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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by noa on January 14, 2002, at 17:41:41
I did a real airhead thing again. I work Tue-Fri. But, I'm on a committee that meets twice a month, one Monday and one Thursday. I'm not just on the committee. I am one of the facilitators. I just had a meeting the other day to prepare for this committee meeting today.
But there I was today, in a complete other world--the *not* working world-- and completely forgot about the meeting!! I had even rescheduled my therapy appointment to earlier in the day today so I could attend the committee meeting.
I got up, did laundry, went to the gym, went to therapy, all the while completely forgetting about this afternoon's meeting. Then I went to run errands. I went to a new pharmacy (so sick of the others--another story) and after dropping off the scrip I noticed they have a huge vitamin/mineral/supplement section, so I started to browse there because I need a multivitamin with iron, etc. I got so absorbed and spent way more time than expected. Then, I stopped in some antique shops to browse for a gift for someone. I got totally lost in the browsing there, too. I was over-absorbed, mesmerized, unaware of time. Then, I ran another errand or two and then noticed the time, and suddenly I remembered the meeting! But it was too late. It was after 5 pm, and the meeting was almost over (I wouldn't make it there anyway). AARRGGHHH!!
I am so embarrassed! I left my co-facilitator a message but I'm embarrassed about talking to her tomorrow.
This is not the first time it happened, either. Last month it happened, only, once I realized the mistake, I covered by saying I had gotten a doctor's appointment opening at the last minute that I couldn't turn down. Ie, I lied.
AARRGGHH!!! I hate when this happens!
Posted by janejj on January 14, 2002, at 18:02:13
In reply to Feeling stupid again--DOH!!, posted by noa on January 14, 2002, at 17:41:41
Posted by Mair on January 14, 2002, at 20:47:35
In reply to Feeling stupid again--DOH!!, posted by noa on January 14, 2002, at 17:41:41
> Noa - this kind of thing happens to me more than I care to admit - and it always leaves me feeling disoriented. I know you've been on serzone too long probably to blame it on that, but alot (but unfortunately not all) of my forgetfulness stopped when i got off that drug.
Mair
Posted by Shar on January 15, 2002, at 17:12:35
In reply to Re: Feeling stupid again--DOH!!, posted by Mair on January 14, 2002, at 20:47:35
Posted by Phil on January 15, 2002, at 17:22:33
In reply to Feeling stupid again--DOH!!, posted by noa on January 14, 2002, at 17:41:41
Too bad the meeting is not on one of your work days. But with all that browsing and curiosity, sounds like life is good.
Posted by IsoM on January 15, 2002, at 18:20:38
In reply to Feeling stupid again--DOH!!, posted by noa on January 14, 2002, at 17:41:41
I very much do things like that. Most aren't that crucial if I forget but one was terrible. The only son of good friends of mine died in a freak accident & I was going to go to the funeral, of course. All that day, I kept thinking I was missing something but I often get that feeling so just passed it off. I felt so horrible afterwards when I was asked a few days later by someone else on whether I attended. How sincere does my grief for the parents sound when I say "no, I forgot."
My worse is never knowing from one minute to the other where I just put something I had in my hands like a knife or remote control or pen or my car keys or wallet with ID or my pills I just took out to take with tea - & on & on. Thank goodness, the adrafinil's giving me my mind back. I feel like I'm caught between two dimensions - neither here nor there.
>
> I did a real airhead thing again. I work Tue-Fri. But, I'm on a committee that meets twice a month, one Monday and one Thursday. I'm not just on the committee. I am one of the facilitators. I just had a meeting the other day to prepare for this committee meeting today.
>
> But there I was today, in a complete other world--the *not* working world-- and completely forgot about the meeting!! I had even rescheduled my therapy appointment to earlier in the day today so I could attend the committee meeting.
>
> I got up, did laundry, went to the gym, went to therapy, all the while completely forgetting about this afternoon's meeting. Then I went to run errands. I went to a new pharmacy (so sick of the others--another story) and after dropping off the scrip I noticed they have a huge vitamin/mineral/supplement section, so I started to browse there because I need a multivitamin with iron, etc. I got so absorbed and spent way more time than expected. Then, I stopped in some antique shops to browse for a gift for someone. I got totally lost in the browsing there, too. I was over-absorbed, mesmerized, unaware of time. Then, I ran another errand or two and then noticed the time, and suddenly I remembered the meeting! But it was too late. It was after 5 pm, and the meeting was almost over (I wouldn't make it there anyway). AARRGGHHH!!
>
> I am so embarrassed! I left my co-facilitator a message but I'm embarrassed about talking to her tomorrow.
>
> This is not the first time it happened, either. Last month it happened, only, once I realized the mistake, I covered by saying I had gotten a doctor's appointment opening at the last minute that I couldn't turn down. Ie, I lied.
>
> AARRGGHH!!! I hate when this happens!
Posted by noa on January 15, 2002, at 20:22:32
In reply to The Stupid Feeling Is Continuous With Me » noa, posted by IsoM on January 15, 2002, at 18:20:38
Thanks all. The co-misery does help.
TOday was better--just the regular "snafu" kind of day (situation normal, all fouled up). I spoke briefly with the co-facilitator and I feel bad because the meeting was a hard one. I know that isn't my fault, but I also know that when there are two of us there, we can tag team it to cope with the hard meeting stuff.
She and I are going to get together to talk more about it tomorrow or Thursday.
Part of the problem was that I had left my palm organizer at work, although I am not entirely convinced I would have checked in anyway.
I still feel like I'm forgetting something.....and it is a good bet I am........
Posted by noa on January 15, 2002, at 20:23:18
In reply to Re: Feeling stupid again--DOH!!, posted by Mair on January 14, 2002, at 20:47:35
Hmm....serzone...something to look into (on top of the liver issue).
Posted by noa on January 16, 2002, at 6:36:17
In reply to Re: Feeling stupid again--DOH!!, posted by Phil on January 15, 2002, at 17:22:33
> But with all that browsing and curiosity, sounds like life is good.
Phil, you're right--keep it in perspective.
Funny, I was thinking a lot about your post and realized that I've been well enough to take something like that for granted.
Still, the truth is that I was procrastinating by losing myself in doing things I didn't need to do while I DIDN't do the things I did need to do (and had planned to do) on Monday. That left me scrambling yesterday to get the most urgent of them done while also working.
But, with the perspective you wisely offer, I remember that nothing catastrophic happened.
Posted by Gracie2 on January 20, 2002, at 1:25:30
In reply to Re: Feeling stupid again--DOH!!, posted by noa on January 16, 2002, at 6:36:17
Noa- nice to hear from you, dear.
I suffer from short-term memory loss to an almost disabilitating degree, which has wreaked havoc with my personal and professional life. I get tired and dismayed from all the times I have to hear, "I told you that - don't you remember?"
No, I don't remember. I think all the little neurotransmitters in my head still haven't adjusted to directing themselves after six months of taking high doses of psychiatric drugs...a year later! Or maybe I'm doing an early Rita Hayworth, I don't know. My grandfather had Alzeimers.
Anyway, I've had to resort to certain tricks. I have a big calender in my kitchen and I make it a point to write down everything. I would never bother to look at an appointment book, but I can see this calender right in front of me when I make coffee in the morning and dinner at night.
We live in an old four-story house, including the basement, and if I intend to do more than one thing on a separate level, I remind myself of the number of things that I wish to accomplish before I go back downstairs. (Find my checkbook/bring down the laundry/turn off the computer.) Otherwise I'm bound to forget something.
It sucks and it makes me feel really old, which I'm not. Thankfully, my long-term memory is intact, so I can still function at work even though I can't remember when I'm supposed to be there.
Write down everything. If it's really important and immediate, set a timer or write it on your hand. My son's girlfriend has her pager set to go off at the same time every day to remind her to take her birth control pill (largely thanks to me, after I put the fear of God into her). I also have to take a daily pill for hypertension and I keep the pill bottle right on the coffeepot. I leave post-it notes everywhere. I have gas credit cards in case I'm out of money and haven't noticed that the tank is almost empty. It's really survival stuff.
I've been getting by okay in that manner. I hope I improve but until then, I have to surround myself with reminders.
Good luck to you-
Gracie
Posted by finelinebob on January 24, 2002, at 22:44:38
In reply to Re: Feeling stupid again--DOH!!, posted by noa on January 16, 2002, at 6:36:17
Hey Noa, guess that's more embarassing but less expensive than forgetting a brand-new digital camera on the t-shirt table of an anti-dealth penalty demonstration. Oooh! Never told you this part, I don't think -- the shirt I grabbed from the table fit just fine, since I checked the label ... but I didn't notice that I'd grabbed one with all the wording in Spanish!
Last time I contribute to THAT organization! ;^)
My anxiety conspires with itself to make me forget stuff. Like calling in each week for unemployment "certification". After missing 3 or 4 weeks of reporting over the course of two months, they just stopped sending checks. Thankfully, when I finally called to talk to a person (the "check-in" system is automated), the State of New York was gracious enough to pay me for the weeks I forgot to call in.
Of course, I needed to phone in to the main temp agency I am working with on Fridays to report my availability for the next week, and I routinely forget to do that as well.
Don't let anyone ever tell you that being unemployed ain't more work than being employed. I need a job just to get some vacation time!
cheers,
flb
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