Hi, 5 months ago I had a Full Cardiac Arrest a couple of days after having a back surgery. I don't have memory of this but I'm told I went to the ER for chest pain and was talking to the DR. when I suddenly had a bad seizure and went into full cardiac arrest. They did CPR for 90 minutes and my brain was without oxygen most of that time. They put me on Hypothermia but I was in a very deep coma for 5 days. I had severe brain swelling. Now I have short term memory problems, still have seizure activity in my brain, and something about my left temporal brain lobe ( I don't understand about that what it means), also, my left eye is still blurry.. I'm trying to get into cognitive therapy because i forget things that i do or hear. i'm better with visual memory. I went into a rehab center for 2 weeks after the hospital but it was mostly PT and OT to walk and take care of basic needs. I got some speech therapy but none since then. I need cognitive therapy and frustrated with worker's comp. not yet approving it and feel like i am wasting important time to get my functioning back. very frustrated and confused.

I'm sorry to hear that you experienced this. How fortunate you were at the ER when this happened! There is considerable evidence that physical exercise can and does help with cognitive function. Make sure you keep active! Check with a local community center and see if they have public exercise offerings. Many times a community center will offer these for free. Our local community and senior centers offer free and low cost weekly exercise sessions as well as group ballroom dancing classes.

Dancing lessons combine the cognitive aspect of learning correlated with the beat of the music and physical motor skills. It can be very beneficial.

I am in Cardiac Rehab. 3 times a week where I do aerobic type excercise to strengthen my heart. I also go to PT outpatient 2 times a week for my back and that's usually strengthen type. I'm 48 years old so no senior center for me yet. I know trying to be active is a help. My Neurologist, family doctor, and cardiologist all want me to get congnitive therapy. It's just the woeker's comp. system that slows everything and I'm afraid of losing more time without therapy.

I heard that I only have around 12-14 months for brain to re-learn what it has lost. It's been a little over 5 months now and I am afraid of losing that windowof time. I'm overwhelmed when I go out of my house especially to bigger places, too much things going on. I do stuff like try to hang my coat in refrigerator instead on on hook behind door. I forget to brush my teeth or take a bath sometimes for days. I sometimes have mixed up my meicataitons when i am putting them in orginizers even though I use a list of my meds and which container it belongs in ( morning or night).
I can't find words in my head I need to use when I talk or write and it takes me time to find the word or describe what I mean. It takes time to write this although writing is easier than talking. My speech is still slurry especially when i am more tired.

Sounds like the cardiac rehab might not be exercising your mind, I don't know you didn't give much detail. I would suggest you find an aerobic type exercise that is lead by someone, something you would have to pay attention to and follow the leader. This will exercise your mind as well as your body/heart. The brain needs stimulation to re-learn...