A Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) – Accepting things as they are


I was diagnosed with MCI in 2015, the year my husband passed away. I started to make mistakes similar to those of my late husband who had had dementia, and I thought, “Oh, I might have it too. Fortunately, I had attended “Dementia Cafe Ishizo” with my husband, so I wasn’t too shocked.
As ｍy children had grown up already, I could accept the reality.
If I can spend joyful days with people living with dementia, I am satisfied and feel happy.


Life at the assisted living facility

I live in an assisted living facility because my physical strength has weakened.
Here, we are free to go out, and the front door opens at 6 AM, so I am absorbed in chestnut gathering these days. Sweet chestnuts are delicious. However, as they are small, it is time-consuming to prepare them for cooking.　Nature is rich. The cluster amaryllis and my favorite wild chrysanthemums are blooming. I pick them to decorate my room. I used to arrange flowers for the dining hall to make everyone happy until someone said, “The washroom gets dirty, ” or “The flower is wilting.” What’s more, they said that they disliked talking with me.
Finally, I stopped.

I eat anything, so those who share a table with me in the dining room laugh and call me ‘the big thin eater.’ I had never been told something like that before the age of 83. It was a bit shocking to hear it from a 72-year-old. I endured it for about 6 months and then asked to change my seat. Since that change, I have enjoyed my meals comfortably. As 40 people live here, I want to be careful about relationships and get along with them. For example, one of the residents is light-fingered and creates various decorations to entertain the residents. I hope we can respect our strengths in each other and grow together.

Let’s encourage each other and live positively

This is a message to everyone.
“ If you accept things honestly, engage positively with others, and encourage each other, you can enjoy everyday life and appreciate being alive today. I believe God is on the side of the weak, the poor, and the sinful.
There is no one perfect. Let’s live, forgetting our mistakes.
Very Best Wishes to All. “

Chieko Fukumoto(October 2024)

Written by Chieko Fukumoto
Translated by Satoshi Nakano, Noriyo Washizu