Memory Loss?

[darkmarkshark]

Well i remember most everything - except my memories are different than everyone else who was present at the events. I have very little memory of the year where I began seeking out doctors to find a diagnosis for what was wrong with me

Its difficult because I don't know whats true and whats not. I know there is one person I never want to speak to or see again - but I can't come up with a single reason as to why. So did she really anger me that badly, or was she just the target of a post ictal rage/hallucination. I've come to accept that I must question every memory where I was intensely angry at someone - which I hate having to accept as some of those are very bad memories that angered me for quite a while

I have some difficultly remember what day it is, and what I did yesterday, but I partially attribute that to engaging in the same humdrum routine when I have to stay home

My short term memory returned somewhat after starting to take medicine but its nowhere near as good as it used to be and I find I have to write down dates and times for appointments now, and then routinely check the date to make sure I don't miss them 0 I never had to do that before

She does the "normal" 8 year behaviors of not knowing where she put her shoes, socks, bike helmet...but in that case I get the line "someone took it!" Yeah, someone broke into the house passed up the TV, stereo, DVD player and took your socks. Likely story.

If she has temporal lobe epilepsy she may have actually seen someone break into the house and take it. I know I've seen many things that didn't happen

[brain]

Sometimes I can be sharp as a tack,
Sometimes I can be dumb as a blonde
that I am!

That's how my memory is.

There's times my memory just goes
::::::::: whoosh :::::::::
over my head, gone in a split second!
That's because of a seizure

Everything gets erased, having no memory
of anything whatsoever.

=====================

Here's how you can tell it apart if one is
having a seizure or if it's the medication,
because my son has grown up with a
mom with Epilepsy (who has gone through
tons of anti-epileptic drugs) ... he can tell
you right smack up front that he can
split the difference easily:

1) If a seizure had happened, there would
be paleness, blank expression, panic, fear,
hyperness or anxious, confusion - and when
confronted or inquired about the situation,
event, or episode, the reaction will only
result further confusions or even to a point
of being argumentative because one does
not remember it ever happening.

2) If it was the medication(s) - the reaction
would be sluggish in responding, disorientated,
fully aware of the surroundings, while yet the
confusion may be there, it's the "I forgot"
remarks. The behavior would not be of one who
had a seizure.

This is how my son was able to tell the difference
with his mom (me)


-------------------------------------

NOW this is another part you should know and should
be able to look it up in Drugs.com.
Read up on the span of the medications she is on.
All medcations have a "Peak" and a "Valley" (Highest
Point and Lowest Point). Doctors often call the Valley,
"humps" - and often try to work a schedule to avoid
those 'humps', and it can be tough when a child is in
school or an adult at work, for this is often when trouble
abounds ...

So I strongly recommend that you begin to LOG the time
period of WHEN these things are happening. From reading
your post; I am under the assumption that those are the
"humps" (or Valleys) that one is going under - the most
vulnerable part. If I am correct on my assumption, when
you keep a sharp eye and log on this and bring it to your
Doctor - a schedule would need to be worked out as to
avoid these 'humps'.

Keep us posted on the progress and the response from the
Doctor - I'm curious as what the result / finding would be.

[Belinda5000]

most of the time my memory is great.
Than there are times I'll question it when I just found out old friend had dementia and alshymers.
But after a bad seizure don't tell me I've had one till next day because I won't remember.


Belinda

[BuckeyeFan]

I actually have a terrific memory of my childhood as compared to some of my siblings (though my E wasn't diagnosed until I was 20). I think that is because some of those memories were really interesting for me to remember, whereas others were more forward looking. I am big into family history and history in general, so those types of facts stick with me.

On the flip side, my wife can remember special dates much better than me and how family events tie into national events. Again, I think this is where her interest lie.

Thus, my theory is that a lot of memory loss or retention is linked to how important it is to us personally and how often we recall it.

[stringbean]

Most of my long term memory is great, up to the point where I started having seizures more often and when they became under not control with meds.

I have alot of memory problems now, I get very confused alot of times on what has actually happened between dreams or things seen on TV. I have notepads, paper and all kinds of pens, pencils and more laying around me at all times for things that I really need or want to remember. I used to read alot, now I would really like to read a book, however I have to keep going back in the book to remember what I've already read.
I am having to ask or check the calendar alot to see what day it is, what month and sometimes what year.

There is many more problems with my memory these days, I have come to the conclusion on my own , that due to many seizures, all the differnt meds I am on for my E and other health problems, past meds I've been on, my surgery for my E and my age 48 is the cause of these problems.

[rudy]

I got new meds yesterday and I was told that too quick of a change could lead to psychotic episodes. How would I know? Pharmacist said I cant step outside myself. Sounds very Zen-like, don't you think?

[rudy]

i have been to 2 drs whom have asked me if i have any seizure activity and my reply mostly is; I dont recall. My girlfriend tells the dr more info than I could ever supply them with. Will I need to be in a group home and be under video surveillance next ?

[RobinN]

Hi Rudy - do you have blank periods of time that you can't remember what occurred?
Are you told by others that you zoned out for a bit. Do you miss portions of conversations?

I haven't met anyone that has had to be put into a group home due to a seizure disorder.
Hopefully you can get them under control and lead a very productive life.
There are some alternative therapies that will help you and possibly allow you to reduce the amount of pharmaceuticals you need.

[rudy]

Hi Rudy - do you have blank periods of time that you can't remember what occurred?
Are you told by others that you zoned out for a bit. Do you miss portions of conversations?

I haven't met anyone that has had to be put into a group home due to a seizure disorder.
Hopefully you can get them under control and lead a very productive life.
There are some alternative therapies that will help you and possibly allow you to reduce the amount of pharmaceuticals you need.

Yes RobinN, I "zone out " frequently. I am undergoing transition to Lamotrigine this week. I do not handle new tasks very well but I am working on that.

[ziggidypoo]

Once I had a seizure and then after I went out to the living room and started watching the season finale of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, but I didnt remember the episode. Oh no!
Luckily, I had Tivo set up to record it and I just watched it later, Yay!

This is one advantage to having memory problems and TIVO - I too watch the same episodes over and over and it's pretty cool, it's all new to me!! I think it is the only advantage I have found so far to memory loss.

I am now realizing that my memory loss is also affecting the reality of my long-term memories, I lose blocks of memories, and sometimes my memories of old-time events do not line up with other family members' memories of the same events.

I used to think THEY were "off", now I know for sure I am.

C'est la vie.

Gotta take the bad with the good.

For me, writing down notes doesn't work because I forget to look at the notebook even if it is in front of my face.

The closest thing to help so far is on myspace I have an application of a calendar with stick-ums, so if I go there, I see the stick-ums (sometimes) and check it out out of curiosity ( my son calls it nosiness!!).

I suppose I could MAKE a small calendar and stick it on my PC side which faces me and I MIGHT or MIGHT NOT remember to notice it.

Weird, I know, but for real.

I DO know I have a cardiologist appt. on the 1st.

Some of my problems may be heart/lung related - apoxia.

We shall see.

Again, C'est la vie, gotta take it moment by moment.

Today so far has been relatively a good day - just kinda sad being away from my adult children for so many years and my parents. Thanksgiving was a big big ordeal when I was a kid. I tried to make it so for my kids too.

It was good today.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

[rudy]

This is one advantage to having memory problems and TIVO - I too watch the same episodes over and over and it's pretty cool, it's all new to me!! I think it is the only advantage I have found so far to memory loss.

I am now realizing that my memory loss is also affecting the reality of my long-term memories, I lose blocks of memories, and sometimes my memories of old-time events do not line up with other family members' memories of the same events.

I used to think THEY were "off", now I know for sure I am.

C'est la vie.

Gotta take the bad with the good.

For me, writing down notes doesn't work because I forget to look at the notebook even if it is in front of my face.

The closest thing to help so far is on myspace I have an application of a calendar with stick-ums, so if I go there, I see the stick-ums (sometimes) and check it out out of curiosity ( my son calls it nosiness!!).

I suppose I could MAKE a small calendar and stick it on my PC side which faces me and I MIGHT or MIGHT NOT remember to notice it.

Weird, I know, but for real.

I DO know I have a cardiologist appt. on the 1st.

Some of my problems may be heart/lung related - apoxia.

We shall see.

Again, C'est la vie, gotta take it moment by moment.

Today so far has been relatively a good day - just kinda sad being away from my adult children for so many years and my parents. Thanksgiving was a big big ordeal when I was a kid. I tried to make it so for my kids too.

It was good today.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

I seem to have lost interest in television of late. ( is that a bad thing ?) I try to get into that "comfortable rut" at work but I often forget the order which I performed my tasks. It makes for a day full of variety and I catch up on forgotten chores right up to the end of work day. I am easily distracted at times and try hard to remain focused so the internet can eat up 4 hours of my day easily and the refresh rate of laptop gets me drowsy quickly. A power nap at 10:30 am helps me a bit before job starts. I am thankful that I can still drive my car & be productive .HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL !

[ziggidypoo]

I am easily distracted at times and try hard to remain focused

When I used to work, and even in life, I start 5 zillion things and finish none. My bosses would always be after me to finish this or that. Even as a child, my grandmother would tell 4 things to do and I'd only remember 1/3 of the first thing. She'd yell and fuss, but finally would send me out to play. In college, my teachers worked with me and my attention problems. I loved Microbiology anything intrinsic and requiring an analytical focus I could do. History - forget it - I got bored and near'd 'bout fell asleep in class, got lost on the first word!! I KNEW but was never told until I went for a hearing test that I had Attention Deficiet Disorder. Now, since my first seizure was at 18 mos old, I wonder if it is somehow linked to the temporal lobe epilepsy??? With age and the progression and worsening of the seizure activity, the focusing problem and memory only has worsened.


(Instead of 2 posts

I get very confused alot of times on what has actually happened between dreams or things seen on TV.

YES!! My dreams are so vibrant and real that they become memories that are false. WEIRD!! Sorry to comment so much, but you are all hitting MAJOR high points of my WORST problems. VERY INTERESTING!!!!

Thanks.

Part 3:

A RIGHT NOW example of my memory problem, remember I just came home from the hospital recently, now we cannot find any NONE of my ID's - all bags are empty - nothing, nowhere, nada - BUT - I am JUST like my grandmother was - I put things in safe places and forget where I put them - I wonder if squirrels have seizures, they dig and hide nuts and forget where they hid them, so I am told. Currently, Carey is digging around EVERYWHERE (only 1 room) looking for my ID's, bank card, everything!! I KNOW I had it - I think - since I came home from the hospital. SIGH!! I would say everything turns up, but 2 rings have been gone for years, in this room!! I can understand why the cat would play with and hide a ring, but an ID card??? Well, with ziggidypoo/Popsie never can tell!!

[Casie]

I have also had problems with my memory since I had 12 tonic-clonic seizures on Nov 4. (Dang didn't get to vote. lol) I still have a horrible time remembering things that don't seem to be of great importance. But it's not completely limited to the non-important.
However, I feel a lot better hearing that it can come back. And that I am not the only one.
Thank you!

Good luck with your daughter!

[ziggidypoo]

Hope your daughter and you have had an exceptionally great day today - good days and bad days - perhaps today was a good day.

Please know that we all care about you in your own precise situation and are listening with open hearts.

Blessings be yours and your child.