Occasionally it’s normal to walk out of a somewhere and not be able to find your car, right? Everyone has done it or will do it sometime or another. I used to do it every once in awhile and never really thought anything about it.
Over the last several months though, not being able to find my car has become a normal occurrence. One week I could not find it four times in a city and location that I had parked at for 30 years. One of the times, it took me 90 minutes to locate my car, and the last time I had to call my husband and he had to help me find my car (which took him two minutes). Somene in the parking lot suggested that I try activating the alarm on my key FOB but that didn’t help me locate my car. I was so darn frustrated and annoyed with myself. How could something so simple and so repetitive for me be so difficult? Freaking Alzheimers……I hate it.
After the fourth time it happened I got smart and I downloaded an app called Find My Car to my phone (since then I realized that Buick also has the feature in the app that I have for my car). It allows me to set my location where my car is at, add a photo of the location, set a timer for me to be reminded (handy if I need to put money in a parking meter or need a reminder to check my location) and also add a note to myself. I quickly put a coping strategy in place to ensure I would never forget my car again. I ran into a few instances where it wasn’t full proof so what I have done to correct that was to make sure that every time I park the car I use this feature in this app, without fail so it is becoming habit. I also tell Siri on my phone to remind me at a certain time to check the app to locate my car, and of course I use the timer feature in the app itself. This coping strategy has worked nicely for me and has relieved the anxiety I felt when I left home not knowing if I would find my car once I parked. Not today Alzheimer’s , not today. You are not going to steal my independence for quite sometime.
I realize that eventually I won’t be able to remember to even use the app to remind me where I parked, and I also won’t be able to drive because I won’t be able to find my way home, and I will be a danger to others. I know that. I don’t like it, but I get it. I had to take away my Mom’s car too when she was 64 years old (I’m 58). For now though, I am pretty pleased with myself that I figured out another coping strategy that will help me, and hopefully others who have this problem.
Not today, Alzheimer’s, not today . Go steal someone else’s joy. I’m busy living and loving my life. Hakuna Matata .
Living My Best Life With Alzheimer’s 