Visual memory loss
 

Hi,

I am new to the forum, so haven't had a thorough look at the threads yet.

I am looking for any advice, or similar stories that may help (like everyone is!)

I have had multiple concussions and had my last one in a MVA 9 months ago. I do have dizziness (and faint), headaches, light/noise sensitivity, insomnia (on Elavil), and a lot of frustration.

The most difficult symptom I have is that I can't "picture" anything, no visual memory. I know what my boyfriend looks like basically, but can't picture him. But, I recognize him when I see him. Also, when I go to sleep, I can't conjure up images so it is just plain black.
This has led to me forgetting phone conversations if I don't write everything down.

Has anyone experienced this?

I have been off work as the stress was making the dizziness and other symptoms too difficult.

Hi Joanne,
Welcome to Neuro Talk. Nice to meet you. :)

I hope you find a forum on here that will help answer the problems you have with your memory, possibly from all the concussions you had and the motor vehicle accident 9 months ago.

We all try to help each other,and we learn from each other too. This is a great place, I'm glad you found us.

This forum, below is the link, might help you. Take care and feel better.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum92.html

Hello Joanne
 

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help. There are great number of fellow members here to assist as possible. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene :hug:

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/r...lueUnicorn.jpg



Hi, and welcome to NT! This is such a great place with so many friendly, caring, and helpful people.

We're so glad you found us! :)

welcome
 

hi Joanne

welcome I see you have the link to our PCS forum ,please remember, we have many different levels of injury and are at different stages of recovery, please join in , we understand what you are going through . writing things down is good ,I have a wee recorder for notes to self , looking at photos can help with rebuilding the minds eye memory

look forward to getting to know you

Memory
 

Hi,

Thank you so much!

I think that this site is going to be so helpful. I have felt quite alone so these notes and bits of information make me feel like there is hope.

I look forward to reading about what has been tried and what is suggested.

Many thanks
Joanne

Just wanted to add my welcome to Neuro Talk!! Hope you can feel at home and know we are all to assist in anything we can...sometimes the best friend is someone who listens!! Take care!!

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/j...welcome-13.jpg

Hi Joanne and welcome to NT!

Funnily enough, another PCS survivor and I, Mark from Idaho, have just been discussing visual memory deficits. When I took my neuro-psych test I couldn't do the block test because I'd forget the pattern I was supposed to replicate in the time it took to look from the paper to the blocks. I seldom recognize people I've met since my accident and I can't copy accurately information from one sheet to another. It's very frustrating.

Not dreaming is something that can happen to folks with brain injuries. You've attributed this to your visual memory problems. That could be - but you'd think your dreams would still have an "audio tract."

Dreaming is a fairly complex cogntive state, and damaged brains sometimes can't get there. It took over two years for my brain to heal enough to dream at all. Now my dreams are the pre-REM literal type. Like many folks with tbi, I can't get into REM. Do you find you wake often in the night? I wake everytime my mind tries to enter REM. Some members have tried new medications designed to deal with this specific issue.

I would suggest that you post this question on the PCS Forum where more members of our brain boo boo club will see it.

Cheers

Hi Joanne:

Just wanted to say Hi, and Welcome. After reading your post, well, I won't complain nearly so much. There is always someone who has gone through way more than I ever have. You are a very brave person.

And you are very welcome here at Neurotalks.

Keep posting.

Nice to meet you

Melody

Visual Memor
 

Hi Hockey,

I didn't "dream" for about 2 months after the MVA, but then started to, however prior to this accident I remembered virtually every dream in great detail. I know that I dream, but can't remember anything from it. I am guessing that it has to do with the lack of information processing.

I wake up a lot at night, but with this med I tend to get back to sleep quicker than all of the other ones we tried. When I was on the 10mg dose, I got to be awake for 4 nights so that convinced my doctor to up the dose.

My last big concussion led to sleepless nights for about 8 months but that one I couldn't read a book. I am thankful that this one I can (as long as there is no noise anywhere near me). The first concussion I had I had amnesia for a few days and couldnt see a foot infront of my face.

Weird how each one is different. I think that the struggle is that the symptoms last so much longer with each concussion.

Good to know that info about the visual memory, but that is sad to hear the frustrations of not getting into REM sleep.

Thank you so much for the input, what a welcoming place to be!

Mind if I ask a dumb question? I've been reading about the various concussions that people get. How do people keep getting concussions?

Thanks for clearing this up for me.

Melody

Hi Melody,

Concussion is one of the most common forms for injury. A concussion occurs every four minutes in Canada. In fact, traumatic brain injury (a more descriptive word for concussion) is the number one killer and disabler of Canadians under 44.

Traumatic brain injuries have many causes including sports injuries, car accidents, falls and domestic violence.

Sadly, once a person has had a concussion the injured brain is much more at risk for another injury. Some folks with Multiple Impact Syndrome can sustain a new concussion from something as seemingly harmless as a big sneeze.

Cheers

Hockey:

Thanks SO much for the explanation. I had no idea. And your last paragraph explained it distinctly. I didn't know that even a sneeze could cause a concussion. I knew a sneeze could put out one's back because that happened to my brother in law. He sneezed and his back went out.

I got an education today, and I really thank you.

Take care,
Melody

Visual memory
 

Hi

I also didn't realize how easy it was to get a concussion and how they can affect you by having so many.

I have had a few through car accidents (roll over and rear ended-neither my fault), and through health issues (fainting down stairs and landing face forward on a desk-which also resulted in a broken nose), I used to be a competitive fighter (ok, those were my own doing), and my least graceful one was standing up when I thought I had cleared a concrete slab overhang.

This concussion has been the worst by far, totally life changing and I am only now learning by reading everyones posts. I had no idea that the symptoms that I have felt from previous ones were from the head injuries. I just ignored them.

So I too am learning alot, and am really thankful that I can function, even if it isn't on the level that I did when I was working.

Tha

Hi Joanne,

You have my sincere sympathy for your plight.

With advances in imaging, the more research that is done, the more we realize just how serious concussion is. The brain never goes back completely to normal. Consequently, each new blow magnifies the damage exponentially. Yet despite the frequency and life-altering nature of concussion, most doctors remain infuriatingly ignorant. Concussion is not some minor "bump on the head.":mad:

Canadian pediatricians are lobbying to change the term "concussion" to "traumatic brain injury" in the hope that it will make doctors, patients, parents and coaches treat this condition with the seriousness it deserves.

On the plus side, the brain has an enormous capacity for placticity: to find new neuro pathways to get the job done. The problem is that very few resources are dedicated to brain injury. In Canada, only one in twenty patients will get anything approaching proper rehabilitation. In the U.S. the amount of research money, especially as a ratio to the vast number of victims, is beyond pathetic.

Perhaps having so many of our poor soldiers returning from Afghanistan with TBIs will shine some light on our neglected community.

Hi, I have a question. Every four minutes someone in Canada gets a concussion?? Why? What is it about Canada that every four minutes someone gets a concussion.

and thanks MUCH for this info. I absorb everything you say.

Melody

Hi Melody,

They calculate the per minute rate by looking at hospital records and doctors' billing codes and then dividing the cases by the total minutes in a year. It's just a way to give people a better sense of just how common this injury is.

Notwithstanding that my nation is hockey crazed, I suspect that the rate of concussion is probably pretty comparable among the industialized nations. Most concussion sufferers are young men. I suppose that has to do with their more active - and sometimes - risky lifestyles. Alcohol is directly invovled in 1/3 concussions. In my case, I was hit by a drunk driver.

Cheers

Hi.

Thanks so much for the explanation. My goodness, the things I learn every day would astound you.

And I am SO sorry that you were hit by a drunk driver.

Too much of this is happening on a daily basis. Either that or texting while driving. The man across the street from me is 80 years young, drives everywhere and now has a broken hand because his car was in an accident right on our corner because THE OTHER PERSON WAS TEXTING WHILE DRIVING.

What a world we live in.

Anyway, much appreciate your explanation.

Hope you are feeling good today.

Take care,
Melody