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Monday, May 19, 2008

Something funny about bipolar fog and Lithium

I'm sure, if you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you've noticed me complaining about DH's lack of memory and inability to retain things...before all of this bipolar stuff that was not the case, but I guess it comes with the territory. One time (before Lithium) DD had been given some Christmas presents and we brought them home in the car. Then, she brought them in, and we all watched her open the presents and oohed and ahhed over what she got. Then about five minutes after we had cleaned up the wrapping paper, DH said, "DD, don't forget you've got those presents in the car." DD and I both looked at DH as if he was maybe making a joke. But no. He completely had not registered that she had just opened them, even though he had been a part of it!!!

Anyhow, earlier today we were driving over to my mom's assisted living apartment. DH stops in mid-sentence and says "WOW!!!! Look at that old house!!! It's beautiful!!!!" I thought that was kind of strange, but I just kind of said "yeah, it is!". Then about a block later he says "OH!! Look!!! There's another beautiful old house!!!" And I started laughing and told him "DH, my mom has lived here for two and a half years. This is the way we always drive to get there. Are you telling me that you've never noticed those houses before?" And he kind of realized how funny that was, and he kind of giggled and said "Well....they could've moved them in last night...." Then we had a conversation about the things that Lithium is doing for him that we never even knew were problems!!! Funny in a cool way!!!

1 comments:

perphila said...

Funny thing about those memory gaps for me was wondering if I was the one not remembering things correctly. My husband would get angry at me when i pointed a gap out. Most of the time it was just a conversation we had no there wasn't anyone else to verify anything. He even said over the phone to me how he was very good and remembering things clearly and I was the one making things up. I began doubting myself. At the last threapy session my son had he brought the subject up with his therapist. he was saying how his dad would forget things all the time. I felt such relief. It wasn't just me who noticed! The therapist asked if he seemed to be forgetting only emotionally charged conversations or other day to day things. He was in fact forgetting things like why he bought a certain pair of shoes or what he was going to do next. The therapist said he needs to be tested but I didn't ask for what. I am not sure what he means but still at least I'm not crazy.