New user, not sure if following question has been answered before

[kid curry]

I wonder if anybody can give me any advice on the above problem? I am suffering from short-term memory loss, and have been for over two years now. It stems from a car accident where I sustained a 'bang' to the side of the head. I have been to my doctor, who sent me to hospital for a CT scan, which showed normal; I have been to see two separate Neurologists who state that the memory loss will probably rectify itself in 18-24 months. The 24 months was up in November last year, and I am no further forwards. I am usually quite calm and placid, and don't usually get "stressed-out" but since the accident I have had a few dizzy spells, and I can get very annoyed and wound-up for no apparent reason. I have been to see my doctor again this week, who has arranged for me to have some blood tests done, and suggested that it may be worthwhile searching the internet to see if I can find a "support group" that may be able to help. At this stage anything is worth a try! Looking forward to your responses,

Bye for now, The Kid.

[asciwhite]

Hello kid curry, I also suffer with very bad memory loss, short term and here are a few tips that may help.

The kitchen timer: (for everything from taking the clothes out of the dryer tothe time of your favorite tv show)

Computer calendars, especially the ones that ping

Calling your answering machine to record a reminder if you're away from home

Lists, lists and more lists ( a pad and pencil hanging round my neck helps!)

Keeping a sense of humour

Post- it Notes- especially on the front door

cont...

[asciwhite]

Having a routine

Being as organised as possible

Breaking projects down into small segments

Writing down instructions

Planning

Ask friends, family etc to remind you and tell them it's OK to do so

Having a specific place for things and putting them back in their place immediately after use

having a calm corner to go to in your imagination and in your home

[asciwhite]

I do hope this helps a little bit for you, accepting just is for now it seems, and worrying about it isn't going to do much good to you, and getting sick from worry really isn't much good either.....

I'm sending you a big smile :-) and wish you all the best in your organising of that memory!!!

[lindapinda]

Hi kid,I had a look on google there.There's a website -www.memorylossonline.Have a look there,it looks like there may be some very useful stuff for you? Hope so anyway! Btw!! I'm a Heyes fan!!

[noxlumos]

Hi, I don't have any short term memory loss but I do have "blank patches", some physical difficulties and serious anger management problems due to brain injuries I recieved as a child (I'm now 45).

As far as the anger problems go, I found that it's spontaneous and very extreme and for no real reason when it happens and have tried many different ways of dealing with it, only one of which has been effective. No matter where I am or what I am doing I remove myself from whatever is angering me for a period of at least 20 minutes. Any less than that and your brain is still chemically on anger alert and it can flare back up. I also meditate everyday and obviously try to avoid as many known stressful situations as possible.

As asciwhite says be as organised as possible to avoid more stress.Hope you get on alright.

[ermadea]

Hi kid curry, don,t know if it's relevant, but are you on any medication , since your accident, or even recently you may have been prescribed something, lots of medicines have adverse side effects, such as memory loss, dizzy spells, change in temperament, I suffer from all your symptoms, but have never had a physical trauma, I am on medication, but Iam Guessing from your moniker, you may be quite young, perhaps you take analgesics, strong versions of these, or sleeping pills, can cause memory loss, as can mood enhancers like anti-depressants, they can actually have the opposite effect of lifting your mood or serotonin levels, and make you feel stressed out, Hope this may be of some use, Iam merely giving you an opinion, I must stress that, nevertheless I hope you feel better very soon, take care of yourself, Iam sure eventually things will get back to how you were, traumatic incidents, can have strange effects on us, but the human body is so self sufficent, it usually fixes itself, it just takes time.

[kid curry]

Hello again, i have read all your suggestions and ideas and found some useful ones which i am going to start using, and would like to thank you all for your time and responses.

i have now started carrying a diary with me, which i have never done before, (got to remember to put entries in it though!!!)

At the moment, i am "putting up" with the momory loss and moodiness, and trying to tell myself that it wont be for long, (also have a very understanding wife and daughter)

lindapinda thanks for the website, havent looked at it yet but will do shortly

noxlumos the anger (more annoyance than anger)usually builds through little things accumulating and not being able to let it go.

ermadea at the moment i am not taking any medicines, any never got any prescribed at the time of the accident. i think that for the moment it is just a waiting game.

p.s. the blood test results didnt show any problems.

[asciwhite]

hi kid curry, guess who's only just remembered to see whether you'd picked up your replies!!! glad to see you did and wishing you all the best in your diary days ahead......

[ermadea]

Hi Kid curry, Glad your blood tests didn,t show any thing, that's a good sign that things in that department are coping ok, also I think it is a good idea to keep a diary, but even I forget to write it up everyday, maybe a wee prompt from the missus to remind you would help, well look after yourself and be sure to let us know how you get on, and how your progressing, Iam sure your annoyance, is just out of frustration, it's like we take things for granted, until they dont work the same as always, then we get upset, just give it a little longer in time scale, Im sure you'll be back to your old self in no time, Take care......