CNN: “The 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's“

One of my many worries is that my brain tumor related damage will lead to early onset of Alzheimer’s. So I appreciated this year-old article written by Ben Tinker and posted on CNN Health last July: http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/18/health/alzheimers-warning-signs/index.html 

Here’s the crux of the article:

“If you suspect a family member or friend is developing Alzheimer's, take a look at these 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's Disease, put together by the Alzheimer's Association:

1. Memory changes that disrupt daily life
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure
4. Confusion with time or place
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
8. Decreased or poor judgment
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities
10. Changes in mood and personality

Rather than diagnose Alzheimer's disease at home, head to your doctor's office. You can also find more information at www.alz.org, or by calling the Alzheimer's Association's 24-hour hotline at (800) 272-3900.”

Image credit: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/photo_20235880_brain-disease-with-memory-loss-due-to-dementia-and-alzheimer.html'>lightwise / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

Me? Slow?

After one of my first trips to the rehab clinic, my therapist told me that I had “a slow processing unit”…or some phrase pretty similar to that.

What she really meant was that I couldn’t think very fast or well or both.

Ouch.

There are some awfully mean words out there in the English language – e.g. “ugly”, “fat” – and “dummy” or “stupid” is right there near the top of the list.

Some of my worst dreams and fears was that I’d emerge from brain surgery as a shadow of my former self.  In that nightmare every morning somebody would prop me up in a corner and I’d sit there and drool until it was time to put me back in bed. Maybe even worse was the thought that I’d know that I wasn’t as sharp or perceptive or quick as I used to be.

So what do you do if somebody, especially somebody with clinical credentials tells you that you’re “slow”?

One thing I did, and continue to do, is hit the Lumosity site - www.lumosity.com - where you can exercise your brain and get, well, faster than slow.

According to their website, Lumos Labs (the company that made Lumosity) “…is a cognitive neuroscience research and development company that builds software tools for improving brain health and performance.”

Are these exercises dull, boring and mind numbing? 

No, they’re games. Some are fun. Some are hard. Some will drive you crazy.

They’re games based on hard-science that can help you improve your speed (i.e. think more clearly and quickly), your memory (e.g. remembering names and where you put your coffee), your attention (i.e. performance on visually demanding activities), your mental flexibility (i.e. multitasking and verbal skills) and problem solving ability.

Has it worked for me?  I think so :-)