I rarely admit it, but I have been having word-finding problems myself, for some time now. I have a very extensive vocabulary, and I tend to be very particular about my words. There are subtle differences between them, and I don't like to be imprecise. BUT, I now use a lot more synonyms than I used to, because I can't get the exact right word.
To be honest (something I try to avoid at all costs), I think this goes back to a "mini-stroke" I had about a dozen years ago (at 50). I "fully recovered", in that there are no physical or mental deficits that are detectible on tests. But, ever since then, I have found I forget things, or can't find particular words (or names), or stumble over my tongue in ways that I never did before (especially when I am fatigued), or MISSPELL words I know. It cause me a lot of frustration, even though it is rarely noticeable to others (as far as I know). I also don't know if this is just the vicissitudes of age, or if it is specific to something, but I worry about Alzheimer's and my ability to keep caring for my honey, who has some more significant health and wellness issues than I. One grandmother had severe dementia, and my aunt, who just passed at 92, declined rapidly over the last couple of years. But I'm still 30 years from that!
Tomorrow I have my annual meet with my VA doctor, and I plan on discussing this with him. I wonder, too, about some of these supplements - prevagen, and... uh, forget the name of the other... - that are supposed to help with memory. Maybe there are some cognitive exercises I can do to keep up my mental acuity. I still love sudoku (although frequently mispronounce it), and crossword puzzles.
