triunfadora -- talking about losing brain function, often I feel like Charlie in the movvie of the same name -- book title Flowers for Algernon. (now why can I remember that, but not what I wanted in the next room?) If you haven't seen or read it, docs try an experimental treatment on a mentally retarded man, and he becomes a genius, just like the test mouse Algernon did. But... then it stops working and he slowly goes back to bing mentally retartded... and he KNOWS IT.
Thanks for reminding me that I AM less judgmental, more accepting of all.
RichieD, identifying with a zombie is funny, sccary and so close to home all at the same time...
Those were all great jokes! Thanks for the grins! :-)

Great jokes, envy those who can tell them :) Thanks for the smiles this morning.
I read somewhere that when we move through doorways our brain takes in the new room and our short term memories have issues.
Doing the say the thing you are headed for in repetition is helpful, if we can remember to do it :)

I have more trouble with remembering names than anything else, I'm horrible at it. Multitasking has taken a big hit as well. I used to co-own a restaurant in my 20s and was sometimes the line cook. I can barely make dinner some nights without burning things, and cooking on the grill and indoors at the same time is no longer even safe. The upside is I made hubby take over the grilling.
I'm also having trouble when I'm driving. I can't keep in mind where I am headed sometimes or how to get there so I use the gps all the time unless I'm just headed the 2 miles or so to the groc store.
Also trouble with ... I don't know what to call it, where things are on the road, like when you join a road at an intersection, to go left or right from there to go where you want to go? I have trouble even on roads I use daily. Good thing there is a large sign for our road!

And also more trouble with physical things like missing the countertop with my tea mug and hitting the shelf a bit low putting things away. I missed my neuro's finger yesterday during the touch your nose touch my finger test...for the first time, it was a bit scary.

Cognitive wise, so far as long as I'm having a clear day with little brain fog I do ok, so about 1/2 the time I guess. Bizarrely, I actually have been a member of US Mensa for about 14 yrs now. I retake a similar test each year on my own at home and so far I still qualify though my score has dropped about 11 points. If it were timed I'd be doomed. Used to take me about 30 min now it's more like an hour. I'm just barely eligible now to be a first time member. I think next year I wouldn't be eligible. They won't throw me out but I think I'll just probably let it go this year, I can't make it to the fun parts anyway, like the mind games get togethers and all... and it's $70 a year. It's not really useful unless it's something you can travel and be active in. It's not like I have a resume anymore.

Have a terrific rest of your day folks! thanks so much for being here, even on days it's too much to answer it's like being in a room full of friends and watching them have fun, which is just so very lovely!

Cognitive issues is one of the most frustrating things about having this illness. Before my illness I though about myself as smart. Now there are some things that just don't make sense, I can't understand what I am reading, I can't understand a movie or TV's plot. Good thing I can push the back button and watch it again.
I know short term memory has been discussed frequently, but do any of you have trouble remembering things from years ago? My mother who is 92 years old can remember things from my childhood that I don't think I ever did. This bothers me as much as the short term memory problems.

I have much long term memory loss, but most of it is not related to CFS. I had brain surgery in 1987 to remove an epileptic tumor. After that, I don't remember my childhood. I remember people, and a few isolated images and things, but that's it. Scary thing is that I don't know if I remembered any of that before the surgery or not--I can't remember!

I am starting to lose more recent long-term memories, too. DH and I argue over which movies we've seen together. He'll swear I saw a movie with him and I have no memory of it. And I no longer know who's right. :\ It is scary.

Yes, to chime in on the long-term memory debate. I don't remember hardly anything from my childhood. I can't remember teachers' names or faces or the names or faces of my friends. People say, "Oh, I don't remember much about Elementary School either." But, I sense that they remember more than I do because I can only remember a very few images. Most stories I tell from childhood have been told to me and I repeat them, but I can't say I remember them. I have always assumed it was due to something else, since I couldn't remember any of that before getting CFS. But, since getting CFS, I do have that issue that you mentioned, jcp, about forgetting what movies I have seen, etc. My hubby is forever reminding me of things I have done in the recent past that I have no memory of doing. They say ignorance is bliss, but this doesn't feel all that blissful. Love you all.