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Why Can’t I Remember Why I Opened This Drawer

My ability to multitask has diminished

Vuyo Ngcakani
Crow’s Feet: Life As We Age

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Photo by Sander Sammy on Unsplash

It happens to all of us. We enter a room with confidence. When we began the trip to the room, we purposed to complete a task. On our way to the room, we thought about the weather, or what to have for lunch, or how to get rid of Justin Trudeau.

Now we stand in the middle of the room confused. Or is it bewildered. Either way, we don’t know why we’re here.

Why did I pick up this pencil? Why did I turn on this channel? Why did I walk down this aisle? The list is endless. The result is the same. We’re discombobulated.

I hardly ever had this problem. At least not as frequently as I do now. I could hold many tasks in my mind and prioritize doing them one-by-one. Now I have to write them down. If I don’t, I may forget. It can be frustrating.

Should I be concerned?

I don’t think so. Not yet. At 58 years of age, it’s not uncommon for the brain to blunt a little. It’s not as sharp as it was thirty years ago.

I did some reading on signs of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. I wanted to see if I had the symptoms. Here are signs of the disease listed by the Alzheimer’s Association:

Memory loss that disrupts daily life

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