So weird. Today a red truck pulled up. I looked outside and a young girl was walking toward my front door with a bag and a pillow. I asked my 16 yr old WHO she asked to spend the night "on a school night", etc. I jumped up and opened the door to find my 13 year old daughter walk inside! She had spent the night out last night. What the heck?!? it scared me! I seriously did NOT know who she was, just noted that some "pretty teenager" was approaching the front door. I didn't just glance either. I looked at the face to see who it was. I felt like crying!
I know I mentioned my "Walmart Story" here...recap: about 3 yrs ago or so it was like I woke up in Walmart. I had no idea where I was, or how I got there for a good few seconds. I saw a Neuro about it I guess in November. He said, "Probably due to silent migraines."
I wonder if that is true! Anyway, I can't find ANYTHING on what I have gone through... Maybe my fatigue? I wouldn't think so. I know you can experience a lot of stuff, but forgetting my own child's face?? Anyone?
CAT
Gosh, I know how you feel. I remember my children, but its what I was doing last or what happened yesterday that I seem to forget. Someone asks me what I did yesterday and I can't tell them. Or I am doing work around the house and I walk into a room and forget what I was going to do. This is bothering me. I told my neuro and they have ordered more tests. My husband used to get mad at me when I forgot to tell him something, but now he knows how upset I get when I can't remember. My motherinlaw was mad too, until I gave her info on my condition and yellowed out the problems I have. At least my parents are trying to understand.
I am getting tired of telling people how sorry I am for forgetting. I have migraines but nothing to put me out.
I understand and I am sorry you have to go through this. I feel for you.
XOXOXO
I can totally relate to both of your issues.
I cannot even seem to tell what I did yesterday or what I have talked to some people about and such aswell.
Or else it's like I am not aware of some things such as what time it is etc.
I am very forgetful and it's gotten a lot worse the past weeks.
I'm certain that this is not only one of my pills doing this.
You guys (and my possible future with this disease) are scaring me. :o
This disease is evil. It really is.
Hi CAT :)
I think you should tell your doc about this - or your neuro. That seems to go further than brain-fog. You need to find out whether you can blame SjS for this one or whether something else is going on. I hope you get answers.
Take care - Scottie :)
I just don't buy the silent migraine reason. I truly believe the doctors do not understand the memory issue caused by Sjogrens so they either dismiss it or try to pass it off as something else.
I feel bad for you because that would truly be scary and you don't easily forget something of this magnitude happening to you. Plus, you want answers.
Keep us posted.
Anna
I am having more testing done just to see if there is anything else going on.
Not immediately knowing that it was your daughter coming up to the house may just be that you were not "expecting" her at that moment, so your mind assumed she was a stranger. I have had this happen, too, but I don't think it's a serious symptom of anything if it doesn't happen very often. It's just the way the brain works----recognition is all about context and little clues, plus the expectation of what your mind thinks it's going to see based on past experience. The important thing is that when you actually SAW your daughter face to face, you recognized her, no problem.
For example, I wear weak glasses when at the computer, so from a distance (say at the back door), I sometimes mistake my son for my husband (both tall---seen with poor peripheral vision). Also---waiting at the airport for my husband, looking down a long, poorly lit hallway at the passengers coming up the way, I realize that I can be fooled into thinking that I'm seeing my husband by any tall, gray-haired man. Because I can't see his face yet, I have to consciously remember what suit he is probably wearing, what his carry-on bag looks like, etc. I "think" I can recognize his walk/gait from a distance, but I could be wrong.
That's why you always hear about "unreliable witnesses"----how it's normal for people to see what they want to see, and how easy it is to influence our memories concerning what we have seen (in an incident, for example).
As for the Walmart incident---that one's a bit scary, eh? Do you take any sleep-aids like Ambien? My nephew told me that the one time he tried using it, he "woke up" at work the next day, mid morning, with no memory of getting up and driving to work!
Calli
From what I've seen, "Migraines" (Atypical, Silent or otherwise) seem to be Neurologist's catch all condition to blame for whenever they don't have an explanation of why something has happened, or if they CBA to find out. Not being able to recognize immediate family, and suddenly waking up with no recollection of where you are or how you got there are a bit more serious, and I'd suggest finding a doctor who will listen to you and try and figure out what is actually going on.
Migraines can cause a bit of confusion, but I don't think anything to the level you describe.
I once had a neuro try and tell me that my occipital neuritis (as dx'd by my PCP) was an "atypical migraine," even though I had been on anti-seizure meds for months, and had not had a single symptom of migraine for over a year!
Thank you for the responses. I am going to check with the Neurologist, but more than likely get a different one. This guy kind of does blow things off. He talks to me in that way, anyway.
Calli...I wonder if that's what it was...I didn't expect her home so soon. Eases my mind a bit!! :)
XOXO to all!
CAT,
I have the same issues and worry I will become disabled by it.
Janna
This reminds me of the story that was on the news the other day about a reporter becoming sluggish and incoherant while delivering a news report on the air. At first, it was thought that she was having a stroke.
After all the tests done, the doctors attributed it to migranes and the medications that she was taking for the migranes and sinus problems. I think some meds can have weird effects on us at times. Not everything is about meds though.
Absence seizures are another possibility.
I have noticed these days if I do something idlely like put something away or do something without paying particular attention to what I am doing five minutes later it's like it never happened... It's completely wiped from my memory!! It's very disconcerting plus annoying... I lose things, I have taken medication twice sometimes ask the same question in short succession!! Mostly happens when I am tired but it's totally not cool.
Season: I can understand meds, but I don't take any for migrianes OR SjS.
gphx: I was tested for seizures and the Neuro said everything "looked fine, no seizure activity".
Wicca: I am ALWAYS doing that..lol..frustrating.
Just one more thing about your experience seeing "the pretty teenager" walking up----that has happened to me in relation to my daughter--and the GOOD thing is this: when we see this "stranger" we have a POSITIVE impression. Oh, a pretty girl---a lively person---OH, it's my daughter! Gives me a good feeling.
C
Callie, you did make me smile! ;D I know exactly what you mean.
I think of my brain as a faulty computer. The right "drop-down menu" doesn't always drop down when I need it. And I take some comfort in believing that I am aware of this when it happens. Usually, I stew over it if it is a piece of info I really need.
I have always had a random sort of brain. When I was younger, it bothered me a lot. As I find myself firmly in middle age, I find that many others are struggling and talking about it. I want to say: welcome to my world! I remember having such memory problems since adolescence.
OK. I know this may all sound strange: ;)
I've begun to think of my brain as an entity that operates independently from myself.
For example: If I can't follow a knitting pattern, I might say, "My brain needs a visual schematic (eg chart) to understand this cable stitch." Then I don't feel quite so inept when I struggle with it.
I also describe brains this way to kids who have learning difficulties.
Ex: You have an "art brain" that understands and learns new things if you can make a model or draw a picture of it. That's a wonderful kind of brain to have, but you'll have to learn to ask for help when you need it because some teachers don't have or understand such wonderful kinds of brains! All brains are different.
I have not assumed that my memory issues are Sjs related, but they sure could be. What a great research project for a grad student, although I am not sure how accurate a reporter I would be about my own neuro function!