The lovely Pauline Quirk MBE, has announced, that she is stepping away from acting, because she has Alzheimer's. I've loved her in 'Birds of a Feather,' and then in some roles as a serious actor. In 'Missing' she was DS Mary Jane Croft, she was in 'Broadchurch,' 'Casualty,' 'Cold Blood,' and a lot more besides. When this was announced in the news, I thought straight away of Prunella Scales, who also has Alzheimer's. She became totally reliant on her husband Timothy West, but he died November 2024 after a fall.. So if actors can get this, even though their lives were a constant stream of word learning, what chance have those of us, whose only requirement of word learning was some poetry in school, to avoid this cruel illness?
Each time I forget a word I think, am I in the beginnings of Alzheimer's or Dementia? But I usually remember it, later.. Once I couldn't remember the word 'sun dial' It worried me so much, I looked up on line 'garden ornament that can tell the time by the sun!' I have never forgotten it since and that was years ago!
Friends my age admit to forgetting words sometimes, but we all laugh and believe, if you know you've forgotten a word, you haven't got Alzheimer's!
Do you think that's true?
..................Lisa Faulkner, avocado, moussaka... a name and two words I could not remember in the last few weeks! I forbid Dh to tell me or even hint. I sort of remembered Lisa because I thought it was' Louise'
If you've had this and feel just a bit panicky, you'll know what I mean when I question.. Have I got Alzheimer's?
Chrisxx
10 comments:
I have reached the age where I think a lot about the hereafter. I go into a room, and wonder "What am I here after?"!
I was really sorry to hear about Pauline Quirke. I remember her being on Double Deckers, a Saturday morning tv show when I was just a kid and she was a few years older. It is brave of her to speak up about her diagnosis.
My daughter is a 30 year old Cambridge University English Literature graduate who runs ultra marathons for fun. I have often seen her cast around for a word and resort to "You know what I mean - it's big animal, like a deer," just the same as myself and my husband do. I remind myself of that whenever I think I am getting old and forgetful.
I'm sure we've all had such moments. If you have the ability to look up the word you can't remember, albeit circuitously, you're not suffering from Alzheimer's.
Yes, I can have the same from time to time and reassure myself that I KNOW there's a word, I just can't bring it to working memory and, usually, it comes to me later. I remember googling 'green cauliflower' decades ago because I couldn't remember 'broccoli'! xx
When I finally remember the word or the person's name I seem to have forgotten, I repeat it to myself for days. Doesn't mean I'll remember either if I don't use them for another 2 years, lol.
I forget words that way and remember them later too. Around our house, when asked a memory question, we say, “How soon do you want to know?” May as well enjoy a chuckle while we still can.
Yes, it happens to me too. I think jabblog is right!
I'm sure most of us have moments like this ... especially when, in my family both my dear mum and her mum (my Gran) had dementia. It is a very cruel disease.
Live each moment, not always easy I know, but be thankful.
All the best Jan
Yes it is scary. I was told once that if you can't remember where you put the car keys its okay. Its when you don't know what the car keys are for that it is a problem.
I don't worry about Alzheimer's disease for myself yet, even though I do forget words sometimes. I put it down to that messy file cabinet called a brain. And as we age it just gets more and more full of detritus that finding what we want is like searching through a junk drawer!
I do worry about my husband, though, he doesn't read much and has less and less interest in anything much at all. He used to live to watch DVDs but now he'd rather go to bed ...at 7pm. It's worrying. I can't get him interested in outings unless they involve someplace to get a drink, either. It is beginning to feel quite lonely and I will havebto start looking for a friend who wants to do things with me, I guess.
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