Forgetfulness

[marcy996]

At 58 I am not exactly a young chicken anymore but I don't consider myself old enough to be so forgetful and confused. For the longest time I have been absent minded but rationalized because I was under a lot of pressure at work, I was trying to juggle work and all my son's sports activities. But, I took early retirement in September when my employer was talking about cutting the retirement formula and cutting benefits. I had to protect what I had so I could afford to take care of my family.
Even with the decrease in stress I was really absentminded. For the past month it has been embarassingly bad enough that my 12 yr old has been looking at me funny in that weird pre-teen way. I can't remember if I took my meds so I bought a pill container which divides the doses. Even then I see the empty slot and can't remember taking them. One day I couldn't remember locking the front door and had to go back home to test the door. There are other bizarre things and I am beginning to wonder if I am early Alzheimers or is this from the kidney disease.
Can anyone give me feedback if kidney disease can cause these symptoms? If so what is behind the symptoms? Is it something that I can fix?

[KICKSTART]

Welcome to the fuzzy world of kidney failure ! You are not alone ! We have had a few threads on this topic (i think?,yeah , yeah im sure ..? ) Its just one of those things , a build up of toxins in the body doesnt help. Wait till you do what i did the other day , got the milk out of the fridge for my tea , then put it away under the sink ! 

[kellyt]

Before transplant I was the same way.  I would be talking and just forget a word - a simple word, or just plain forget what I was talking about. "The sky is such a lovely color of...of...of.........BLUE!  Yeah, blue."        All the time.

[Rerun]

Ummmmm yeah......... what?

           

[looneytunes]

Oh Marcy...it's a topic of humor here in my world.  My husband is always wanting to know if he took his meds (we also have a box where they are divided into slots).  There have been days he will ask me about a particular med that I have explained to him several times but he doesn't remember.   He has his fuzzy days and days that he isn't fuzzy at all. 

Tell your son that it's part of ESRD and if he sees you leaving the house without getting dressed first, PLEASE tell you!  But, hopefully, he won't try to use it against you as he gets older and tell you that he TOLD you he was going to a friends and you SAID ok yesterday....   

[tyefly]

I am way smarter now than before I started D........  So smart now that I dont need to even impress myself.....or for that matter anyone else..... except my dogs......  they have remain much more smarter than I will ever be........  ok    they are in charge........

[RightSide]

When I first started dialysis, my mind was so clouded from the uremia that I was forgetting even basic skills.  With lots of dialysis treatments, my mind has cleared up quite a bit.  But it's never gotten back to where it was before I got sick.  Plus the fact that some of the meds I take like Neurontin (gabapentin) can make me a bit drowsy, and my thinking is slowed as a result.

I use Microsoft Outlook to organize my day--especially the two dozen different pills I have to take every day at different times throughout the day.  It helps compensate for my absent-mindedness.

[marcy996]

Oh Marcy...it's a topic of humor here in my world.  My husband is always wanting to know if he took his meds (we also have a box where they are divided into slots).  There have been days he will ask me about a particular med that I have explained to him several times but he doesn't remember.   He has his fuzzy days and days that he isn't fuzzy at all. 

Tell your son that it's part of ESRD and if he sees you leaving the house without getting dressed first, PLEASE tell you!  But, hopefully, he won't try to use it against you as he gets older and tell you that he TOLD you he was going to a friends and you SAID ok yesterday....   

But the problem here is that  my creatinine is stage 4 but my neph lists me as stage 3 due to clearance. I am not on dialysis. I feel confused and embarassed over my behavior. I am feeling like my mother who was confused in rhe years prior to her death. She did not have kidney disease but was profoundly deaf from paget's and her forgetfulness was caused by her skull pressing on her brain. She used to do the wackiest things and now I am doing the same.  I feel lost.
BTW my son has already tried using my memory lapses against me...  I'll fix him- no dating until he is 25 but bu then I'll probably forget!



Edited: Fixed quote tag error - okarol/admin

[Sunny]

I have the same issues. If I didn't put my daily pills into one of those dividers, I would never remember whether I took my meds or vitamins.
It can be very frustrating when trying to learn something new and different. My mind just can't recall facts anymore, not to mention where I leave keys.
I just make sure I am compulsive about where I leave things so I can find them again later.I also have explained to my children and my husband about my troubles with memory so they won't think I'm nuts,but I still get teased sometimes. Just make sure you mention to your nephrologist so they are aware.

[Henry P Snicklesnorter]

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[mermaidashore]

Oh yes, I can identify with this one!
Before I started dialysis I was convinced I had (very) early onset dementia. I was considering carrying a card with my name on it in case I needed to remember it in a hurry. The joys of uremia!

[okarol]

Oh yes, I can identify with this one!
Before I started dialysis I was convinced I had (very) early onset dementia. I was considering carrying a card with my name on it in case I needed to remember it in a hurry. The joys of uremia!

Oh boy, that must be frustrating! (I forget things all the time, but cannot blame illness.)

Good to see you posting mermaidashore. Please go to the introduction section and tell us little about you. Thanks!

okarol/admin

[paris]

I can so relate to this topic.   My mother, grandmother and great-grandmother had Alzheimers or dementia.  So when I started forgetting everything---words, what I was talking about, meds, chores, going places; my biggest fear was Alzheimers.  I watched as I slowly lost my Mom mentally and emotionally and then physically and I was so afraid of what was ahead of me.   This site is what convinced me it was due to kidney function.  I learn more here than at the nephs office (and I love my doctor).  Yes, foggy mind is all part of the deal.  I have told my family to stop saying "you remember" because I don't!  And I don't need anyone telling me that over and over.  I write lots of notes to myself and try to not be too hard on myself.    Keep posting and I will look forward to reading your introduction. 

[kitkatz]

I have learned at work to have post it notes handy and write it down!

[Jean]

Right, Kit. As we say here, if you didnt write it down, it didnt happen.
Of course, sometimes it did!!!