted by real life visitors, it's different.

Maybe I simply have more time to reflect on memory issues now? I hae to admit I'm a little worried about turning into a slightly dotty old lady ..

Oven timer pinging, will be back x

[suze]

yes well I would say you need not worry about turning into a slightly dotty lady cos you've already achieved that, regardless of age

<ducks and runs for cover>

seriously, you will settle at the museum I'm sure

the challenge of doing a language will be finding a class .. they are not that popular and the college where I do mine shut lots of their offer down at the start of the year cos not quite enough recruits, so if you want to do it be pro-active at start of term ..
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