Menopausal Mom Brain is Real

I’m noticing a concerning trend that involves my iPhone. At least once a day, if not more often, I find myself putting it in the most random places and then losing it for long periods of time.

What is most troubling is that the places I end up finding it make absolutely no sense. For example, how did it end up perched high up on a shelf in my closet when reaching it requires a ladder? Logic suggests I climbed a ladder and put it there, but I don’t remember going up a ladder.  I thought the ladder was in the garage. I don’t recall even walking into the closet. It’s baffling.

This trend is costing me not only valuable time but in some cases sleep. A few nights ago, I spent a good hour searching everywhere for the phone. In desperation, I finally turned on the Find My feature on my iPad and sounded the alarm. I could hear it loud and clear, but no matter where I looked, I couldn’t find my phone. I looked in the bathroom and under the bed. No sign of it, though mysteriously it sounded like it was very close to me. Annoyed and completely exasperated, I sat down for a breather from the search only to find I was sitting on it.

I’d put the phone in my back pocket. Why did I do that? Don’t ask me. It’s not like I walk around all day with my phone in my back pocket.  In fact, my fear of theft makes it highly unlikely that I’d ever consider that to be a reasonable place to put a phone. In fact, I’m constantly telling my husband and sons about the risk of putting anything in a back pocket. It’s very rare that I’m even wearing something with a back pocket, so why I’d even think to put something there is beyond me.

It’s not just chronically losing my phone that’s an issue. Frequently, I walk into a room and say to myself, “Why am I here?” I then leave said room only to realize minutes later why I went there in the first place.

Occasionally, there are clues that help me figure things out. For example, if I’m wearing a robe and holding a shower cap, it’s a pretty strong indication that I was about to take a shower—hence why I walked into the bathroom. Similarly, if I put on my pajamas and it’s dark outside, it suggests that I went into my bedroom and sat on the bed because I was getting ready to sleep.

It’s one thing to get flummoxed in your own home as to why you entered a room. It’s much worse to get in the car and start driving only to question what led you to think you needed to be driving in the first place. Usually, when this happens, I just randomly stop at different stores and look around thinking that some item will trigger a recollection of why I left my house. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help solve the mystery and instead only costs me a lot of money. Usually, I end up driving all the way home only to remember as I pull into the driveway exactly why I left in the first place.

Sometimes, this happens in the grocery store. I’m going there for something but I can’t remember what it was. By the time I leave, my cart is full. It’s not until I get home and want a sandwich that I realize that peanut butter and jelly don’t hold up very well together without bread. Oh yeah, I need bread.

Now before you suggest that there is something seriously wrong with me, I should note that I pass all accredited cognitive tests, so I’m “on track” for a middle-aged woman—meaning that I’m slowly going off the track but not to the point I need medical intervention.

I also know that I’m not alone. I have many mom friends suffering the same fate.  Knowing this, we work hard to support one another and stick together. That is, of course, when we can remember to do so.