Did I wash & dry my hands?

(Chapter 3 Memory Problems in my book)

The other day I was in my bathroom, standing in front of the sink. I knew that I had just used the toilet, but for some reason I couldn't remember if I had already washed and dried my hands. I was pretty sure that I had washed my hands, but because I wasn't positive, I decided to wash and dry them. I think that it will become a much bigger problem if I don't even think about doing it again. I just had to laugh at myself because of what had just happened.

I don't really know how often this happens, but I know that it does happen. It isn't something that I worry about. I cannot change the way my brain works, so making sure this doesn't happen again really isn't an option. I have learned to accept what is part of my life that I can't change.

The problem with my memory is that I can forget something so very quickly. This can happen within a few seconds or several minutes. Even though I thought I had just washed and dried my hands, I could have been remembering doing this many hours ago, rather than a few seconds ago. That is because most of the time my long-term memory is much better than my short-term memory.

I think that what has helped me accept this diagnosis is the fact that I was diagnosed in 2005. I've had a lot of years living with the problems with my cognition.