As a former school teacher, I have always been proud of my memory, but my memory seems to have declined significantly since I retired. I still read a lot of books to stay busy and keep my mind sharp, but I often have trouble remembering whether or not I have read a particular book. The information on the jacket often sounds familiar, but I cannot tell if I have read it until I get into the first chapter or so.
My mother had Alzheimer’s for years before she died of cancer, so it has always been something I worried about having to deal with myself. I finally decided to be tested and was thrilled to find out that I was above normal on 2 out of 3 scores, and normal on the 3rd score for my age.
Everyone knows that it is “normal” to lose cognitive function as we age, but how are we supposed to know what is “normal function for our age”? I am very surprised that this is not available as part of my annual wellness visit. For all of the factual information about my physical health that that is monitored each year (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.) I am surprised that my doctor is not more concerned about getting an objective measurement of my cognitive function, especially since that has been one of my top health concerns for years!
Of all of the things we try to self-evaluate as patients, I think our cognitive function is the hardest. I am very glad to have an objective evaluation that has put my mind at ease. At the age of 75, it is a relief to know it is very unlikely that I will develop cognitive issues based upon my scores.
