Chapo,

It sounds like you had the same lack of information I and my family had until I was 16.

I doubt you are purely dyslexic. I have many dyslexic characteristics, too. I attribute them to my PCS.

You need to understand the basics of memory. There are three kinds. Immediate memory is the walking into the next room with no memory. Short term would be remembering what you had for breakfast this morning. Long term is memory of things from yesterday or before. It sounds like your long term memory is fine but you struggle with short term and immediate memory.

Memory also has different types. There sensory memories such as taste, smell, touch, visual, and auditory memory. Some of these are very short, even just a half second. There is also thinking memory, the memory of your thoughts as you try to move forward and do something with those thoughts. Some say all sensory memories are very short by many comment otherwise.

The third issue with memory is focus and distractability. The ability to focus to grasp and store the memory is important, especially for those of us with PCS. We tend to be easily distracted.

The staring past people could be a absence seizure like event. It also can be a simple lack of focus or over-focus on a distraction. The important thing for your wife to watch is how long do they last and how much effort it takes to break your stare. Then, she should ask you what you were thinking or looking at. This will help you figure out what is happening.

Do you do anything to help your brain be resistant to stress and traumas? Nutrition is a big part of my routine. Without my vitamin and other supplements, my wife sees me become an annoyed space cadet.

I use plain aspirin and Tylenol combined for my worst head aches. They work great in combination. My doctor taught me to combine them. I do not use Excedrine because it has caffeine. Excedrine is aspirin and Tylenol plus the caffeine.

Fortunately, my headaches come in waves. I may have them daily for a few months then be free of them for months. The slightest jarring of my head will bring them back. I just got free of them after a October to April wave of head aches. I bumped my head in October.

The psychologist did an odd memory test. The standard in the Mini Mental Status Exam. Even the MMSE is often improperly done and misinterpreted.

btw, How old are you? What kind of work environment have you worked in?

More later.

My best to you.