In my article Living
with Mild Cognitive Impairment: An Interview with Dementia Mummy and her
Husband, I revealed that I have Mild Cognitive Impairment.
This article is about how I cope with this impairment, the
problems I face and my feelings about being MCI.
My Memory and How I cope
These are the 5 best coping techniques I have for coping
with MCI, I use many more, but I think these really are my top 5:
1. I keep lists, I make a lot of lists of
things I have to do and put them on our utility door where I am more likely to
see them.
2. I have reminders – some are on little
postIt notes, you know those little yellow sticky things, and I place these in
place I am likely to see them like on my laptop.
3. I have a daily routine, which helps me
to do as much as possible in the day.
4. I ask my friends and family to remind me
(and hope their memory is better than mine) but it also means I can ask for
help when I need it.
5. I write down instructions, because like
when learning anything new my brain just can’t retain the information –
directions are the worst, so I write everything down to enable me to follow the
same instructions repeatedly.
My diagnosis and How I feel About it
When I was first diagnoses I was relieved that finally I
had a name for it and I wasn’t essentially going crazy. There is a reason why my brain acts the way
it does and this I can actually explain to people.
Having done my do-diligence and research I understand that
the odds are almost in my favour as only about 15% of MCI patients develop
Alzheimer’s.
I don’t often think of the macabre, but I’m sure many
others do and if I do develop further and go down the Alzheimer’s route would I
really be aware of my situation? Would I
need to think of my own immortality? Will my brain have the capacity to process
these thoughts?
Would I have the same thoughts and feelings or anxieties
that maybe a terminal cancer patient would?
I often think back on the courage and strength Jade Goody
showed in her last few months and wonder if I too would have that much dignity
and courage. Would I actually know that
eventually I was going to die? Aren’t we
all going to die eventually, and we don’t rest on those thoughts.
How I Am Coping
I honestly believe that I am coping quite well and that I
am demonstrating great strength and courage. I turned my negatives into
positives and I promote a better awareness and understanding of MCI. I just hope that I can influence or encourage
others to raise better awareness and maybe one day we together can find a cure
for illnesses like Dementia and Alzheimers.
#MCI #Awareness #Dementia #Courage
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