The library is more badass than I realized!!!

[FLA]

argh, this almost made *me* cry! Best wishes from a random internet stranger on your Brain Rehab stuff.
[/quote]

thank you very much, that is very sweet of you

[scrubbyfish]

FLA, that story truly was wonderful!!

I know my librarian here is such a dream. There were also two in Vancouver that were like Library Foster Parents for my son. I loved that I could bring him in and if one of these two were on, they would listen to his ideas and requests and really help those be fulfilled. Like the one here, they were into his enthusiasm, got to know him, and would go out of their way to think of things he might like and order those in for him, surprising him with new items every time we showed up. A birthday every week!

I could open a private library, I guess, and shelve all I want there!

Realized I did do this, lol. It WAS awesome! A friend of mine opened a used bookstore for similar reasons -be with books! shelve books! Also, I could create one of those free mini-libraries-on-a-post. Except for the delightful whimsy of them, I've never understood these, as everywhere I've seen them, they are close enough to a library that why wouldn't we just go there? But maybe their deepest purpose is to allow all of us to decide what's in them, and let all of us shelve at will.

[Dicey]

Oh FLA, I am sorry for your struggles! I hope that brain rehab is successful. FWIW, I would never have guessed you were struggling with this from your posts, which I have enjoyed very much. Everyone mentions the randomness of the internet, but I feel a link to people with whom I have things in common, and whose writing speaks to me, even if we've not met face-to-face. I think of them as modern-day pen pals. Not strangers, just friends I haven't met yet. Which makes me sound really old, but I'm happy for every revolution I can get. So be it. Best wishes for a healthy resolution.

[FLA]

Oh FLA, I am sorry for your struggles! I hope that brain rehab is successful. FWIW, I would never have guessed you were struggling with this from your posts, which I have enjoyed very much. Everyone mentions the randomness of the internet, but I feel a link to people with whom I have things in common, and whose writing speaks to me, even if we've not met face-to-face. I think of them as modern-day pen pals. Not strangers, just friends I haven't met yet. Which makes me sound really old, but I'm happy for every revolution I can get. So be it. Best wishes for a healthy resolution.

Back at you! Thank you for your post.  Isn't it bizarre how verbal has stayed and everything else is dreadfully low?  I was way above average in verbal on an IQ test but in the first percentile for all the other areas that involved memory, comprehension, following simple instructions.  I knew it was bad, but 1st percentile bad and lost 60 IQ points bad?  I probably already said this, I repeat so much, sorry. Like I remember being asked to draw three easy shapes and I could only draw 2.  Figuring out how much something would cost, a word problem, I knew the answer later that day, it was 5x6=30.  Now how the heck do I remember that weeks later yet couldn't then and can't most of the time?  The poor guy who did all the testing, I called him the next day with answers I suddenly remembered and could we start all over?  I can do better.  He said, it's done, don't worry about it.  Then I got his results in the mail and was astonished.  So I begged him to let me try again and he said doing better would hurt your chances at getting SSDI, let it go, it is not who I am as a person. Writing is easiest, speaking can be tough even though it's right there, I just need to spit it out. 

I was a nurse, I feel like I should easily understand this but I don't. I just cannot grasp that I can write (I won't remember mostly what I wrote) but cannot draw a circle, a square and a triangle when instructed just once. 

I thank you for writing and I agree on "meeting" new people online.  Nice to meet you, Diane, keep in touch, this site is so huge it may be hard to find you again!

[Dicey]

I thank you for writing and I agree on "meeting" new people online.  Nice to meet you, Diane, keep in touch, this site is so huge it may be hard to find you again!

Thanks, FLA. Here's a trick I just figured out today. If you click on a poster's name on a comment, it takes you to their profile. On the left, below their name, click on "Show Posts". You can see everything they've posted on the forum. You can also find someone via "Members", five tags over from the orange "Home" button.

Also, FLA, I am very concerned with memory issues too. My MIL lives with us and has Alzheimer's. As I said to my walking partner the other day, "Not everyone who worries about Alzheimer's gets it, but everyone who gets it worried about it." I am very concerned about my memory and am half serious when I joke that I'm catching it from her. For me, it's the triggers that I seem to be losing my grip on. I can remember things better when prompted, but who will be there to prompt me in the future? I hope that your testing leads to a treatable diagnosis.

[Shinplaster]

Hi Diane C.  I can so relate to your fears about losing your memory.  I have gone from the woman who never forgot anything, to the one that can't remember anything.   When I shared my concerns about my memory with my doctor, she reassured me with the words "If you can't remember why you went upstairs, it's OK.  Everyone does that.  If you can't remember where upstairs is, or that you have an upstairs, you are in trouble".

So now, when I complain to Mr. SP about forgetting something, he just asks me "do you remember we have an upstairs?".  It always makes me laugh.

FLA - you write so eloquently, I would never guess you had any issues at all.  I wish you the best in your treatment.

Regarding our library, which is already terrific, as of today we can download movies, documentaries, ebooks, etc.   Funding is done at the municipal level, and our city has been hard hit with the downturn in manufacturing, so it took a while to have the money to do this.  I am really excited to be able to use this when there is 4 feet of snow in our driveway.

[Dicey]

Hi Diane C.  I can so relate to your fears about losing your memory.  I have gone from the woman who never forgot anything, to the one that can't remember anything.   When I shared my concerns about my memory with my doctor, she reassured me with the words "If you can't remember why you went upstairs, it's OK.  Everyone does that.  If you can't remember where upstairs is, or that you have an upstairs, you are in trouble".

So now, when I complain to Mr. SP about forgetting something, he just asks me "do you remember we have an upstairs?".  It always makes me laugh.

I appreciate your comment and the laugh (and your name), shinplaster. My doctor said something similar, but less funny. I still call bullshit because the people who eventually can't remember there's an upstairs were once able to. Yes, there's cognitive decline and yes, there's needless worry, but there's something to be said for early detection and intervention. Our medical system is not on that wavelength. Maybe it's a chicken-or-egg thing, but I know that there's been a sea change in my memory. How much worse it can get and still allow me to function normally remains to be seen.

[Shinplaster]

Oh yes, the above doesn't keep me from fussing about this.   I have made Mr. SP promise that if he sees me deteriorating further, and I don't notice, he must say something.   Since his memory is horrible due to his own medical issues, losing mine would be a disaster in our household.  I take comfort in the fact that my 85 year old mother has also complained about memory loss, and yet the first thing people say about her is how "sharp" she is.  She certainly has all her marbles, and I hope to be the same at her age.   

And I'll say that I don't care for people assuming that seniors somehow shouldn't be sharp, or that memory problems should be the norm.  If one more person uses the phrase "at your age", I might just lose it.  (I am 63, so not THAT ancient!).

[asauer]

Our county library isn't as cool as y'all's.  We get books, ebooks and audiobooks but rarely have a "new release" until it's been out for 2+ years.  Which is fine.  We don't have video or magazines though.  However....I pay $50/ year for my household to be a member of a university library (my alma mater).  Not only do they have ALL of the above but they send it to my HOUSE!  I don't pay postage or anything.  Then I just toodle over there once per month to do bulk returns.  Totally worth it- there's never been a time where they don't have a book, mag or video that I want to check out.  Plus it's linked to 6 other area universities through interlibrary loan- which ALSO send to my house!

[FLA]

 Also, FLA, I am very concerned with memory issues too. My MIL lives with us and has Alzheimer's. As I said to my walking partner the other day, "Not everyone who worries about Alzheimer's gets it, but everyone who gets it worried about it." I am very concerned about my memory and am half serious when I joke that I'm catching it from her. For me, it's the triggers that I seem to be losing my grip on. I can remember things better when prompted, but who will be there to prompt me in the future? I hope that your testing leads to a treatable diagnosis.

Diane, I waited a long time, convincing myself memory issues were stress-related or age-related, but I'm only 45. Just tell your primary, she'll tell you what's normal and what needs to be further explored. I was telling doctors along the way and they made note of it but weren't too concerned because I had such low blood pressure, the memory stuff could be because of poor perfusion to the brain.  Made sense.  Then it got out of control and is a big mess.  Just make sure you tell a doctor, just in case.

[MicroSpice]

This thread inspired me to see what other benefits I could reap from our pretty awesome library (DH and I already utilize Overdrive for audio and ebooks, and Zinio has cured my compulsion to buy magazines in checkout lines), and it is amazing!

You guys, in addition to the aforementioned cake pans and family passes to local attractions, I can check out the new Kindle Fire HD6 tablet, access Lynda.com, and access tons of reference databases (including genealogy research). AND, I can also get FREE seeds for our garden from the seed library (which also includes access to programs re: xeriscaping, water-wise gardening, and gardening methods) and Kill-a-Watt Energy Detectors, so I can figure out the major energy vampires in my house.

This in addition to all the great events and programs that are offered on top of this stuff? It is so easy and instantly gratifying to see the return on my taxpayer funds with the library.

[FLA]

what in Lynda.com?

I figured out how to do the magazines, didn't do it for a while and forgot how to do it.  I have to go back in, they are so helpful.

I love that my library lends tools and fishing rods and a bunch of stuff I'll never likely use, it's just cool that it is there for those that will. I love the museum passes and can get some from out of town. Took a trip to the Berkshires and with the passes saved $80.  They had to be back in 3 days, we were gone longer, they let me take them anyway, saying, "no one ever uses them, go".  2 great easy day trips to two awesome museums and no one uses them? Sad.

[Dicey]

  Also, FLA, I am very concerned with memory issues too. My MIL lives with us and has Alzheimer's. As I said to my walking partner the other day, "Not everyone who worries about Alzheimer's gets it, but everyone who gets it worried about it." I am very concerned about my memory and am half serious when I joke that I'm catching it from her. For me, it's the triggers that I seem to be losing my grip on. I can remember things better when prompted, but who will be there to prompt me in the future? I hope that your testing leads to a treatable diagnosis.

Diane, I waited a long time, convincing myself memory issues were stress-related or age-related, but I'm only 45. Just tell your primary, she'll tell you what's normal and what needs to be further explored. I was telling doctors along the way and they made note of it but weren't too concerned because I had such low blood pressure, the memory stuff could be because of poor perfusion to the brain.  Made sense.  Then it got out of control and is a big mess.  Just make sure you tell a doctor, just in case.

Yeah, I've told my doctor. She said she's not worried about me. To which I replied "Good, that makes one of us."

But oh my goodness, 45, yowza! I hope they get to the bottom if this and that it comes complete with a name and a cure.

Note to Shinplaster - My primary has a note on the outside of my file reminding her not to tell me anything is "a function of aging".

[Trudie]

In the spirit of "I love librarians" sentiment in this thread -- I just emailed librarians in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland regarding a comment that was made by Foy Vance on his live recording of "Live at Bangor Abbey."  I'm kind of a musical geek and was trying to figure out if it was a lyrical reference or throw-away banter.  Turns out it was the latter, but the good librarians actually called the staff at Bangor Abbey to find out for me.

I guess you can say I take my music seriously:-)  And I was appreciative that they took the time to answer a question.

We now have an invite to stop in at the library when we're in NI next summer:-)  Gawd, I love libraries and librarians.  I really do!

[MicroSpice]

what in Lynda.com?

I figured out how to do the magazines, didn't do it for a while and forgot how to do it.  I have to go back in, they are so helpful.

I love that my library lends tools and fishing rods and a bunch of stuff I'll never likely use, it's just cool that it is there for those that will. I love the museum passes and can get some from out of town. Took a trip to the Berkshires and with the passes saved $80.  They had to be back in 3 days, we were gone longer, they let me take them anyway, saying, "no one ever uses them, go".  2 great easy day trips to two awesome museums and no one uses them? Sad.

Lynda.com is a tutorial database for all manner of "professional" and software-related things like Excel, Android systems, Photoshop, and professional development topics. I already have it free through my employer, but I watched a video called "Time Management Fundamentals" with Dave Crenshaw that has, no joke, improved my time and organizational skills immensely, and I really wanted to figure out a way to gift it to my dad - now I can just send him the info and the link through our library, and it won't cost either of us a thing!

[FLA]

Lynda.com is a tutorial database for all manner of "professional" and software-related things like Excel, Android systems, Photoshop, and professional development topics. I already have it free through my employer, but I watched a video called "Time Management Fundamentals" with Dave Crenshaw that has, no joke, improved my time and organizational skills immensely, and I really wanted to figure out a way to gift it to my dad - now I can just send him the info and the link through our library, and it won't cost either of us a thing!
[/quote]

I'm going to look if we have that, thanks!