Fun with Pre-Menopause

I’ve had trouble with short term memory for the last few years. It really kicked in around the time The Ex moved out and has been snowballing since. It started as small things, like not remembering dates and appointments, forgetting to pay bills, and just having a hard time keeping everyone where and when they needed to be. I was at The Big One’s Field Day when she was in the fifth grade, and a woman came over and spoke to me, with specificity, about her. I chatted with her for a good two to three minutes and made small talk.

I had no idea who she was.

I asked another mom who she was, thinking she was another parent. Turned out, she was The Big One’s teacher.

This was a woman who I talked to face-to-face a couple of times a month when I volunteered in the classroom.

Absolutely no recognition.

That shook me up a bit.

My mother chalked it up to the fact I was working several jobs and juggling that with kids and school, and said I just had too much information to process and retain. I started writing everything down and carrying a calendar with me at all times. A few months later, I was diagnosed with ADD and started taking medication.

Say what you will about ADD being over-diagnosed, but the meds are awesome. I lost 17 pounds in 3 months. That alone was worth the diagnosis. And my memory and concentration improved somewhat.

But it seems lately that the memory is failing again. I thought it was I’d gotten lazy about calendaring, but last week I was driving to one of my part-time gigs and drove to the wrong venue, even though I was aware it was at another.

When I finally got to the correct venue, I was lamenting the memory loss situation to one of my co-workers. She said she did the same thing. Her diagnosis? “Pre-menopause.”

What? I’m too young!!! Besides I still get my period, complete with cramps I had like a teenager, have no hot flashes or night sweats, and have no mood swings.

OK, scratch that last one.

So I did what medical experts like Jenny McCarthy do – I googled it.

I think my co-worker may be right about this one.

So I found the name of a supplement that I thought might help, wrote it down on a sticky note, and put it in my purse.

The Big One and I headed to the Whole Foods and I started digging in my purse for the note.

I couldn’t find it anywhere.

I knew the supplement began with an “M” so I looked through all the “M” supplements.

Here’s what I learned: The Whole Foods has a boat load of supplements, beginning with ALL the letters of the alphabet.

I gave up on looking for the elusive “M” supplement and picked up some black cohosh, which also came recommended, and we headed to the checkout.

When we got there, I remembered I’d left my wallet on the console of the car. EVEN AFTER I had reminded myself to pick it up BEFORE we went into the store. So I went back to the car, got my wallet and lo, and behold, there was the sticky note.

That I had put in my wallet so I wouldn’t forget it.

Back to the supplements to search for “macafem.” We didn’t find it, so we went back to the check out.

As we were leaving the store, The Big One asked what the supplements were for, and I told her.

She said, “You should probably buy more.”

Just wait. Paybacks are hell.

Practicing What I Preach

This morning there was a text and voice mail from my Cool Friend Mel on my cell, which I'd left in the car overnight. She gives The Little One a ride home from school every day and both messages basically said, "Sorry about yesterday, my daughter was sick and I forgot to call you. Hope The Little One found a ride home okay."

I looked in the backseat. The Little One was there, ready for school, so she obviously got home somehow yesterday.

"Honey, was Little Bit (CFM's daughter) at school yesterday?"

"Well, I waited for her where her mom picks us up, and I saw some of her other friends and they said she wasn't in school."

"So how did you get home?"

"Um, I was really tired, I don't remember."

"...????"

"Well, I walked."

I am totally fine with this. She had a problem, and found a solution herself. Actually very proud of her resourcefulness.

However, I am not fine with two little hiccupy things. One, that she felt she couldn't tell me she'd walked home, and two, SHE DIDN'T CALL.

I did the whole politically correct mom thing, "I'm very proud of you for figuring out a way home by yourself, but next time, CALL FIRST."

Apparently, The Big One had already given her the CALL FIRST speech, so it's all good.

Little Bit is sick again today, so The Little One had the option of me finding a ride home for her or walking home alone again.

She chose to walk home, but will CALL when she arrives at the house.

This is a big deal for both of us, really. She's wanted to walk alone to school for a long time, but I resisted. Not because I was concerned she'd be snatched off the street by a crazed pedophile, but because I honestly didn't think she'd know the route to walk. I guess she had been paying attention all those times I walked her to school.

I probably should give her a little more credit in the brains department then.