Three Little Words

Wow.  I haven't written a blog since last September.  I think I've been relying on Facebook and Instagram to keep you abreast of my every move and thought.

I felt like this "thought" needed more space so here I am - back in the blog saddle.

This topic may only resonate with the Medicare crowd but you youngins might enjoy it too.  Stick around.

Everyone knows, whether you choose to accept it or not, that "as we age" (don't you hate that expression?) our memories get a little wonky at times.  

So Medicare decided they needed to check to see if we still had all the marbles we started out with on a yearly basis.

One of those ways was to hand you a piece of paper and ask you to draw the hands on a clock for a specific time. We know how to do that because that's how we grew up but there's that moment of complete panic when you ask yourself "is the short one supposed to be pointing at the hour or is that where the long one goes?"

Whew!  Nailed it.

Now for the challenge.  The nurse tells you 3 words and asks you to repeat them.  She says she'll ask you to repeat them later on in the conversation.  So for me, that means I don't listen to a single word she says from then on because I'm silently saying those dang words in my head.

A few years ago I used a crutch to help me remember.  Sign Language.  I didn't actually move my hands about - didn't want her to think I'd gone completely off my rocker - but made the signs "in my head" and it worked!!!

I recently went in for my yearly physical armed with my secret Sign Language weapon but was still on edge.

First off, I never got to draw the clock.  The task I was most confident in. And then?  NO WORDS TO MEMORIZE.

As I got up to leave I asked about that part of the yearly interogation (I mean physical) and she said "Oh, we don't do that any more.  That's why we sent you the questionaire beforehand.  You know, the 2 pages of questions you filled out and brought in?"

I didn't remember! Maybe they should go back to The Three Little Words.