From University College London Brain Sciences
Copyright © 2016
By Ralph F. Couey
Throughout our lives we are burdened by a self-imposed delusion that we are somehow bullet-proof and immortal. This is probably a reflection of the common insecurity that we all carry with us, whether latent or manifest. But age has a way of shattering delusions, as we come to grips with how fragile a thing humans are.
It started a couple of years ago with memory problems. When you're 61 years old, that's usually something to joke about. But as time went on, things got worse, affecting the quality of my work. My superiors, despite my difficulties, were massively patient. Finally, out of an abundance of concern, I scheduled myself for a series of appointments with people whose specialty is the brain.
My first concern was the possibility of Alzheimer's, or early onset of senility. I remembered my father's last two years of life when he was afflicted by both. Bit by bit, he drifted away from us. Towards the end, there were times when he couldn't recognize anyone. I did not want to be that guy, especially this early. I love my grandchildren, and the absolute last thing I wanted was to see the hurt on their faces when Grampa didn't know who they were.
I went to a neuropsychologist who put me through a battery of tests, lasting several hours. I waited anxiously for the results which took about a week. The results were both good and bad.
It started a couple of years ago with memory problems. When you're 61 years old, that's usually something to joke about. But as time went on, things got worse, affecting the quality of my work. My superiors, despite my difficulties, were massively patient. Finally, out of an abundance of concern, I scheduled myself for a series of appointments with people whose specialty is the brain.
My first concern was the possibility of Alzheimer's, or early onset of senility. I remembered my father's last two years of life when he was afflicted by both. Bit by bit, he drifted away from us. Towards the end, there were times when he couldn't recognize anyone. I did not want to be that guy, especially this early. I love my grandchildren, and the absolute last thing I wanted was to see the hurt on their faces when Grampa didn't know who they were.
I went to a neuropsychologist who put me through a battery of tests, lasting several hours. I waited anxiously for the results which took about a week. The results were both good and bad.
