"Normal"? I don't know.

Have I had them? Yes. Did I ever have one prior to getting CRPS. Nope.

I can so relate, if that helps. For my latest one, my car was just barely scraped in a parking garage, yet I was so rattled I couldn't even figure out how to dial my mobile phone. When I finally figured it out, my hands were shaking so badly that I accidentally hit the speed dial for my daughter twice (who was at school, no less!). Fortunately my caregiver was driving. There's no way I could have driven home after that.

What I've found to help the most is to simply surround myself with as much information as possible and keep in mind that I'm simply not the person I used to be. Could I run into a store before? Yes. Now I need to plan to make sure it's not too crowded, etc. Just part of dealing with the disease.

As for the memory issues, I wish I had better advice. The only thing I can say that I do reliably is note EVERYTHING. I don't know if you're a pen and paper person or a technology person. If you're pen & paper, carry it everywhere and jot things down. If you're technology (I use a DROID phone), download an app like Remember the Milk and note everything. I keep different lists on my phone, from grocery lists to questions I want to ask my various doctors to wish list items & measurements of various items. It's not how I'd like to be, or what I used to be, but it is the reality of what I am now.

Hang in there and please know that you are not alone.