A Friendship Rooted in Strength
When you meet friends Dr. Margaret Johnson and Cindy Partlow, the first thing you notice is their laughter. They finish each other’s sentences, tease like sisters, and share a quiet determination that has carried them through one of life’s toughest challenges—Margaret’s diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). What began as a frightening series of memory lapses has evolved into a story of perseverance, partnership, and the transformative power of proactive care.
When the Signs Began
For decades, Margaret built her career as a respected speech-language pathologist specializing in neurogenic disorders, helping patients face communication and memory challenges after brain injury or illness. However, several years into retirement, she began to notice those same struggles herself. “I started forgetting conversations,” she recalls. “I’d ask about something I’d already done that day. My attention just wasn’t the same.”
Initially, the cause appeared to be medical. Doctors suspected a rare brain-based condition called Hashimoto’s encephalopathy and prescribed a series of IVIG infusions. The first round brought mild improvement, but each subsequent treatment provided less help. After multiple hospital stays and countless tests, the answers still weren’t clear.
It wasn’t until a neurologist at UAB revisited her history and testing that Margaret received a new diagnosis—mild cognitive impairment. While unsettling, the diagnosis finally provided clarity and a path forward.
Understanding MCI—and Taking Action
Mild cognitive impairment isn’t dementia. It refers to a measurable decline in memory or thinking that is noticeable but doesn’t yet severely limit independence. For many, it’s a crossroads: ignore it and risk decline, or engage the brain and strengthen what remains. Margaret chose the second path.
True to her nature as a clinician and lifelong learner, she turned to cognitive therapy. With guidance from certified cognitive coach Judy Pritchard of Cogni-Thrive, Margaret began a structured program combining mental exercises, memory strategies, and physical movement. “Therapy works,” she says. “We know that from speech-language pathology. And I wasn’t about to sit down and give up.”
A Friend and Partner in Every Step
Beside her through it all is Cindy Partlow, her best friend of more than 40 years. “We’ve been through everything together,” Cindy says. “So when this started, I knew we’d tackle it as a team.”
Together they created routines to keep life running smoothly—organized schedules, reminder systems, color-coded notes, and a shared approach to problem-solving. Cindy helps track progress but never takes over. “I don’t do things for her,” she explains. “I do things with her.” That partnership, rooted in respect, helps preserve Margaret’s confidence and independence.
Building a Plan That Works
At Cogni-Thrive, Margaret’s sessions are built around her week-to-week experiences. When something proves challenging—such as remembering names, organizing steps in a recipe, or juggling tasks—her therapy adapts. Many exercises blend movement and cognition, like reactive boxing routines that train coordination and quick thinking.
Outside therapy, Margaret reinforces those lessons with crossword puzzles, music rehearsals, and daily routines designed to challenge her brain. She still sings with the Alabama Symphony Chorus, learning complex pieces in multiple languages. “That’s therapy too,” she says. “It forces me to focus and remember.”
Measuring Success by Stability
After nearly three years of cognitive training, Margaret’s latest MRI showed no change from two years prior—a sign her brain remains stable. She still drives, travels, and lives independently. When fatigue or stress triggers temporary lapses, she and Cindy simply adjust the schedule and rest. “We’ve learned to expect the bounce-back,” Cindy says. “It’s not decline—it’s just recovery.”
Adapting for Life, Not Limitation
Travel has always been their shared joy, and they refuse to give it up. Before a recent European river cruise, they meticulously planned every detail to reduce stress—creating packing lists, labeling luggage, using color-coded cues on their cabin door, and having backup plans in case they got separated. When a subway door closed between them in Vienna, they calmly followed the plan and reunited minutes later. “Preparation beats panic,” Cindy laughs. “That trip proved how far we’ve come.”
Lessons From a Lifelong Friendship
Margaret and Cindy’s story isn’t about medical miracles—it’s about mindset. They model what can happen when diagnosis meets determination. “I’ve signed a contract saying when they tell me it’s time to stop driving, I’ll hand over my keys,” Margaret says. “That’s part of being smart, not defeated.”
Their approach—rooted in honesty, planning, humor, and relentless effort—illustrates that MCI doesn’t have to define a life. With evidence-based therapy, social support, and adaptive strategies, cognitive change can be managed, slowed, and even reversed in measurable ways.
As Cindy puts it, “We’re not fighting against life. We’re fighting for it.”
And for anyone watching these two friends, that fight looks a lot like thriving.
