Have any of you guys done this?? Today, I asked my husband if we got any interesting "emails" when he came back from checking the mailbox. We went for a drive Saturday, and I twice referred to "bluebonnets" as "blueberries". I've also referred to the front seat as the front yard. And I am forgetting words. Am I coming down with Alzheimer's, or is this normal for a 45 year old??

Oh gosh, you should HEAR some of the strange things that come out of my mouth these days! Today at work, I said to my girlfriend: We'll NEVER see the day of light again! (HELLO? LIGHT OF DAY?) And Friday AT work, of course I was asking my boss for a pair of pliers for a reset, and INSTEAD of pliers, I asked him for PLUCKERS????? No clue on earth where it came from. I think this is VERY normal! At least I sure do hope so, because it happens to me ALL the time lately!~ I say go with it and enjoy the opportunity to be a goof WITH darn good reason! HORMONES! (I find that the majority of people laugh right along with me when I say "Excuse me....I'm a hormonal mess and I can NOT be held responsible for whatever comes out of my mouth!!)
HUGS!

Oh, thanks, Kleeo, that makes me feel better!! I sometimes feel like I am either going nuts, or there is something physically wrong with me. Between the brain fog and palpitations and miss-spelling everything and lots of other stuff I can't remember right now I sometimes wonder how anyone makes it through perimeno.

Tompet
Only the other day my daughter was listening to a CD and I said 'Is that Justin Tumberlake?' She fell about in uncontrollable laughter. Oh yes I am real comedian, NOT!!

robin

Robin, I've heard him called Timberflake, but definitely not Tumberlake.

the best one i can remember is asking my husband, who was out in the dark chopping some wood for the fireplace, if he could use a mirror....... without skipping a beat, he said yes please... love that guy. i brought out the torch to light his work, and he just said thankyou...

Tompest Dear

MIXING UP WORDS?!?!!? Heck I have been doing that my ENTIRE life. I say things like..."I am going to grass the mow"...."I am off to fix.......fix....FIX...ahhh you know what I mean...... that 'thing'.....that we have at night.....ohh what do you call it......DINNER"

ALL ........... MY...........LIFE! I think... in part.... it is because my mother is French!. Yep...gonna blame my mother for all this

One of the reasons why I have always been far more comfortable in writing, rather than 'talking'....is for that VERY reason.....With writing I can ...'backspace'. In talking...once I open my mouth....it only takes me about 3 minutes....to put both feet smack dab in there

I get expressions wrong constantly.....until a few years ago, I always said "pair for the core".....no-one ever bothered to correct me. They always thought I was just so darn cute.....GRRrrrRRR.......I am most susiptable to uttering...the wrong words...in the wrong sequence.....or having the word simply 'escape' me....when I am under stress.

And we ALL know that stress is high during menopause.

SO 'Trumpet' Dear...no fears. Just speak and be heard....and let them know...that the words may be escaping you, and the words may be coming out all wrong........but.......YOU know how to say...supercalifragilesticexpialedoscious!!! HA!

Dottie
P.S.
I used to write long and beautifully worded poetry. Alot of people didn't think that I had actually written the poems....."Gee you sure don't TALK that way" (sigh)Or my carefully scripted letters to some editor was always met with...."YOU wrote THAT!!??"
Does wonders for ones self esteem.

Oh my goodness, yes I am always making a mess out of my words. I am a terrible speaker and know it. I would never run for office as I could never give a speech. I am messing up my words now more than ever. I think that is why I don't write much on the boards either as I am just not a speaker of words or even the written word. I speak through my art and that is what I am best at.

Dotcalm2u, I could have written your post (except put art where you have poems) I am always sticking my foot in my mouth.

Mopsy

Count me in too> Somedays I wonder why I even bother to open my mouth!

Wow, I am sorry you are all having problems, I guess misery loves company.
I wonder if this gets better as we move through menopause? I really hope this doesn't stay with us and/or gets worse.

hey, you gotta laugh ot else we'll cry! I was in work and someone had balloons. Well the helieum was going and the balloons were on the floor and got tangled in the wheels of the chair. I asked where did all these umbrellas come from? Of course, evryone looked at me, and I said, non-plussed, well, the both have b's and l's in them. I was close....

Lets not forget the mystical way that spelling has taken a whole new twist!
Let me see now....how do you speel howse?

Too too funny!! And I agree...gotta laugh !!

i used to be able to talk on the phone while the tv was on......now i can't really do two things at once, i just kinda start babbling..

yes, I too am a member of the "forgot your words" club....very entertaining to my family and friends, who constantly laugh at the things that come out of my mouth and I stand there and look like I am surprised -- when I really know what is going on! Never let them see you sweat:)

Thanks, you guys! I no longer feel abnormal and on the verge of Alzheimer's.
I love the helium umbrellas!

Me too!

I've always had a problem (minor) with Spoonerisms, sort of hobby status but I seem to be heading towards going pro. And, I forget words, 3 or four in particular. And I will keep mixing up my Dubberywhatzits and / or thingamajiggles with my hoo-hoo.

Its not Old Timers after all!!

Ha ha ha , this began happening to me so often years ago and my family would ask me what I just said as it made no sense to them and I would look at them indignantly and say " YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!!!!!!!!".......I blame it on the mind which becomes overloaded and all the words start tripping over each other....I now make a conscious attempt to make sure I say " stir the sauce" and not "stab the soup" as that can really make some eyebrows rise....hahahahaha .......I justr love getting old

I am glad to have found this post this morning - I've been doing the same thing A LOT lately, within the last 6 months. It's one thing to know that these things can happen in peri and menopause, but it's another to actually experience them.

Here's another thing I've been doing a lot: letting pans and teakettles boil down to nothing. (I leave the room to do something else.) Do any of you do that?

YES! I learned to use only a whistling tea kettle, and to ALWAYS use the timer, even when I make garlic bread in the broiler oven. I have melted tea kettles to my burner and burned many loaves of garlic bread. Now, I pour my tea and then leave it on the counter and forget to drink it!!!!!! My husband leaves it there thinking I'm actually going to remember I poured it

READING THESE REPLIES---CAN ANYONE GIVE ME A SMALL PREVIEW OF WHAT TO SAY TO MY GP,WHEN I START DESCRIBING MY SYMTOMS---HOW SHOULD I START "THE REASON I AM HERE TODAY IS THAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT HOW I AM FEELING'--OR SHOULD I WAIT TO HEAR HER DIAGNOSIS OF MY FEELINGS FIRST.AS MANY OF YOU HAVE READ MY MESSAGE YESTERDAY---I WAS SO FRUSTRATED,AND COULD NOT REMEMBER WORDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT I WAS SAYING.MOST OF THE TIME I THINK I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO REALLY RECOGNIZES MY PROBLEM----YESTERDAY EVERYONE DID.I AM AFRAID I WON'T GET MY FEELINGS AND PROBLEM ACROSS TO MY DOCTOR.IT WILL PROBABLY BE ONE OF MY BETTER DAYS.ALSO FOR SOME REASON I FEEL THAT TAKING THAT FIRST STEP MAKING AN APPOITMENT IS A GOOD IDEA.YOUR THOUGHTS/>>>>>

Write everything down beforehand, like right now, while you are thinking of it.

I have to keep a small note pad with me at all times, because my short term memory has failed, and I cannot remember from one minute to the next, unless I write things down as they come into my head.

This has really helped me a lot, and gets rid of most of the frustration.

When I was at my absolute worst, anxiety, depression, panic, exhaustion, agoraphobia...OMG it was awful...I wrote a list of all my symptoms on a piece of paper. When I got to the doctor's office, I started crying and couldn't stop....it was so embarassing, but it reflected how out of control I was feeling. I ended up handing the doctor the note, as I literally could not speak!! He read my note, and decided I needed anti depressants and hormone replacement....but first had to have a bunch of tests done before I would get the hormones. Long story short...my list saved me!! For sure write it down...if you can use the list yourself, great...if you are a basket case like I was, hand the list to the doctor!

Just over the past few days I have said....oh, I have to go pick up my "cats" from the groomers...( I don't have cats, I have DOGS!!)
I said....Look, the little dog is all twisted up around my leg....when in fact he was twisted up around my ARM!!
My daughter said goodbye to me the other night, said "goodbye mother"....to which I replied "goodbye daughter" and realized I had typed the word "daughter" in the middle of a post, when the word should NOT have been!! Sheesh, it is a wonder I can be understood at all!!!

Floater,

You are HILARIOUS!!!

I am pimp, laughing as I read your post!!!

I stop many times in the middle of a sentence and have to say, "Would you please help me out here?" "I have no idea what I'm trying to say. "

I recently asked my husband to check the oil and gas in the sewing machine so I could cut the grass...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

My sewing machine runs on diesel.

This has become a real issue for me lately. Sometimes I hear myself say something and get the feeling it didn't make sense. I'll try to say it again, this time correctly, but I still can't get it right. I'm not really sure what I'm saying when I say it. It's like there is a disconnect between my brain and my mouth. I'm actually pretty worried about it, since I'm having the same issues with writing (keyboarding) too. I find I have to go to Dictionary.com constantly because I cannot remember how to spell simple words. Even after I look up the word, I will forget how to spell it very quickly.

I would like to go back to work but it could be a real disaster. I was an English major, for Pete's sake! Could getting my hormones back on track help? Just curious. (Had to re-read this post three times to find all the words I mis-spelled or left out entirely. Still not sure if I found them all.)

Chocolate, When I first found PS and read the transcript of Dr. Claire Waga on "menopause and the mind" I walked on air for 3 days. She exactly identifies the problems I have with word finding, word substitutions, reading, spelling, etc. I used to be a fairly intelligent, articulate person and this is a terrible feeling. I made a copy of all 25 pages and highlighted things that apply to me and took it to my Dr. and said "this is what I've been talking about". It has given me hope and the energy to keep pursuing the right combination of hormones to make it go away. Good luck!

Thanks, libby. I'll have a look at the transcript. What did your doc say when you handed him 25 pages? Did he/she run out of the room screaming?

WOW! I sometimes get my b's and d's mixed. The most notorious is when I go to say "bucks" I always say "ducks".

I am a brand new member and this is my first post. So very glad to see from others experiences that I am not going crazy! Thank you for being here!

I have recently begun to screw up verb tenses and agreements when I talk--I will say things like "He do it" "They are it" etc. I'm 44 and am staring to experience insomnia, mood swings, and change in my cycle length too. My verbal mistakes seem to slip out especially when I am talking about day to day stuff with my husband and kids. (breakfast instructions, plans etc.)
What has really scared me about the experience is that I was an English major and have worked as an editor (!!) and freelance writer (!!) for years, so this seems to get at the core of my self image. Every time I catch myself making a mistake, I feel bad all over again, and now that I am monitoring myself I am probably catching goofs I never would have noticed before...

Sissyl

Welcome to PS! You will find this site a wonderful source.

Is your doctor helping you with the peri symptoms? Not getting enough sleep can magnify your other symptoms.

Also, welcome to the menospeak section! I was in advertising for 20 years, and did my share of copy writing. Always felt very confident with my writing ability. Not so much at this point. Occasionally, I find myself searching for words to complete a sentence, have looked at objects and called them something totally different and spelling is a hit or miss. Recently discovered that I can speak my own version of Shakespeare in everyday conversations! So, don't fretteth.

Take care.

(((HUGS)))

Bella

welcome---i hope you like to read----there are lots of us with just the same problem.there are lots of posts here that will help you share your experiences,and lots of great advice.look around the site,and see which parts help you the most.my bggest problem was and still is"can this be part of menopause'?i have been having the same type of problem--saying things and trying to express them so at least SOMEONE can decipher what I am trying to convey .I think that one of the major bits of advice I can offer is "TRY TO STAY CALM"--not easy,but anxiety can become a big problem.Shall I tell you how long it took me to write this?"THIS TOO SHALL PASS".WHEN?BEATS ME.welome again.

Hello - this too appears to be very common - phew. I call my friends odd names - like say Jen and Dorothy - I will call them "DorJen"! Or I call one son the other son's name. Call hubby Dad? That type of lovely thing.

It is rare that I am at a loss for words, but it has been known to happen as well. Goshamighty - getting old is so very weird.

Suzanne

also want to say welcome to the club. it is really disconcerting to have this stuff happen, especially when it does strike at core issues like identity. i used to have great linguistic skills &now it is like english is my second language at times. it does seem to come & go for most of us. someday soon i hope to be able to start reading all the books i bought a few years ago & had to abandon for the time being.

good luck on the journey. it helps to foster a really good sense of humor.

ellen

Thanks for all the welcomes and reassurance. I have felt so much better knowing that others make the same slips and I particularly appreciate all the comments from women who can laugh at themselves on this. I am going to try to adopt that attitude too. For instance, I was happy to see my husband left his shaver in the fridge this morning--and he has no excuse!

My husband is very articulate and has a very large vocabulary. And then there is me.....even before perimenopause I was not very good at coming up with conversation on the spare of the moment. Now, even when I am just talking with him, I will start to speak and can't think a word. Usually it is a simple word that is fairly common. My husband has to finish my sentence for me. Or my co-worker or whoever I am with. This happens especially with names of people I am familiar with....how embarrasing!!!

I had to laugh out loud when I read this.

I'm constantly forgetting words. I'll be like "Honey, will you get me the...the...you know that thing..the the..DAMMIT!!! You know that thing to open the....you know the...can...the thing with the tuna fish...CAN OPENER! DAMMIT! WHERE'S THE DAMNED CAN OPENER..."

I was out with my sisters and asked "who's yellow bag is that?" The bag was neon pink. They all just ignored it and my niece started giving me grief for it. We were out for her 40th birthday party. I just answered to her that in a couple years, she's going to see pink and say yellow too.

Welcome to the club.

I had to introduce a close frined I have known for 25 years to a co-worker and looked at the friend and could not remember her name. I just stood there staring at her and could not remember her name! She had to say it for me. Also, I have started to explain the function of an item when I can't remember what it's called. Or, I'll say "what's the word I'm looking for? It's a simple word that means...." Geesh!

I'm soooo glad some one else is doing this too. Last week I told my son to "washing machine the floor" and he said you mean vaccum? I had to stand there, looking at him for a second, then asked him what I said. Or how about when your in the middle of a coversation and you suddenly stop because you totally forgot what you were talking about.
Barb

You know you are in trouble when you just can't pull up the name of your own son!
I was once having a passionate debate about something and just stopped mid sentence. I had no clue as to what to say next. Oh dear!
The good news is that it is a clear sign that you are in transition and I can give you reassurance that it does pass!
Who needs silly blood tests to try and confirm that you are menopausal, just listen to your body. It will tell you everything you need to know!


Cheers,


XIII