Hi all, new here...

[looshawn]

I'm new here to this forum at "Coping with Epilepsy", but I'm definitely not new to seizures. My online name here is looshawn, and I'm hoping to find info with others who share the same problem as I do.

I've been experiencing epilepsy for almost 30 years now, which began when I was 19. When I remember it now, I think about it; at an ice skating party 2 days after Christmas - it was freezing, freezing cold out - but we were all having so much fun. I was out laughing, talking, with two girls with me at the time it happened. I don't remember the rest of that part but I can tell you what I was told. That when I was out there I fell completely off my skates, slipping back, and landing directly on my head. Yup, head and solid ice.

Long story short, I ended up in the emergency room almost 24 hours later and fell into a coma right into the emergency room within an hour. Doctors at the hospital (and considering that this was also 30 years ago) told my family that I was not expected to live. Six days later, and by the grace of God, I came out of my coma.

Three months later, while still in stages of recovery from my coma, I experienced my first grand mal seizure. Over the years the number of seizures just slowly continued to climb, as did my medications. The quantity of them finally led to my Left Mesial Temporal Lobe removed in 2006.

I want to say that it was kind of successful. I don't have as many grand mal (been good for 5 months), still experience some partials. But the worst thing since my surgery...my short term memory just gets worse and worse! I know I'm not the only one who suffers from this problem...anyone else?

[skillefer]

Welcome to CWE! I haven' had the surgery, but I do understand the bad memory. I used to take fish oil capsules to improve my memory. It worked quite well. I haven't taken them in the last 3 months because I keep forgetting to buy them.

[Rae1889]

I heard ginkgo biloba is supposed to help with memory loss.

[Cint]

Hi looshawn,

I do understand the seizures and the memory loss from left Mesial Temporal Lobectomy. I went through numerous types of seizures, meds, and finally had the surgery. I suffer from short term memory loss, too, so have to keep a pen and pad nearby to write down everything, and also suffer from aphasia and at times have difficulty finding words when trying to carry on a conversation. My neurologist also had me go through a program for people who suffer from memory loss due to injury, etc. for ways to help.
As far as any of the herbs, etc., I haven't found them to be any help, but that's just me.

[flinnigan]

Welcome aboard. You'll have great support here. I have right temporal lobe epilepsy. I've had seizures my whole life - born with a lesion in the temporal lobe. I wasn't diagnosed until last year at he age of 43. I had a Temporal Lobectomy along with a hipocampul removal this past June and have been seizure free since. Memory is exactly the same as before surgery, which after having the wada and neurophsyc exam was better than I thought. Feeling pretty good so far.

[Nakamova]

Welcome looshawn!

I think temporal lobe epilepsy is more connected to memory issues than other kinds. Have your docs given you any suggestions to help? There are different tricks and exercises that can help keep the memory limber. Sometimes singing information makes it easier to recall.

[Meetz1064]

Looshawn, sorry I missed out on greeting you before this.

You've found a great place to be, here at CWE. Plenty of information to be found in the Kitchen and Library, and the Padded Room's great for venting when needed.

Memory is an issue for many of us with E. Some use Gingko Biloba, some of us use games and puzzles. I tend to use sudoku puzzles/crosswords simply because I take too many meds already.

[epileric]

You sure as heck aren't the only one with memory problems.

I remember as a kid I used to get so fed up with being told the same thing by my parents over & over, no matter what it was. I thought my mom just had a bad memory but it drove me nuts.

Years later she asked if I remember being told things 9 or 10 time. I said "oh Yeah". Her reply was "Well, you were really told them 15 or 20 times." lol.

Here are some sites that try to improve your memory. The 2nd link lets you try it out before charging but I find it extremely helpful, more than the first link.

http://www.gamesforthebrain.com/

http://www.lumosity.com/