Recently, Jim has begun a weird merry-go-round of circular storytelling.

He starts telling me of something that happened when he was younger, he comes to the close of the incident and then starts the same story back up again. A five minute story becomes half an hour.

It seems to be worse when he mixed up a fact and then spends the subsequent retellings trying to get it right. Sometimes he changes the story to match the incorrect fact, other times he realizes his mistake and corrects himself.

Along with this, comes a frequent focal shift. It’s like he’s gone from hyper focused on the TV to forgetting it’s existence in 30 seconds or less.

He just shushed me for talking over the news but then immediately start reminiscing, regardless of the fact the same topic that had his attention, was still being discussed on the television.

Unless I tell him to shush, which I try not to. Any interruption just makes him that more intent on getting the story out there. It becomes a double  merry-go-round if you will. He does a big loop, starting the whole story over again once he’s finished it. But if he’s interrupted, he starts the story over again immediately.

The part that makes me take note, is that this is now happening with his long term memories. It’s yet another sign of dementia’s progression.