Like so many people, I am a creature of habit. Every day for the last 15 years I have made the same smoothie with the same ingredients. About eight years ago, in an effort to streamline my smoothie preparation, I started putting the ingredients (minus the liquids) into quart size mason jars and using the food saver to preserve the contents. I would then store them in the refrigerator and then take one out in the morning, add almond milk, and crushed ice and then blend it. Bingo, breakfast in the morning is ready. This process was like “riding a bike” for me……..second nature.
Recently, I woke up in the morning and went to the kitchen to prepare my smoothie. For the life of me, I could not remember how to make my smoothie. I started to panic and could not remember what ingredients I use or how to make the smoothie. I couldn’t call my husband because he was golfing. I sat down and kept trying to remember how to make the same smoothie I had made for the last 15 years. My memory would not let me recall this information.
Frustrated and upset, I “phoned a friend (my sister)”, and told her what just happened. I was quite agitated and upset that I would forget something that was so ingrained in my memory (or so I thought). My sister said “honey, I think you have the contents pre-made in mason jars in the refrigerator”. I replied “I do?”. I then opened the refrigerator and there they were. My sister and I were both incredulous that I could forget this.
When my husband came home we discussed what happened and we decided the best thing for me to do is to document the process I use to make the smoothies and keep it near the blender. I then set a daily reminder using Siri to remind me that my smoothie mix is in the refrigerator and that the instructions are under the blender. I continue to drink my smoothie daily, and I only have to refer to the instructions occasionally. My smoothie process has not escaped me entirely yet.
These little bouts of confusion and forgetfulness of everyday things seem to be my “new norm”. Recently, my husband and I had our first moment where he got very frustrated with me over my forgetfulness. Hopefully my penchant for taking copious notes, documenting everything and using technology to my advantage with help ease the transition a bit. I have my Alzheimer’s Business Plan that I am working on, but as you can imagine, there are many unexpected events that I cannot anticipate, and will handle as they arise.
I will continue to work on my daily Alzheimer’s Plan of Attack and try to slow down the progression of this disease. Unfortunately, I do let these things bother me and they make me nervous about how long I have before the disease progresses, but I have to focus on what I can do to slow it down. Tomorrow is a new day……I GOT THIS. Now, I have to go drink my smoothie!
Living My Best Life With Alzheimer’s 