As is normal for me Friday was my two weekly doctor’s check up (every two weeks you might be thinking) but yes that’s the way it is out here in Indonesia as the doctor insists on monitoring my condition regularly so she is aware of any changes, to be honest I don’t know if this time frame is good or not as I don’t know how regularly any of you at home have to go for check ups?
I was feeling very relaxed as she casually chatted away to my wife and directly with me about how my condition had been over the past two weeks and wanting to know all the details of how I kept myself occupied, then it was onto the couch for the actual medical check which I was quiet pleased about as my blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides are still all on par, although it appears that my deep tone reflexes have become very weak which didn’t surprise me as I do find it far more difficult to walk and maintain my balance now, but as she examined me I casually said ‘Oh’ I see you have a put up a curtain screen I don’t remember seeing that before! To which she replied (you think it’s new but it’s been there for the past four years that you have been coming to see me) ‘Whoops I thought’ obviously my observation skills are dwindling!
Then as we sat back around her desk out of the blue she decided to give me a test, first drawing a clock with the numbers and showing a set time, great I got full marks! Then the normal test of pointing a pencil at different items asking what is this, again not to bad as only a little hesitation (remember I have to find the answers in Indonesian not English) then she asked me to repeat a few sentences (In English) again ‘Whoops what did you say as I’ve already forgotten!
Then came the real blow when she asked what is 100 minus 7 (Long pause as my brain went into overdrive) ‘Ah yes 93’ great she replied now minus that by 7 again! Oh dear, Oh dear! I could feel myself becoming more agitated as my hands started to wring together and I could see my dear wife biting her lip in an effort not to answer for me as she gently squeezed my hands saying don’t worry my love its not the end of the world!
I was totally lost as I could not answer the doctor’s question of what should be just simple subtraction mathematics which makes me feel I should go back to primary school!
But overall she said I was doing fine and not to get anxious about the maths.
For those of you who are interested here are some simple tests for the memory and recognition that I devised so my wife can occasionally test me at home.
Just click on this link to download the words document to you own computer
View attachment Test your own memory of telling the time.doc
I was feeling very relaxed as she casually chatted away to my wife and directly with me about how my condition had been over the past two weeks and wanting to know all the details of how I kept myself occupied, then it was onto the couch for the actual medical check which I was quiet pleased about as my blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides are still all on par, although it appears that my deep tone reflexes have become very weak which didn’t surprise me as I do find it far more difficult to walk and maintain my balance now, but as she examined me I casually said ‘Oh’ I see you have a put up a curtain screen I don’t remember seeing that before! To which she replied (you think it’s new but it’s been there for the past four years that you have been coming to see me) ‘Whoops I thought’ obviously my observation skills are dwindling!
Then as we sat back around her desk out of the blue she decided to give me a test, first drawing a clock with the numbers and showing a set time, great I got full marks! Then the normal test of pointing a pencil at different items asking what is this, again not to bad as only a little hesitation (remember I have to find the answers in Indonesian not English) then she asked me to repeat a few sentences (In English) again ‘Whoops what did you say as I’ve already forgotten!
Then came the real blow when she asked what is 100 minus 7 (Long pause as my brain went into overdrive) ‘Ah yes 93’ great she replied now minus that by 7 again! Oh dear, Oh dear! I could feel myself becoming more agitated as my hands started to wring together and I could see my dear wife biting her lip in an effort not to answer for me as she gently squeezed my hands saying don’t worry my love its not the end of the world!
I was totally lost as I could not answer the doctor’s question of what should be just simple subtraction mathematics which makes me feel I should go back to primary school!
But overall she said I was doing fine and not to get anxious about the maths.
For those of you who are interested here are some simple tests for the memory and recognition that I devised so my wife can occasionally test me at home.
Just click on this link to download the words document to you own computer
View attachment Test your own memory of telling the time.doc
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