Some Things are WAY Worse Than MS....

I've had memory "issues" since months before my MS diagnosis. In fact, that's what motivated me to seek a diagnosis in the first place. I'd been working as a Medical Coder in a doctor's office and couldn't remember a common diagnosis code I'd known from memory and used many times daily for YEARS, but suddenly I couldn't remember the order the numbers came in and had to look it up. I looked it up, closed the chart, and asked for a head scan. And got it...

The thing is, my memory isn't any worse than it was 12 years ago, and I've learned some little tricks to compensate for my limitations. And I voluntarily stopped driving years ago because I knew that a person who cannot multitask at all should certainly NOT be driving.

Well, I thought I had problems but I've decided I'm perfectly FINE after all, or at least relatively fine anyway.

What changed my outlook?

Last weekend I called a dear old friend from college who has been dealing with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease for along time. We live in different cities and neither  of us drives anymore so it's been several years since we've actually seen each other in person, so we have to be satisfied with a phone call every few months.

For the last several years my friend has tended to repeat herself at times, but otherwise there was never anything really noticeably wrong with her.

Well....things have evidently changed in the last few months. She still sounded very much like her old self, but when I was chatting about our new rescue dog "Henry", I naturally asked her if her family still has a dog (or any other pet), and there was this long pause......

Our Sweet, Happy "Henry" :o)

 I thought, "Oh dear. Their dog must have died recently and she's trying to compose herself before answering..."  But no, it turns out she was just trying to figure out the answer to my question! She didn't know! OMG, she didn't know whether or not she had a dog! I quickly said "Oh it's OK, it doesn't matter" but honestly I felt like crying. Her husband had warned me that "things have changed", but I had no idea....

My point in posting this depressing item is to remind myself and everyone else that there are a lot of things much worse than MS, and that my memory problems are relatively minor compared to the devastation my friend's brain has endured, and that I will NEVER complain again about my puny little cognitive issues.

I will be (1) counting my blessings and (2) calling my friend at least monthly from now on.  Life is short. Now I'm going to dry my tears and play with Henry.