My mother died at age 97 of old age and dementia She first exhibited symptoms at age 85. There was a slow slide into oblivion as she coped with living alone and then with caregivers. She was fortunate in a way that many others are not. My sister was devoted to her and Mom had love and security as she declined. My father died at age 83 but he exhibited mild cognitive impairment that he covered with a rigid, predictable schedule and lots of notes to himself next to the landline. He had Mom to care for him.
I see many of these early symptoms in myself. It's embarrassing and scary. I'll say to our grown up kids, we have to go to X to pick up Y and they will say, we did that yesterday. I see them exchange glances. They are black holes where a memory should be.
Today I did something really scary. I take the dog often for a walk in a nearby neighborhood that has tennis courts. I'll park by the tennis courts, call a friend and talk as I walk the dog. The friend I called today was an old college friend who is recovering from a fall in her shower. I walked to my car as we talked, got in, put the dog in the back seat and kept talking as I sat behind the wheel. It started getting dark and I decided to end the call and drive home. My car wouldn't start. I tried everything and started to panic. My husband has been ill. He couldn't help. Then, somehow, I noticed something strange about the car. The seats were different but the model, make and color were the same as my car. I got out and looked around. There was only one other car in the parking lot. It was mine. I had gotten into the wrong car. What if the owners had shown up with me in the drivers seat and my dog in the back seat - of their car.
