What if I am losing it?

My grandson asked me to see a neurologist

Carol Burt
5 min readJul 22, 2023

We were in the kitchen working on dinner, and I asked him a question. Of course I don’t remember the question but I sure do remember the response.

“Nana, I want you to see a neurologist.” I was floored because I could tell the kid was dead serious and even a little nervous to be saying such a thing.

I wanted to know why, and he said just a couple of things he’s noticed, like I ask the same question two or three times. Do I?

At first I laughed it off and said, “oh that, that’s just because I ask something and then forget to listen to the answer.” But is it?

It’s funny that it was my grandson who suggested a doctor, but then again, he probably talks to me more than my daughter or my husband. We’re pretty tight, this 20-year-old and I. And my husband barely knows I’m here as long as his dinner gets served.

After a little while of scrubbing or peeling or whatever I was doing, I just plainly asked, “do you think I’m losing it?”

He said he really didn’t think that but wants me to get checked out because, “Nana, there are medicines to slow the progression of dementia even if you’re starting to get it”. Yikes.

His being scared for me has scared the living daylights out of me. This kid is a whiz. He reads everything and if he doesn’t learn it reading, he watches videos.

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Carol Burt

Former print journalist, former mayor, retired law enforcement officer. Writing about politics, government, and personal essays. Actually member since 2019.