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Hospital Appointment

(70 Posts)
Anne58 Wed 17-Jun-15 10:29:55

I set the alarm clock very early as the appointment was for 9.30 and the traffic is notoriously heavy and slow on the route at that time.

Actually, I can't really be totally accurate re the appointment time. The letter stated 9.30, but but also included the instruction "Please arrive 15 minutes early (what's that all about? confused ) I was like a whirlwind, multi tasking all over the place, feed cats, make tea, drink tea, turn fish tank lights on, shower, dress and go. I didn't even have my usual post shower cup of coffee, so keen was I to get going and beat the traffic.

Trundling happily along the North Devon link road I decided to stop and get a newspaper so that I would be able to have a go at the crossword while waiting. Into petrol station, a quick £20's worth of petrol (I have found that once the tank shows just below a quarter, the remaining fuel seems to disappear at an alarming rate) grab newspaper, pay and set off again.

Making good progress, so I didn't get all stressy and would arrive in plenty of time, cool calm and collected. Which I did.

My other worry had been that there might not be room in the car park, which is often the case with later appointments, hence my request for an early morning slot. Arrived, pulled in to car park, loads of spaces, parked up. Phew! brilliant, made it with time to spare!

I thought I would have a quick look at the results from Ascot yesterday. Opened the paper, took out sport section, started to read. As I looked at the paper I started to get an inkling that something was amiss. Looked again at the paper, rummaged through my handbag for the hospital letter. Look at paper, look at letter, repeat.

The appointment was actually for tomorrow. And which department was it for? The Memory Clinic blush

Lona Wed 17-Jun-15 14:05:39

phoenix a standing joke with one of my friends is how a few years ago she couldn't think of a word and said "you know, that place where I live"
grannya I (and most of my friends) are just like you, using a phrase instead of a word, jumbling words up and sometimes just talking gobbledygook!
It's part of our charm wink

grannyactivist Wed 17-Jun-15 14:23:52

Lona thank you for those reassuring words. My 'charm' is boundless. wink

Mishap Wed 17-Jun-15 14:36:05

I cannot function without my diary - if someone asks if I am available tomorrow, I have to get my diary - no hope that I might remember! And if I am asked what I did at the weekend - out comes the diary again, as I cannot always remember what I did.

And those tests where you are given a few words to remember, then do another test, then come back ad try and remember the words - not a hope! I think the reason that such a test is particularly difficult is because the words you have to remember mean nothing to you - they are just words; whereas words that have some relevance to your life tend to be easier to remember, in spite of distractions in between.

All this seems to be pretty common as we get older, without it being pathological.

I am sure I have posted before about a psychiatrist I worked with who for years had marked people down if they said the queen had 4 children because he thought she had two, until I pointed this out to him!

Good luck phoenix.

nigglynellie Wed 17-Jun-15 15:28:09

I can remember taking my mother to the Theatre on the wrong night!! This was donkeys years ago and luckily there were two cancelled seats available, so she didn't know about the 'mistake'!! Now of course like others, I do have to check appointments very carefully!! But having said that, these days, one day is much like the other, and I think getting things wrong is easy done, and doesn't mean that our faculties are necessarily on the skids. Perhaps just slightly more attention to detail is needed but no more than that - hopefully!!!

Gracesgran Wed 17-Jun-15 18:20:02

Mishap, that short-term memory test is awful but for me it always was. I can see mum has completely forgotten being told the information by the time they ask her about it and doesn't understand its relevance in the first place but just not being able to remember all the address (as it often is) is something different surely? I would have thought some people have a better short-term memory than others from day one. I was always bad at things like Kim's Game which relies on this but to me an awful lot of the inability was nerves. The "what if I get it wrong" syndrome.

loopylou Wed 17-Jun-15 18:31:10

We turned up, dressed up to the nines for a very posh dinner party.....a week late blush
Needless to say we were never invited again!

My memory is definitely not what it was, but I just have to write things down, I'm pretty sure it's because I have too much to think about most of the time and not paying enough attention to detail.

Katek Wed 17-Jun-15 18:52:02

I love my phone-everything goes in it but I still manage to double book myself!

This thread reminds me of the classic Only Fools and Horses sketch where Del Boy and Rodney turn up dressed as Batman and Robin at awake instead of a party!

Katek Wed 17-Jun-15 18:52:32

* a wake

Judthepud2 Wed 17-Jun-15 20:34:33

grin I have done this sort of thing too! Booked a flight and then turned up a day late. Expensive mistake! I now write everything on a calendar and check it every day, plus enter it into my iPhone and iPad. Bleeps get me into gear! I think it is a normal ageing thing. I hope it is! hmm

Deedaa Wed 17-Jun-15 20:59:48

Our GPs have two surgeries and we make appointments at either. I recently drove DH to one for a blood test. I got extremely irate when he started asking if I was sure we were going to the right one. I knew I was right because I'd made a note on the calendar. Naturally when we arrived at the surgery it was the wrong one! When I checked the calendar when we got home I had written the right surgery on it and just read it wrong blush

Bez Thu 18-Jun-15 07:58:32

I have done it again today -I thought my cleaning lady was due this week and am all ready - then my friend sent message and said lady was with her and is here next week!!! Not completely doo-lally - comes every two weeks normally but for some reason it is three weeks this time - read the trusty calendar wrong!!!
It actually suits me better being an extra week and DH has a treat for me today. - a ride in his adored van to a DIY store an hour or so away ( for plasterboard for the fabrication of my new walk in wardrobe ) and then to collect a large tank which is a grease trap to improve our Fosse system. Aren't I the lucky one??!!!! grin grin. Well I am with the wardrobe bit!

ginny Thu 18-Jun-15 08:39:29

Sometimes I forget what I am talking about in the middle of a conversation. I really only bothers me when the person I am talking to doesn't know either ! What a scintillating conversation that must be. grin
The other thing I do is write something in my diary in a sort of shorthand and then not know what it was. Last week I couldn't work out what Manic K 2pm was all about. DD1 to the rescue. Turned out to be an appointment for a manicure with Kay.

Nelliemoser Thu 18-Jun-15 11:52:25

I have missed a hospital treatment appointment completely by comvincing myself it was the next day. In fact I have done that twice the other time was turning up at the GPs surgery when I should have been there the previous day.

Your have had a lot of stress that can B****r up your memory.

dustyangel Thu 18-Jun-15 12:11:13

I agree with Nellie. I don't think there is anything wrong with your brain Phoenix and the sort of memory problems you are experiencing are the same as for the rest of us as we get older. You are probably a bit young for it to be as frequent BUT you have had an awful lot of stress and stress bu@@ers up your brain completely.

I worry about DH sometimes but then realise that I do the same sort of things that he does. This thread is very reassuring.

I meant to post this yesterday but forgot to come back to it. blush grin

janerowena Thu 18-Jun-15 12:36:46

grin

Over the past two days, I have TWICE EACH sent messages to the wrong DC. blush

They, of course, think it's hilarious and are both pleased to see that I am just as rude and bossy to each of them! grin

Anne58 Thu 18-Jun-15 15:26:40

Afternoon all, and thanks for the positive posts.

Got there today, and at the right time too! CT scan done and dusted by 9.30, only waited about 2 minutes. Was sent off to the "Memory Clinic" where I was told that my appointment there was for 11am shock so much sitting around waiting. I also managed to forget to take my book with me, even though I had put it on the kitchen table next to my handbag blush

When I was eventually called, a very nice young man took me through various tests for an hour.

He looked as if he was on work experience! However we did discover that we are both fans of the pangolin and wish people would stop eating them.

Soutra Thu 18-Jun-15 16:12:37

What's a Pangolin???

Anne58 Thu 18-Jun-15 16:33:34

www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://7-themes.com/data_images/out/47/6932328-pangolin.jpg&imgrefurl=http://7-themes.com/6932328-pangolin.html&h=1200&w=1920&tbnid=9o1yrBx4WOrBsM:&zoom=1&docid=I9aboBNnVsv82M&ei=pOSCVZyEFoT_ULrugsgD&tbm=isch&client=opera&ved=0CDYQMygBMAE

(This probably won't work!)

dustyangel Thu 18-Jun-15 16:34:52

I had to google Soutra.grin

Only you could get to that topic from a memory test phoenix. grin
I glad that it is all over for the time being. smile

Anne58 Thu 18-Jun-15 16:38:48

grin The young chap asked me to list as many animals that began with "P" , and I had read an article a few weeks (or months?) back about how they are hunted and illegally trafficked. They are now listed as critically endangered, only 1 step away from extinct.

dustyangel Thu 18-Jun-15 16:45:44

Thank you, they are rather sweet looking.

I don't mean in the edible sense. (They'd be too crunchy.)

AshTree Thu 18-Jun-15 21:03:29

Goodness me, animals beginning with P? I wouldn't get very far with that. I can only think of 4 and one of them is the Pangolin, which I definitely wouldn't have thought of confused. Oh but hold on, yes, more are coming to mind now - I'm up to about 9 or 10 now. Not easy though!
Glad you got through the appointment OK phoenix (there's another one grin) and were lucky enough to be seen by a young man wink

merlotgran Thu 18-Jun-15 21:10:50

I've just asked DH and he could only come up with pig, panther, porcupine and pony.

So if you add in pangolin that's only five.

Pathetic! grin

janerowena Thu 18-Jun-15 22:22:56

Goodness my mind went totally blank then - I could only think of penguin. How long did you have, to come up with those words?

janerowena Thu 18-Jun-15 22:24:20

If you have problems, phoenix be reassured that we are all right there behind you! grin