Memory Glitch

I have short term memory loss, so...I forget things. Over the years I have found systems that help keep me organized, one is making lists or notes, and another is a calendar.

The thing with the calendar, you have to write things down and check it often.

I had my annual eye exam booked for the end of May. I really needed this appointment as I have  had some eye issues. But, I got confused as to the date, because I hadn't been checking the calendar. I missed my appointment, thought it was the week after it was actually scheduled.

The clinic was very understanding, allowed one missed appointment, but if it happened again, I would be charged. I rebooked and made the next appointment as scheduled.

The doctor suggested I have my peripheral vision checked, as that can be a problem for people with MS, so I booked an appointment for that test, and my annual for the next year.

Things got busy, and I suddenly remembered the appointment cards were in my wallet, I had not added them to my home calendar. When I pulled the cards out, I noticed the date of one appointment was for June 7, and it was then the 13th of June. Damn, I'd missed another appointment.

I had a friend, in her eighties, also with a memory problem. She frequently missed appointments, arrived on the wrong day, too early or too late. It bothered her, and I understood that now better than I had before. It's embarrassing, and a blatant indicator that you are no longer in total control of your faculties.

I didn't know how I was going to face the people at the clinic, and avoided that call to apologize. The appointment cards were sitting on the table, a constant reminder. I put them on the fridge and looked at the dates. It made me laugh and shake my head.

One card read June 7, but for 2017, next year, my annual appointment. The other was for September, 2016. I didn't miss my appointment after all. What a relief. It does serve as a reminder that I need to improve my calendar situation. I need one on the fridge, where I can see it often throughout the day, not the agenda I have in the drawer beside my chair.

I'm so glad I didn't make that call. I would have felt even more foolish than if I had actually missed the appointment. I know, I know, pride cometh before the fall.