Memory Loss: Is it just in my head????

by Tina
(Iowa, USA)

I am a 52 year old woman. Something changed with my memory last December. It is like a light switch is sometimes half-way off or all the way off.

I remember the first thing that happened. A conversation with my son about when we could get everyone together for the holidays.


Problem is I don't recall the conversation but my husband said I had already called my son. With today's technology, sure enough there was the conversation on my cell phone.

I was upset for awhile then just passed it off as stress. OK, so now comes missing things at work. There is a big difference when you say, "Crap I was supposed to do that," verses seeing your fingerprints, notes, but it was like seeing them for the first time. Again very upsetting.

Went to the doctor. Had an MRI showed some small mini strokes and suggested chiari (a condition in which brain tissue extends into the spinal canal). Primary care doctor referred me to a neurologist who did some pencil and paper tests then sent me home and told me to buy some Vitamin B12.

I now cannot get through my company's computer software system without redoing this at least 5 to 10 times. I have made some pretty major mistakes some I remember some I don't. This has been gradually getting worse.

This past Sunday night I found myself in our basement sitting on the couch in the middle of the night. My husband says on more than one occasion you already asked or said that. I call things by the wrong name - for example, a microwave is a computer.

So I went back to the doctor. Now have an appointment at the Memory Disorder Clinic at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis but not till the end of October. My primary care doctor put me on a leave from work. I am afraid of getting fired.

Doug's Reply. I don't give medical advice, but it's clear that the rapid decline in your memory has impacted your life significantly. This does not sound like normal memory loss due to aging.

So I am very glad you are following up at the Barnes Hospital Memory Disorder Clinic soon. Through further cognitive evaluation and testing, they'll hopefully be able to pinpoint the problem and offer you a solution.

This is a scary time. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers as the doctors work to sort this out. I'm sure visitors to this site who read your story will do the same.

If you wish, feel free to drop in later and post follow-up comments as your treatment progresses.

Best regards and good luck,
Douglas
Memory-Improvement-Tips.com
This is information only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.