It's funny. The two areas where I have the greatest difficulty as to cognition is mechanical manipulation, and math, where I have always been weak. I have always had a tendency to transpose digits in phone numbers, etc. As for mechanical manipulation I mean like trying to put things together, like kids toys, slide tab A into slot B and the like. I can do it, but it takes me a really long time. Luckily, this stuff is pretty easy for me to live without, although the mechanical stuff scares me sometimes. I worry that I'm going to forget really simple stuff like how to put ribbon in a typewriter or staples in a stapler one day. Thank goodness for the instructions for the truly stupid that come with them.

The other area where I have difficulty is in words. I had always had a facility for words, until now. I was the walking thesaurus and dictionary. Now I have trouble doing cross word puzzles because I can barely remember a simple word, let alone a substitute or definition, and my ability to spell, which used to be virtually flawless, has taken a turn for the worse. I can still punctuate, however. But as a lifelong secretary, this is all hard on the old ego.

Unfortunately, taking notes (which I do), writing memos (which I do) and setting reminders (of which I have numerous) does little to alleviate the issue of how to spell "adequate" or define "septic." I keep a dictionary and thesaurus handy and refer to them, and find myself depending on spellcheck like never before.

It will be cognition problems that drive me to retirement. I can only hope that like all my other sx these will continue to be relatively mild and come and go for some time. I'm hoping for another 20 years at least!