So me and my 18 year old son have been doing some memory recall tests tonight. We both gave each other 10 words then close our eyes and say out the words from memory. My lad reeled his list without a problem. WOW my go was a different story I lost all the words after the 1st one and then couldnt find them again in the right order. We also did a numbers 1 and the same thing happened i lost all the numbers and spent ages trying to find them without success. Its shocking and very eye opening to say the least.
Does anyone else suffer from this memory problem due to BI??👍
Yes. I have terrible short term memory problems. A neuropsychologist told me that I also have attention and concentration problems, and a neurological rehabilitation consultant explained to me, (just last week,) that because of the attention part, I often am not actually making the memories which is why they are not there in my brain when I want to retrieve them. Memory is a very complex thing. I find making new memories very hard - anterograde amnesia - so learning anything new is incredibly hard. I often think that I have learned or remembered something, only to find it has gone.
It's so hard for me it always has been. The small tests we did earlier were shocking well mine was I have a problem with balance on my left side too I've found out tonight after a basic balance test my right side is spot on but my left side is all over. I relate so much to your memory problems Marnie22 is something that's a major problem in everyday life
It really is a problem. I have been learning not to be mean to myself when I forget things. I try to laugh it off and remind myself that it's not my fault and it's not for want of trying. It's better than cling myself names and getting cross with myself, which is what I did for a while after my injury.
Hi Paul. I dreamed every night pre-Bi, often 2 or 3 vivid dreams each night, but after discharge from hospital and back in my own bed for a few nights I was upset to find I woke each day with no dreams to recall.
I'd always been fascinated by the content of dreams and of our brain's attempts to create narratives from random and unrelated events from our lives. And I really missed those nocturnal picture shows .....still do 9 years on.
Of course I probably do still dream - just can't remember any.
But I'm sure cognitive games have improved my alertness. I do crosswords every day and online word-searches, card games and scrabble.
I used to play 'My aunt went to market' with my grandson. We took turns in adding random purchases, (often stupid items such as half a cabbage - a three legged poodle etc..) - and we had to remember every item in order, from the beginning to avoid elimination. ....childish yes, but good memory exercise and usually ending in chaos as the list grew... 😑
Poor word recall and forgetting names are still infuriating (& embarrassing) and after a lifetime with a sharp memory ---- pretty frustrating at times ! Cat x
Hi Car3 I too can remember things pre Bi and how i was since BI i havent remembered a dream all my life i do suffer from Nightmares about an accident that i cant remember and as soon as i wake from it it's gone from my mind I'm learning more and more each day this group is amazing. The memory tests with my son yesterday really opened my eyes as to how bad my problem really is. I able to laugh with my sons about it but it's a very serious problem TBI Survivors suffer with on a minute by minute basis. I also learned yesterday that my balance on my left side is shocking thankyou for your comment 👍
Yep same here. Although i can manage the last three numbers usually. Its been put down to short term memory ossues but is more of a recall problem.
This effects day to day as i have trouble recalling events between a day ago up to three weeks prior. The memories then come trickling back , not always in te right order.
Like Cat i also never dream or remember them. Initially post bi i suffered terrible flashbacks in my sleep. Ihad CBT to combat this which worked but also resulted in having no dreams.
It is amazing how you adapt to these changes , but occasionally get caught out being unable to recall something you feel is important.
Hi S, yup when a neuropsychologist tested me early on after my concussion, they did the same sort of memory tests - strings of words and numbers. I was spectacularly awful at them - and worse than my peer group, which is what they measure you against.(Again, quite shocking after having a job that requires a good memory and working memory. )
They found that if I did manage to learn something it did actually stick, but it was something like six words out of 100 ..
It was the same battery of tests that showed that my visual memory has actually stayed intact.
The way I cope is to write everything down in a 'week at a view' diary, make endless lists, keep a calendar and the diary on my phone, set alarms on my phone with little messages telling what I need to do, and setting alarms on Alexa. If I had to go to an appointment ( on public transport) I planned it all meticulously the day before, wrote it down, and put the details in my phone, and set alarms telling me what I needed to do as I went along - it was exhausting.
The neuropsychologist that did my testing said that the way people can remember these random lists of words they read out is, to mentally group them into categories ( like different countries, or things that grow, or different foods apparently) - so I don't know if that might be useful.
I played a memory game with my 85 year old Mum early on, which is supposed to be to help seniors with their memory, and she wiped the floor with me 🤣.
It makes me wonder how I will manage with new friends as I forget so much of what they tell me in conversation.
My long term memory seems intact.
I tried a Spanish beginners class, and it was quite interesting, because aside from it knocking me sideways fatigue wise, I don't think I picked up anything new, I was so silent in class! But it turned out I did remember the Spanish I'd learned quite a few years previously in another class.
Oddly enough I started Italian on the Duolingo app, and quite a bit of that stuck, there's a lot of repetition in the app.
I think if you can get that Jody Mardula and Caroline Vaughan book from the library, you'd find out even more about brain injury effects and how to cope with them ( Mindfulness and Stroke - living with brain injury) it was an eye opener for me, even after a lot of help, and being on here.
Its mind blowing how you lovely people on here suffers like I do everyday I'm so grateful for all your comments I've learnt so much already about my Tbi and via this group I'm now more knowledgable about my own historic tbi when I speak to my doctor next week he will listen lol I'm doing tests myself today and it doesnt change anything my balance on my left side is to the point I fall over my right side steady as a rock I knew none of this until speaking on here my words pictures and numbers are all affected by my BI..they can send me for any tests they want lol..thankyou again for all this 👍
Hi Stammers. Thanks for the prompt I'm going to try this with my children. I have a congenital BI but like so many others here have a shocking short-term memory - even though long term one is really good. I can remember a lot from my childhood, but ask me about something that happened yesterday and I don't have a clue!
Yeah try it with your children I never ever have tried these memory and balance tests until now and what I found was a shock to say the least but I'm glad I've done them the balance one on my left is as bad as my memory I too can remember things from the past but cant remember more than 3 words in a conversation or remember anything really I dont know phone numbers cant do numbers either thanks for yor comment👍
I just stood with feet shoulder width apart and lifted one leg for 30 seconds and then did with other leg..My right side is spot on but left side is a totally baffled to the point I fall over good luck with it 👍
Hello Stammers1, like most of the others, I have severe problems with my short term memory, it was caused when I had a motorbike accident in 1979, the top of my spine was forced up into my skull, my spine fractured skull and spine, it also scraped my brain, I had meningitis, now have Grand Mal Epilepsy, Diabetes Insipidus, mobility problems, attempted suicide twice.
Hello Stammers1 , I ain`t no warrior, I just get on with life, many times felt like ending it, but chickened out. STRENGTH AND BEST WISHES TO YOU `ALSO`!
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