Jemahon,

I'm glad you give glory to God. I have become much closer and much further away from Him at times during all of this. Right now, I'm in a closer time- which is great!

I also, had a great memory before all this. I worked in dental offices, and would be able to have conversations about patients long after I had seen them. I could remember their first and last names and many other details about them. It's crazy to have forgotten all of that. I'm glad you have a good immediate memory, but it's frustrating to have a poor short term memory.

I've tried to find ways to cope with this myself. My husband has helped me make a spreadsheet in Excel to track my symptoms. I usually forget to keep track of them, but he put an icon on my desktop and all I have to do is "x" what I had that day. He also leaves sticky notes around the house of what I can do that day.

I email myself a to do list every day, and I keep a notepad next to my bed. I write things down as soon as I remember them, or first learn them. If I don't, it'll be gone. I never used to have to write anything down. I had a super memory! I could go grocery shopping without a list, but know everything I needed for the week.

I don't drive for a number of reasons. I too would space out a little when I tried to drive. It scared me so much. Also, the concentration would kill my head. I would feel exhausted after I had gotten somewhere. I was worried that I would be too wiped out to make it back. I was worried that I would hurt myself, my kids, or anyone else on the road. I know how you feel. It's a difficult decision to stop driving, and yes- I feel trapped a lot of the time, but I feel like I made the right choice.

Don't worry about rambling. It's good to get it all out here. Feel free to vent and ramble in a safe place that people understand!

Try to get organized in ways that can help with your failing memory. If you set things up to make your life easier, it might help. It takes more time to get things done, but at least they'll get done.

Do you have any help? Family? good friends? I hope you have a support system you can rely on and people that can help you.