This article explains why forgetting is necessary for our brain

as a normal part of brain function in order for us to learn new information 

and to improve our memory on things that are pertinent to our life moving forward.

When we fail to forget, it will create mental illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder 

among war veterans.

It makes a lot of sense.

I've always believed that dwelling on the past is not a good attitude towards life and

that I've always tried consciously all my life not to spend my time and energy on things

of the past. As our Creator put two eyes in the front, my attitude always has been looking forward

as my eyes see, not backward. As a consequence, the above article pleases me since I seem to

forget things of the past, particularly painful things, more so than many others.

I wish you were right, Dr. Lee but for my situation as 81 years old man, I really worry about senile dementia beyond natural aging phenomenon! Through the last year, I visibly noticed such rapid deterioration of memories especially the name of person together with the name of items. Strangely, this loss comes and goes and in one minute I can recall it properly but on next minute it is gone!

While I edited my first book for the lymphedema in early 2,000 with my mentor, John Bergan, I agonized with his rapid deterioration of mental function which was eventually diagnosed as Alzheimer's after many years with confusing diagnosis- reminded me of 'too many cooks spoil the soup'. And I recall he went exactly same course of the shaky memories like I do experience now so that I worry more in these days!

Hope the memory loss is the way defend the brain function as you interpreted but scares me enough to hold two other projects/books many colleagues and the publisher are anxious to see me launch for this year.

This morning, I suddenly forgot the name of the cereal I eat, that is 'corn flakes' to make me panic!!!!

Any suggestions?

with warm regards,

BB Lee

My educated guess tells me that your memory must be many times better than your contemporaries 

and that you must've been one of rare people who were born with "photographic memory."

By simply reading your detailed descriptions of the past events in your commentaries,

I can tell your enormous capacity of your brain power and reserve recollecting all those facts

and memories. All of our contemporaries, i.e. the elderly, share the same concern you expressed,

namely, Alzheimer's phobia. However, my best medical impression is that your description of

memory loss is perfectly within normal limit, nothing to do with Alzheimer's.

hope my words of reassurance does some good to you, Dr. Lee.

Advances and Controversies in CVM Management-9780367250126_Epilogue.pdf Advances and Controversies in CVM Management-9780367250126_Foreword.pdf

Relief, relief, Dr. Lee, thaaaanks!

So far I do NOT have any pedigree with mental dysfunction on my mother as well as father side family - my mother lived through age of 90 and till she was stroked out, she wrote the books with clear mental function, which gives me some assurance but recent condition of my mental function  deters any long term (?) plan - the writing/editing the book on my specialty takes a good one year or two!- with fear to screw off in the middle of high stake like my mentor John Bergan as I mentioned briefly, who is legendary for his brilliant writing skills but fell into totally incoherent condition before he succumbed. Can you imagine someone calls you after the midnight to start rambling and then slowly faded away forgetting with whom he was talking with? 

I am now 81 and there is no guarantee that my mental function would remain intact(?) till through two more years to finish a new book if I start this year. And my wife is so adamant against my new plan to commit for another book!

Thanks again, Dr. Lee. C'est la vie!

BB Lee

P.S. As my compliments for your free consultation, I would like to invite you to have an access to my books, electronic version if you would give me your email address. My private email address: [bblee38@comcast.net].