Aging ain't for Sissies
Aging isn't easy. My name is Marcy Backhus and I am your host! Make sure your complete well-being is handled with a community and information that can make it easier and FUN. Aging needs humor, which you can find in the "Aging ain't for Sissies" Podcast, along with informational guests that give us the information we need.
Aging ain't for Sissies
Brain Fog or Just Life Overload?
Ever walked into a room and completely forgotten why you're there? Or called your grandchild by your dog's name? You're not alone – and you're probably not losing your mind either!
Memory blips and brain fog happen to all of us as we navigate the wild journey of aging, but how do we know what's normal and what might signal something more serious? That's exactly what we're unpacking in this thoughtful, occasionally hilarious exploration of cognitive changes.
Think about this: our parents didn't have smartphones pinging them with notifications every three seconds or dozens of passwords to remember. Today's information overload would make anyone's brain fuzzy! When we forget where we put our keys, that's likely just normal aging. But forgetting what keys are for? That might warrant a conversation with your doctor.
The good news? Your brain is remarkably resilient, and there's plenty you can do to keep those neurons firing on all cylinders. From moving your body (even if that just means strutting through Costco) to getting quality sleep (think of it as a Roomba for your memories), maintaining social connections, and trying new activities – your brain health is largely in your hands.
Remember, cognitive changes are just one paragraph in the epic novel of your life. You're still creative, resourceful, and full of sass. Join me as we navigate this aspect of aging with humor, wisdom, and practical advice that proves once again that aging ain't for sissies – it's for the brave, bold, and absolutely fabulous.
Ready to show your brain some love? Subscribe now and let's face these memory moments together with knowledge and a healthy dose of laughter!
Well, hello and welcome back to Aging for Sissies. My name is Marci Backus and I am your host. Okay, so if I sound a little irritated, I am. I recorded the entire first part of this podcast and it wasn't recording. My fault for not looking at the screen. Nonetheless, here I am and welcome to aging for sissies, a podcast where we tackle the wild, weird and wonderful parts of growing older wrinkles, wisdom and whatever else gets thrown our way. Yes, it does. I am your host, marcy, your sassy guy through the forest of forgetfulness and hot flashes.
Speaker 1:And today, drum roll please we are diving into cognitive decline, which apparently I already have Right now. I'm just going to call it chemo fog. Anyways, yep, we're going to be talking about that moment you walk into a room and forget why you're there. Or when you call your grandkid by your dog's name, or your dog by your grandkid's name or everybody else's name but the dog's name. Or when you your grandkids name or everybody else's name but the dog's name. Or when you tell the same story three times at brunch and everyone just politely nods. Now, my friends, if I tell the same story three times at brunch, somebody better call me on it. No polite nods, please, I want to know.
Speaker 1:Anyways, we will get into all of that, but first let's talk about here's something that is really irritating me. Why is it insurance and medical groups, if they need information from you, they just say fax it. Just fax it on over. Yeah, we'll just. Yeah, I'll fax it. Brenda, I don't have a fax. Who has a fax? Can I scan it and send it to you, brenda? No, no, no, no, no, we Fax. Can I scan it and send it to you, brenda? No, no, no, no, no. We need a fax it. Just it drives me crazy. It's not that they want you to fax it, as much as it's the way they say it, like a text or an email. Just fax it on over. I'm not going to go down to the UPS store and pay to fax it. I've got to figure this out. Anyway, I have to. For some reason, my insurance company is not talking to my mortgage company. I don't know if they've had a falling out, if there's an anger issue. I don't know if my mortgage company has been stepping out on my insurance company or vice versa. I don't know what it is, but nobody's talking and'm stuck in the middle and I need to fax something, but I think I'm going to snail mail it, which then means I need an envelope, a stamp, and they'll probably lose that. So there's that Weather.
Speaker 1:Here in Chicago we're doing pretty good. We're heading deep into summer and actually today's the first day of summer, but tomorrow it's going to be in the 90s. We are heading deep into summer and actually today's the first day of summer, but tomorrow it's going to be in the 90s. We cannot complain. Here in Chicago all my Chicagoans that are listening, because we were freezing our butts off for a long time. So we've been waiting for this.
Speaker 1:We have a great party this weekend in our building opening up. Our deck is already open, our pool is open, but it's our summer party and it's our, our summer party, and, uh, it's a great party. Everybody will be out there, the weather will be great. We also have a christening of our great nephew Colin this weekend, and after that Craig and I are going over to Ravinia, a fabulous music venue If you don't know what it is, look it up Ravinia in Illinois and we're going to see Diana Craw, one of our favorites. So we're looking forward to that. We have lawn seats, which I love. I prefer the lawn seats to the bowl seats, because I can get up, I can move around, I'm not trapped, and when you're listening to music you don't necessarily. They have big screens. You can see things, but you don't necessarily have to see.
Speaker 1:My wellness journey is going well. I have finished my original 16 rounds of radiation and now I'm doing five bonus rounds and Jay bringing the box down the aisle, I have won five bonus rounds yes, they don't call it 21 rounds, they call it 16 and five bonus rounds. So there you have it Doing well. I will tell you this, though Don't ever get a blood clot. They stink. People think, oh, it's not gone. No, they last three to six months and after, and they're painful, extraordinarily painful. I have days they don't aren't painful at all and then I have days where it is painful. I'll get out. I am unable to take blood thinners for many reasons of which I will not get into, but I can't take them. So they have to keep an eye on mine in case it breaks off and then tries to kill me. So the one thing I can say about having the pain down in my calf where it is and it's a deep pain I can't explain it to you and you can't get rid of it. At least I know it's there and it's not on its way to try and kill me. So there's that.
Speaker 1:So grab your coffee or your ginkgo biloba and let's talk about why our brains feel a little fuzzy sometimes. Hang in there, all right. Fuzzy brain, fuzzy brain, let's see. So here's the thing. Forgetting stuff is normal. First of all, let's just put that out there. And I also want to put out there. I am not a doctor, none of this stuff. I get all my information the same place you do from the internet. I do research, I do look up things, but again, it's information that is available to you. I just kind of bring it together and give it to you on a podcast. So I take no responsibility for any of this, but I will share what I know with you. So again, forgetting stuff is normal Repeat after me, normal. It is normal.
Speaker 1:I've been forgetting stuff all my life and as we age it's typical to have a little bit more trouble remembering names or where you left your glasses Spoiler. They're probably on your head. This isn't necessarily dementia, it's just the brain's version of needing reading glasses, and I love to look at it that way. It's just your brain's way of needing reading glasses. It's normal. Is it the same as when we were young? No, but is it where we're supposed to be at 65, 75, 85? Yes, it is. Can we make it better? Probably Can we help ourselves along, just like getting a pair of reading glasses. Absolutely. As we age, it's typical to have a little more trouble remembering everything. So let's put it this way If you forget where you put your keys, you're probably fine. If you forget what keys are for, then we might need to talk. So I want you to think about that. I want you to think about we forget where we leave things, but if you're forgetting about the function of things, that's another story. All right.
Speaker 1:Brain fog or just too much life? Let's think about that. Brain fog or just too much life? Can we talk about information overload? Fog or just too much life? Can we talk about information overload?
Speaker 1:Our parents didn't have information coming up at them at lightning speed. They had to wait for Walter Cronkite to tell them that at the five o'clock news or read a newspaper. Again, read a newspaper. So we have information coming in at lightning speed from many different sources, between smartphones, news alerts, grandkids, doctor's appointments and trying to remember your Netflix password. It's a wonder we remember our own names. Think about all the things. People just had to remember. One phone number for someone before Well, now our phones kind of remember it. Phone number for someone before Well, now our phones kind of remember it. But nonetheless passwords this. That the other thing we have stuff coming. Life is coming at us at all. Add in menopause, stress, the lack of sleep and bam, you've got a recipe for brain fog thicker than grandma's gravy. I'm telling you we have an unbelievable amount of information coming at us at all times.
Speaker 1:And don't get me started on multitasking. Science says we're not actually that good at it, and by we I mean humans, all of us, I know us women like to pat ourselves on the back and say we're so great at multitasking and men aren't. And if women if you're not thinking that you're lying we're not that great at it either. All of us trying to fold laundry. So today even I was cleaning the house, doing laundry realized at 10 o'clock I had a Zoom meeting. I looked at the clock and panicked it was 945. Still cleaning, still doing laundry, getting my makeup done, making a cup of coffee to sit down and have my Zoom meeting Crazy. All of us are trying to fold laundry, reheat leftovers or remember where you left the phone. Well, it's literally in your hand. That's a full-time job, honey. That is not easy to do. I was looking for my phone the other day in the car while I had it in my hand. Now I hadn't been driving yet I was in my parking spot.
Speaker 1:But nonetheless, the first thing I'm going to say as we continue to go through this cognitive decline, information and just, my goal is to try to normalize it today, not to give you any great insights, but to let you know what a little bit what's normal and what's not. We've talked about that a little bit. All of us are worried about Alzheimer's, all of us. Is it Alzheimer's or is it just a regular Tuesday? What do we know? So now, okay, we're talking about cognitive decline, multitasking, forgetting things, but here's where we shift a little. Cognitive decline can be a part of bigger issues like dementia or Alzheimer's. So how do you tell the difference between normal aging and something more serious? I think this is the question that most of us have as we go through the day, as we're forgetful, as we can't remember something. And again, right now, I have illness and I have had, you know, 12 weeks of chemotherapy and 16 rounds of radiation. I'm surprised I can remember my own name. But we all are worried about cognitive decline, that it can be a part of a bigger issue. So here's a handy rule of thumb and again, I am not a professional, I am a podcast host giving you information. So here's a handy rule of thumb normal aging and yes, I know, I said that twice, just making sure you know I know I said that twice, just making sure you know I know.
Speaker 1:Normal aging you forget someone's name but remember it later. Totally normal, not normal. You forget people entirely and these are people that you see on a regular basis. Or you get lost in familiar places. You know you can walk into a room and forget why you're there. If you forget that it's the living room and you don't know what that room is, that's the problem. So start thinking about that, thinking about things that you forget, and thinking about if it's its entirety that you have forgotten it, can't find your car, or have you forgotten what kind of car you have? Walk into a room, don't remember why, that's fine. Do you not know it's a kitchen? That could be a problem Also not normal, repeating yourself every five minutes, misusing words often, or not knowing what season it is.
Speaker 1:Okay, let's think about those things. That's a big deal right now. All of you listening know it's summer. If you don, it could be a problem. But stop thinking about it on a small scale and start thinking about these things on a much bigger scale, also telling a story three days later or repeating yourself. But if you do it every five minutes, misusing words often, that could be a problem.
Speaker 1:Time to look into it. Make an appointment with your doctor. Start the test. Figure things out Once again. Don't ignore it. Figure things out Once again. Don't ignore it. If you go in and you give your doctor a list of what you think are your problems in your memory and they're like no big deal, move on with your life. If they say, yeah, we've got some testing to do, do it. Don't ignore it.
Speaker 1:There are ways to make things better. Even your memory and even Alzheimer's has come a long way in research better. Even your memory and even Alzheimer's has come a long way in research. This isn't meant to scare anyone. It's about awareness. Early detection equals early support and I believe in that, and we are men and women. You know women, you say, and women, you know women. You say oh, my husband ignores everything. So do we? So do we? We as a group of people, ignore problems, do not ignore. Get early support, fighting back Ways to keep your brain buff, okay. So what can you do?
Speaker 1:Now for the good news, you can do stuff to help your brain age gracefully, just like your fabulous self great aging gracefully. First one is move your booty. Exercise pumps blood to the brain. Okay, so exercise. I have another podcast called Inside Marcy's Mind. This is AG Neat for Sissies. Inside Marcy's Mind.
Speaker 1:Today's episode we're going to be talking about exercise, and the reason is is because it makes a difference in a lot of things. Move your booty. Exercise pumps blood to the brain. You don't need to run a marathon, just move. Water aerobics, dance class, dreading through Costco, it all counts.
Speaker 1:So, living in the city, I walk a lot more. As you all know, I am a huge proponent of um, water exercise. I say water aerobics. The ones I go to are not like the kind you see in the commercials. Mine are. It's called Hydroscope now and it is 45 minutes of nonstop action, moving and exercise. But don't forget just strutting through Costco. You know, living here in the city, we walk a lot. I remember being in the suburbs and being in a giant parking lot at Target and Lowe's is down at the other end and actually driving giant parking lot at Target and Lowe's is down at the other end and actually driving. I wouldn't think of that now. First of all, you have to pay for parking here, but make sure you're getting in your steps. Park far away from the grocery store. Get those extra steps in. If you need to just say I'm helping my brain, I'm helping my brain, I'm helping my brain.
Speaker 1:Blood flow matters. Eat smart. Omega-3s, leafy greens, berries and less sugar. Less sugar is something I need. I don't know what it is, but I am on a craving sugar kick right now and I am personally offended by that last one. Less sugar, but that is something I need to work on. Omega-3s, you can take them. Leafy greens, berries, get it all in. Eating smart matters.
Speaker 1:Sleep like you mean it. Seven to nine hours, my friends. Sleep is when your brain tidies up. I want you to think about that. When you're sleeping is when your brain clears out what it doesn't need to make room for the things that it does Think of it like a Roomba for your memories. So get that sleep. I don't know about you. I know sleep comes to me easily on some nights and not so great on others.
Speaker 1:Stay social. This is a huge one and I am very blessed to have amazing friends that, from California, call me every week and we chat. I have amazing friends here in Chicago. After we work out those of us that can stay we sit, we have an iced tea or a cup of coffee upstairs and we have great conversation for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Engage in real conversation, not just commenting LOL or, you know, ha ha, ha or whatever.
Speaker 1:Community matters. Make sure you have a good community. Learn something new, take a class, learn an instrument instrument or start a podcast. Trust me, it keeps your neurons firing. Not only do I record my podcast, I edit my podcast, I upload my podcast. Trust me, it keeps your neurons firing. Not only do I record my podcast, I edit my podcast, I upload my podcast, I advertise for my podcast. I do a lot, a lot for this podcast. Nobody I don't have a team, nobody does it for me. It's done by me and I know the reason I started two podcasts is because I felt I needed a little something more, and I'm glad I did it. I'm enjoying both of them.
Speaker 1:So again, this is Aging, ain't for Sissies. And I have another one Inside Marcy's Mind where I talk about all kinds of things, not just aging. Your brain's still got it, don't kid yourself. Let's end with a little perspective. Yes, we forget things. Yes, our processing speed is slower, but we also have experience, intuition and decades of juicy stories.
Speaker 1:Cognitive decline isn't the whole story. It's just one paragraph in your epic novel. You're still creative, funny, resourceful and full of sass, and no age will take that away. You have to give it away or let it go, and I don't want any of you to do that. So for my closing thoughts, if so, if you find yourself walking into a room and forgetting why, don't worry. Just make sure you know what room you're in, it's probably because you're doing three other things listening to a podcast and mentally rewriting your grocery list. Think about all the things that your brain is doing and remember. Forgetting stuff doesn't mean you're broken. It just means you're human, and a human who has lived a lot of life. So keep laughing, keep learning and keep showing the world that aging ain't for sissies, but it sure is for the brave, bold and fabulous. Until next time. This is Mar. Sure is for the brave, bold and fabulous, until next time. This is Marci signing off with love, laughter and maybe a little bit of what was I saying.
