Kanadian,
I am not a doctor, but I will step out on a limb and say it probably is a bit of age, and a lot of having your mind forever full of this disease.
A lot of folks are forgetful, that are younger than us, because they load themselves with extra work, burdens, worries, trying to fix everything, multi tasking, ect.
Now about forgetting my childs birthday, I have never been guilty of, I have on several occasions had to stop and figure out how old he or she would be, or is , if someone asked.
Also, some meds might cause forgetfulness. If you are concerned, talk this over with your doctor. I will be praying it is just because you, like most of us, are overwhelmed with this disease and all the problems it causes.
Hugs
Brenda

PS, NO !! You are not self centered and /or selfish. You forgot something , you never thought you would forget. Perhaps there was to much going on during that time, that you just overlooked the fact it was getting close to that date. Be easy on yourself!!
We are not that old!!! (I am 68)

I don't know what your lifestyle is like in the year since your son's last birthday, but I also know that a big problem for me is just losing track of the date. It's not so much that I *forgot* a birthday, I just didn't realize that it was that date.

Having a beloved son who is estranged for this very reason, I would not hold off on calling due to shame. I did the same thing, and now have not spoken to first born in three years because I was afraid and ashamed to admit that I had somehow just lost track of the date, and then that day of shame turned into a week, into a month, into a year, and now three years. Don't let that happen to you. Call your son NOW. As loving as he has been so far, I doubt that something like this is going to destroy it if you take care of it now.

It may end up something the both of you end up laughing about for the rest of the phone call. And ask your partner to just kinda keep an eye to see if you're forgetting other things. As I noted, my lifestyle has me losing track of time and not forgetting, but if there is a pattern of actually forgetting, real medical advice instead of Dr. Simplydani would probably be a good idea.

Hope your spirits lifted some and you made that phone call. You've already gotten some great advice. Gotta quit beating yourself up. In my little world this month has flown by. I you haven't done it...please try to see the lighter side of it for now and just do it! :)

Yes, please call your son asap. It's an honest mistake. The disease process affects us in so many ways. I'd say this is perfectly normal.
Have a good conversation. He will understand. Sounds like he is a very nice person and a good son.
Have a good talk and enjoy his company over the phone.
Don't stress about Alzheimer's. Make the most of every precious day now and let the negatives wait their turn.
My Mom had Alzheimer's Disease. We got through it and I still loved her dearly and always will.
I have heard that forgetting where you put your check book is normal. Forgetting that you have a bank account? Not so good.
69 isn't old...I'm 65, so it can't be. :o)
Take care, call now!! :o)
Linda In CA

thank god for facebook! or i'd never remember a birthday.
you are a better woman than i am if you have remembered birthdays all these years!
my kids are used to it since i was in my 30's (heck, i've been known to forget my own birthday LOL)
please quit beating yourself up so much! if that is the worse thing you have ever done i think that says you are a pretty good person.
and bj has good points that are very valid.
our memory gets worse as we age.
our meds can cause forgetfulness.
and our COPD with our shortage of 02 makes us forget.
i also find that i have so many thoughts on my mind that my mind can't keep up anymore and can't remember everything.
i can say all these things "knowledgeably" because i did get my degree in psychology and i had to take numerous classes on aging and the mind and how we forget. (especially short term memory).
i wish i could comfort you as you sound so upset, but please don't let it get you into depression or beat yourself up for it....call your son and wish him a happy birthday. the day isn't over yet :)
as for your fear of alzheimers; if you are that afraid of it please get it checked by your dr.....but also know, alzheimers doesn't just appear overnight....it's a slow progress over time.
my heart goes out to you and i wish you peace.
((((HUGS))))

It really is a hard thing to face that we are losing a little. Don;t beat yourself up over this. Confront the problem,,,,,,call your son and clear up what happened. The way he treats you should be enough to show you how much he cares.
Then take the necessary steps to improve the problem. Get a 12 month calender and write in the next twelve months now. I have even gotten to the point that I write a reminder the month before important dates. I also have a note pad and pencil next to me 24/7. I take extreme care when I am driving[and know that I am not as safe as I used to be].
There is no question that age. drugs and lack of oxygen are combining to trash my memory. I can see the change every few months. I still intend to fight tooth and nail not to give in!
Don't give up, do not feel sorry, DO THE BEST YOU CAN AND KEEP FIGHTING!!
Ed

Like Jarca been forgetting my children's birthdays for years. I had a secretary who used to remind me of them for 23 years but that's history, so now the girls just call and remind me (HONEST THEY DO). LOL I've become a family joke! Don't beat on yourself - call your son right away. I've noticed, on really bad breathing days that I can be a bit more forgetful that normal. Also like Jarca, if it becomes a matter of real concern talk with your doctor but I think the natural process of aging and this disease may be to blame. Enjoy your conversation with your son but don't let this drive the two of you apart. BIG HUGS - Ruthie (aka dollaraudit)

We celebrate birthdays for a week. Haha, I rarely get the right day. Hang in there. Hugs.

Kanadian, Soft smile, 1st off forgive yourself, and then call your son. I am sure he will understand, and the why you forgot will never be important to him. That you did call, and expressed your love will be what he remembers. He understands your getting older, he understands the stress the disease has on you, and he understands you sometimes forget, and I suspect he already blames your medications and the disease itself. So don't be so hard on yourself. Call, wish him a happy birth day and tell him what a wonderful son he is. -- Please take care, Bill

I so hope you made that call.

I've found, one of the refreshing benefits of the "retirement state" is that one doesn't need to carry around a month, day, year, hour, minute, second, milli-second calendar.

I hope you're feeling better today. Isn't there such a thing as a belated birthday card? This would not be available for Young and Old to send if you were the only one who forgot.

Ease up - did you ever forget someone's birthday when you were 20? Hmmmm!

Please smile - So I don't forget, Happy Birthday to you whenever that is.

I hope and pray by now you have called your son and you and he had a good laugh at your "senior moment"!!
Hugs
Brenda

I'm probably a little more casual about birthdays, including my own, than most people. However, I do use MSWorks calendar on my PC for occasions and other types of reminders (Including dr. appts.). I'm not prepared to relegate any lapse in memory to any health issues or even age - for now. My reminders can pop up a week, a day, or even an hour or two before the "event" depending on my preparation time. I recommend automatic reminders for anyone with some type of computer (writing on a calendar worked for the grands). This keeps the memory from getting bogged down - type it in or write it down.

Gee! I hope you and your son have moved ahead and prepared your setup for next year.

Through the years I have been guilty of missing birthdays on all three children at one time or another! Bless their hearts, they know Mama and will call me and say Did the day get by you again? I'll say what day? Then, the light bulb goes on! We have a good laugh, and move on! They all know dates and days run together for me a lot, and the was before Emphysema! Your son loves you! Make a joke and tell him he's so old now, it makes you older! Hugs, Kanadian! No Stress!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncwsuVR2vo4