Worst Alzheimer moment ever!

[Kirsten]

I'm really beginning to worry that something is wrong with my brain: I forgot the PIN number of my cash card! I've been using the same PIN for decades, several times a week when I'm buying groceries and stuff. But on Saturday when I was at the cash terminal, my brain had a complete blackout. I remembered the digits, but not the correct order. Three times I tried to insert that damn number, and after that, my card was locked. Over the weekend, I was pretty sure I now remembered the PIN so I called the bank this morning and they unlocked the card for me. I gave it another try at the cash terminal and again that stupid machine told me that the PIN was wrong.

Feeling more than confused about the entire thing, I went to my bank this afternoon and ask for help. The lady at the counter suggested to use the two remaining tries until my card would be blocked again, which I did, hoping to finally type in the correct order of my PIN number. I didn't succeed. Now the only thing left was to order a new card for me with a new PIN number, and I was really embarrassed. I tried to make a lame apologogy, said something like "well, I really don't know how I could forget that number, after all, I'm not yet 80". The lady replied, "Well, maybe you partied too much." I: "no way..." She: "Alcohol maybe?". I, deeply embarassed: "I don't drink!!" (which is true, I don't drink any alcohol at all because I just don't like it). I couldn't say any more because I was so ashamed. Behind me, a line of bank customers was waiting, listening to this embarrassing conversation.

I'm feeling really awful about the entire incident, and I really wonder how I could ever forget that PIN after so many years! After all, I'm someone who's famous for her memories of numbers and dates! This is really scaring me.

[cassiesmom]

Kirsten, you have had so much on your mind with your kitties. I think the bank representative was rude to suggest that you could not recall it because you partied too hard. Your brain just wouldn't call your ID number up for you at that moment. I hope that when your new card comes, you'll have a number that's easy to remember.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Kirsten, please don't be so hard on yourself. I've also forgotten passwords and even my parents phone number before. When you have too much on your mind or you haven't gotten enough sleep or you're emotionally or physically run down, things like this can happen. I'm going through perimenopause and I've read that this can cause you to forget things. One more bad thing about growing old. Please try to relax and take care. (((HUGS)))

[lizbud]

Don't kick yourself over this. I doubt anything is wrong with your brain Kirsten. Stress & worry can play tricks on your mind. I have forgotten
my email password before but I had the luxury of being at home at the time were I could just look it up in a notebook. If I was in public, it would
be at lot more embarrassing. Sometimes the more you try to remember something, the harder it becomes, but the minute you stop trying so hard,
it will pop back into your mind. You are just human like everyone else.

[pomtzu]

Stress and fatigue can do strange things to our brain. Just look at this as a "pre-senior extended moment", or just a plain old brain fart! Happens to the best of us - young and old alike. I think that bank rep was pretty rude, even tho I'm sure it was an attempt to make light of your situation. It might not have been so bad if there hadn't been others customers around to hear her comments, but it was a pretty thoughtless thing to do when other folks were within earshot of her.

[smokey the elder]

I think it was a stress-induced brain f@rt. I get those at work; I do a lot of weighing, measuring, etc. and sometimes half my notebook is crossed out, transposed digits.

[Randi]

Kirsten, I went to a supermarket about ten years ago, and as I stood there wanting to pay, I simply couldn't remember my pincode, either. Don't worry, it can happen to anyone.

[Karen]

Don't feel bad, it happens to everyone from time to time! I am sure at least half the people in line were secretly thinking, "Oh good! I'm glad I'm not the only one!!!"

[Kirsten]

Thank you for your kind words and for cheering me up! Well, it's true, I do have a lot on my mind, and I'm exhausted and tired, and also in menapause now... I think my mistake was that - while I was waiting for the cash terminal to get ready - I was thinking about that damn number! Usually I've been just typing, automatically, because I used that PIN code so often. When I started to actually think about it, the number was gone.

But I don't think that lady at the counter made that remark to make a joke, at least she didn't sound like it. I know I'm looking terrible and ill, but that is because I'm dealing various chronical illnesses and not due to my lifestyle!! The more I'm thinking about it, the more I realize how outrageous her comment was!

[pomtzu]

But I don't think that lady at the counter made that remark to make a joke, at least she didn't sound like it. I know I'm looking terrible and ill, but that is because I'm dealing various chronical illnesses and not due to my lifestyle!! The more I'm thinking about it, the more I realize how outrageous her comment was!

If that's the case, then I would certainly report the incident to a higher up at the bank. No person that is dealing with the public should be speaking like that to anyone. I worked in a customer service position for over 25 years, and if I had ever been rude to any of the company's customers, I would have been looking for a new job!!!

[Medusa]

Kirsten, something similar happened to me not too long ago. I was having my yearly meeting w/my insurance agent and afterwards we were just chatting. I told him the name of the town where I used to live and he asked me the street name. I lived there for 8 years, yet I couldn't remember the name or house number. The look on his face said it all. It's as though he were saying "Sure you did. Uh huh." Of course, I'm a lot older than you but it still ticked me off and I couldn't remember any of it until days later! So don't feel so bad. I think it happens to just about everyone at one time or another.

[Asiel]

Kirsten don't feel bad--- a few months ago I was filling in some forms and got stuck when I had to put down my address....now that's worse than a PIN number. I remembered my street but no way could I get the numbers right...I had to look through a phone book and check it out....now there's a senior moment for you. But hey, how often do I mail myself anything. I think computers do so much of our thinking we just get lax and let things go--this morning I forgot our phone number---again how often do I phone myself-- I had hubby in a tizzy, he wasn't able to remember it either---I was repeating the number from our other house which we moved from over 20 yrs ago---for some reason it just flashed back so I dialed it on my cell to make sure it would ring here and it did.
I won't even mention how often I've forgotten my PIN number, I don't use a card very often, for some reason I find cash handier--but I do have the number written down in a secret compartment of my wallet.

As for the bank teller or whoever the rude lady was I think I would have asked to speak to the manager...or changed bank
That was more than rude--it was downright nasty

[RICHARD]

I told this story before....

I found a nice lock in the back yard and managed to figure out the combination.

I used it to lock the front gate and one day I went out to try and open it.

I sat there for about 15 minutes putting the same number on the tumblers over and over again.

It wasn't until I stopped for a second that I realized that I was putting in my bank card PIN number.

The number for the lock is 2350 and my PIN was 2304.

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Going out to eat is a MAJOR chore for me.

For some reason I can look at a menu, know what I want and when the waiter comes over, I completely forget.

To make matters worse?

I have been to a Mexican restaurant and wanted to order in spanish - I grew up speaking espanol and living here, there aren't many chances to talk to people who do speak it!

I forgot the order, then forgot to speak spanish.

I sat there like an idiot for what it seemed like an eternity.

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I would have asked the woman, if she had a drug problem, since she had an opinion about it?

I am a natural smart arse and would have had something to say about it.

One 'tool' to use when you meet up with an idiot like her?

Answer "I'm sorry?" and keep repeating it - like you didn't hear what they said, when they repeat themselves a few times they may realize that they screwed up.......