I missed the same appointment 4 times a few months ago, so I totally understand.

What I had to do was buy a big calendar and hang it above my laptop. A planner no longer works for me because I forget to check it.

Anyway, I cross things off each time as I complete them. I am able to remember to look at the calendar daily because it's in an area of the house that I frequent. I use a bold black marker to write things so that I can see them easily.

I write down the bills, too, or I completely forget to pay them. I used to do automatic debits, but then I'd forget to put money in the bank. I left an uncashed check on my desk for months.

I also email myself reminders, set timers, and tell friends and family members what my plan are. That way, when they say, "You're going to see your doctor today, right?", I can pretend I didn't forget lol.

I still have problem with my meds and supplements. I often forget if I take them. I'm thinking about labeling Ziploc bags with the date and then throwing them away each day (the empty baggies).

I cried last week because I spent 20 minutes looking for my keys...that were on a lanyard around my neck. Sigh.

My life is now in my iPhone.

In the calendar app... Twice a day it reminds me to take my pills. Plus I also have my pills in a pill organizer, so I can double check if I happen to forget whether I actually did take them or not.

Every appointment is put in my phone and it reminds me 2 hours before and an hour before. Once the 2 hour reminder goes off, I reset that reminder to go off 30 minutes before (assuming that's the time I actually have to walk out the door). For unusual or very important appointments, I also set a reminder for 2 days before.

In the notes app, I keep lists.
Grocery lists, lists of questions to ask each member of my rehab team as I think of them (one list per rehab member), a list of my current meds and dosages, little notes of things I need to remember, things to take with me, directions to places, to do lists, where I parked the truck... everything and anything.

I set alarms, to remind me to do things... check things on the stove... etc.

I make an effort to put things in immediately and I take time first thing in the morning before getting out of bed and last thing at night before I get into bed to review my calendar and notes to get a feel for the day ahead and the day past and the next day.

My OT says that by reviewing before and after you give yourself a chance at establishing a thread of memories (for those of us that have a hard time consolidating information and memories). I'm not sure if it helps me with that or not, but I do find that at the end of the day, even if I don't remember what I did that day, I can look in my phone and get a feel for what happened that day and there's something reassuring about it. Like the day didn't just happen without me.. if that makes sense.

I'd be lost without my phone... I tried to have paper notes, but ended up losing them. I tried a planner and a large calendar, but forgot to check them and update them.

Mokey, I hope you can find a system that works for you. I do understand that awful feeling when you forget something important. In spite of my best efforts, I've had a few failures of my system above on occasion (usually when I think "Oh later I'll enter that in my phone... surely I won't forget! ) and it always makes me feel like crap.

And my house is a huge mess too... I've stopped apologizing for it though... I've got to the stage where I just don't care. Dirt is just dirt and a mess is not that bit of a deal... try to be kind to yourself... you're already having a hard time, you don't need to be angry with yourself too!

Starr

If I show up, it may well be at the wrong time.

To help me out, my PT and MT try to book my appointments for the same days and times every week. If they have to break that pattern, they send me a reminder email the night before.

I also carry a memory book, where I right down each day's schedule. When the day is done, I rip it out. That way, I don't mix up one day with another.

Don't we all sound over 100?

Just last night I set my alarm so I could get up and sit in the car to watch some of my daughters practice. Checked the planner on the iPhone and set the alarm for 11:00 am. Practice started at 10:00!

I have a binder for a memory book. In the beginning it was great. Now it's fulllll and it's to overwhelming to organize.

I put all appointments in my iPhone immediately with alerts. My husband will check when he thinks of it to make sure I've entered it correctly. I now show the receptionists at my appointments and they check. Good people trying to help me be successful.

I make notes and tape stuff in well used areas. I make piles for my husband. I can't do bills and banking anymore (that was my task prior) because of my frequency of errors.

Like Hokey, my drs keep my appts same day and time each week. Reallllly helps. I missed many that were on different days/times. I've shown up and they give me that look...wrong day. My OT office calls if it's an odd appt day/time.

We also have two magnetic white boards on the side do the fridge with different color markers. On Sunday we write down all activities for the week and each person is a different color. I think I got the boards at Walmart 10" x 12"

My mom takes me to many appts now that she is retired. We always forget where the car is. Now I take a picture.

I like the ideas in here! In teaching we steal, beg, and borrow items and ideas in free fashion helping each other to help our kids succeed. Just like here!

Jenna

I am so sorry dear!

I have to make appointments as a "first available" basis and then put them in my phone so my alarm goes off one day before.. then one hour before..

I hope you find something that works for you..

LOL I photograph my car, too! I also photograph any identifying things near it, such as street signs or weird statues.

I like the photograph idea of the car. I wish I could take a video of walking to the appointment like hansel and gretel. I have walked around for 30 minutes using my car alarm looking for my car many times.

This has been so hard-to be relatively young and yet to have such an impaired memory.

Mokey-you are not alone! This is just a new challenge and these are good ideas to help us along. I have learned a lot of new ideas here, as always.

I feel like we could publish a really great book on best practices on how to live a best life after pcs/mtbi.

OMG I'm laughing, at least it's good to know you're not alone!

Cracked up at the Hansel and Gretel idea, we could put bread crumbs down but they'd probably get eaten by birds so we'd be back to square one....

The photographing of the car is a good one, never thought of it, can never ever remember where mine is, the direction I came in to the parking lot, left section or right...

Don't know if anyone else does this but when I have an appt the next day, that night that's all I can think of...don't forget...and hardly get any rest which is of no help...oh boy...