Question about the aging.
 

There is a guy retiring this Friday. I’ve noticed he tells me the same stories over and over again. I can match him word by word in my head as he speaks. I’ve memorized them. I stay polite and just let him tell it like the first time.
Is this a sign of something sinister in his future? Alzheimer’s?

Yes, I think so. Early onset dementia.

How old are you and how old is he?

One positive thing about dementia is that suddenly there are no reruns on the TV. Chief Sandwicher and I have a running wager involving how far into a movie we will be before we realize we’ve already seen it.

Also, the same joke is funny no matter how many times we’ve heard it so there is that.

Not necessarily a sign of impending dementia. There are some people who just tell the same stories over and over again. That's their repetoire.

You get a good story, you tell it.

There is a guy retiring this Friday. I’ve noticed he tells me the same stories over and over again. I can match him word by word in my head as he speaks. I’ve memorized them. I stay polite and just let him tell it like the first time.
Is this a sign of something sinister in his future? Alzheimer’s?

Did I ever tell you about the time...?

Seriously, jus lost a buddy since childhood to dementia. During the early stages, he told me he could look at something, knew what it was, but he just couldn't say it.

That’s my dad exactly.
He’s been telling the story about the 55 Corvette and the pheasant since 1955. I bet the subject of Corvettes has never gone by without a retelling.

My answer is the same as the last time.:D

Hah! We see what you did there.

Dementia and Alzheimer's are not the same although 60 to 80% of those with dementia do have Alzheimer's. Dementia is a more normal progression of the ability to maintain the same brain function as you did when younger. It just goes with old age — some more than others.

I have a friend I meet for coffee now and then and I'm apt to hear the same story if our visits are more frequent. Less frequent and he's on to new territory. I'd say anywhere from a month or 2 and the repeated story is dropped. It could be triggered, though, at any time.

OTOH, my wife can order dinner and five minutes later ask me what she ordered. Or shopping at the grocery, I carry the list and put things in the cart and mention it. 2 aisles later she asks me if we got the item.

At this point the blank seems to be from 5 minutes to 24 hours and then the memory may very well kick back in. She is OK with most routines. The early signs were likely there well over 5 years ago. Treatment began a year ago, but there is no real cure.

So what does treatment mean? I couldn't tell you other than some of this medicine is a bad as any cancer meds you have ever heard of.

For dementia diet, blood pressure, any heart issues and overall health are the key. The brain needs a lot of oxygen and if there is anything impairing that then brain is not being cared for.

One thing older folks can do is keep up the dialogue and debate like reading all of the varied threads here and elsewhere and participate. Kinda hard to interact with the news on TV or in print.

It could be stress. Some people respond to stressful situations by talking, some nervously, some just saying what comes to mind. He’s retiring, a new situation that he may find uncomfortable and somewhat stressful.
The more nervous my wife is the more she needs to fill the space with sound. I’m just the opposite.

Bingo! That's one reason I spend so much time here & on other sites at age 80...after Cindy's latest MS bout, we're semi shut-ins, venturing forth mainly for medical appointments and resupply missions. Not much out and about for interactions with others. So, web surfing helps me stay cognitive.

Another plus here is that I learn "stuff", reading about projects, personal product reviews, etc. A wide range of talents on this board...probably wider than any other site I visit.

To many boomers, telling stories is a way of teaching and sharing
information the teller feels is important.
A lesson learned for example.
Telling the same one over and over is just due to the teller not being able
to remember who or when he has told it before.

My wife says I do that.
I'll be telling her what happened at the grocery store
and she says "I know, you told me that yesterday".
It could be a sign of something bad, but more likely just
occasional absent-mindedness.

She also says I've done it since we first met a long time ago ;)

I have been prone to this for a long time...if not forever. It is not that I don't realize that I am retelling a story (as I tell the same ones to many folks) ...I just may not remember who I told it to (as I seem to only have a limited number for stories to tell and enjoy telling them). Sometimes I catch myself and realize it is one I already told. I guess it is good that I am very honest as a prevaricator might just change the characters/ending.

Jinx

Go look at his car. Dents/dings/scrapes are an indicator of diminishing abilities.

He might just be a boring guy.

I have been accused of this by family. Thing is, I only have so many stories. And, I really seem to communicate VIA storytelling.

My memory is better than most. For now.

When we get older, we accrue less stories, but the ones we have? They're dandies. There so good, we just love to tell them again and again. It's fun. So next time you hear the story about that golf weekend with Bob and the stripper girl? Remember, it's for the teller's enjoyment, not so much yours.

Just laugh and say, "wow!" Be kind. Make their day.

Say Hello in There. Hello.