Spooked by Amnesia
Discussion
This might seem an odd post but I'm feeling really unsettled by something that happened yesterday. The Mail ran an article of 30-year olds not recognising well-known people from the recent past:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10788001/...
Now some of them aren't surprising; I wouldn't recognise Emily Pankhurst or one or two of the others but I was pretty sure I'd be able to get most of them.
I couldn't name this person:
I knew it wasn't Desmond Tutu & I knew he was the president of South Africa after being in jail for a long time but I couldn't get the name.
Then I couldn't name this actress:
The character was Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's but I can't remember her name.
Nor could I name this artist:
I know he does Pop Art - soup cans etc - but I can't remember his name.
This really spooked me but I left it & decided I'd try again in the morning. Hockney's name came to me while doing the washing up but I couldn't get the others until I accidentally saw the file names. These are well known people who have been in the news for 30 or 40 years, not a bunch of nonentities.
I'm concerned this could be early signs of something serious. I'm 63 & live alone so it's difficult to know if I'm becoming forgetful & I not aware I am, but then I wouldn't be. It's a quite specific failing in that I can't remember the names but I can remember other details but I don't know if that's indicative of anything.
Has anyone experienced anything like this or suggestions about how to monitor what might be going on?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10788001/...
Now some of them aren't surprising; I wouldn't recognise Emily Pankhurst or one or two of the others but I was pretty sure I'd be able to get most of them.
I couldn't name this person:
I knew it wasn't Desmond Tutu & I knew he was the president of South Africa after being in jail for a long time but I couldn't get the name.
Then I couldn't name this actress:
The character was Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's but I can't remember her name.
Nor could I name this artist:
I know he does Pop Art - soup cans etc - but I can't remember his name.
This really spooked me but I left it & decided I'd try again in the morning. Hockney's name came to me while doing the washing up but I couldn't get the others until I accidentally saw the file names. These are well known people who have been in the news for 30 or 40 years, not a bunch of nonentities.
I'm concerned this could be early signs of something serious. I'm 63 & live alone so it's difficult to know if I'm becoming forgetful & I not aware I am, but then I wouldn't be. It's a quite specific failing in that I can't remember the names but I can remember other details but I don't know if that's indicative of anything.
Has anyone experienced anything like this or suggestions about how to monitor what might be going on?
Must admit I get this sometimes with things I know.
The other day on the radio 'Automatic' was played and if you asked me who it was by, I'd immediately say The Pointer Sisters.
All I could think of was Sisters, and it drove me mad for a few minutes until it just clicked.
It's probably quite normal, but yeah things like that can spook you a little when you absolutely know something and it dissapears from your mind completely.
Getting older.
The other day on the radio 'Automatic' was played and if you asked me who it was by, I'd immediately say The Pointer Sisters.
All I could think of was Sisters, and it drove me mad for a few minutes until it just clicked.
It's probably quite normal, but yeah things like that can spook you a little when you absolutely know something and it dissapears from your mind completely.
Getting older.
vixen1700 said:
Must admit I get this sometimes with things I know.
The other day on the radio 'Automatic' was played and if you asked me who it was by, I'd immediately say The Pointer Sisters.
All I could think of was Sisters, and it drove me mad for a few minutes until it just clicked.
It's probably quite normal, but yeah things like that can spook you a little when you absolutely know something and it dissapears from your mind completely.
Getting older.
Yep! I’m 59 and can’t remember half the stuff I used to; not quickly anyway The other day on the radio 'Automatic' was played and if you asked me who it was by, I'd immediately say The Pointer Sisters.
All I could think of was Sisters, and it drove me mad for a few minutes until it just clicked.
It's probably quite normal, but yeah things like that can spook you a little when you absolutely know something and it dissapears from your mind completely.
Getting older.
I'm 31, and thought I'd test myself on the 3. Got Nelson Mandela straight away, didn't have a clue who the woman was, never seen her in my life.
I didn't know what Andy Warhol looked like, may have seen a couple of pictures of him in the past in my school days but wouldn't have picked him out in the street.
The 'pop art' gave it away immediately.
I think most 30 somethings wouldn't know Hepburn or Warhol.
Edit - Looked at the actual Dm article, and would likely be able to name a few without any hints, got a few more with the hints.
I didn't know what Andy Warhol looked like, may have seen a couple of pictures of him in the past in my school days but wouldn't have picked him out in the street.
The 'pop art' gave it away immediately.
I think most 30 somethings wouldn't know Hepburn or Warhol.
Edit - Looked at the actual Dm article, and would likely be able to name a few without any hints, got a few more with the hints.
Edited by wazztie16 on Saturday 7th May 12:08
I got them all (in my 40's) but I have plenty of times when I'll see an actor or someone and think "god I know who that is" but it won't come to me for a few seconds.
The way I think of it (and I hope I'm right!) is that your brain is pretty efficient and if it doesn't need to know who Audrey Hepburn is at a moments notice it probably files that piece of information somewhere else.
The way I think of it (and I hope I'm right!) is that your brain is pretty efficient and if it doesn't need to know who Audrey Hepburn is at a moments notice it probably files that piece of information somewhere else.
At least you know you've forgotten. Other day I was looking at a shrub in the corner of the garden and wondered about the best time for trimming and cutting back. I knew it wasn't now as it was still flowering but could I hell as like remember what it was in order to do a Google for the info.
Thing that stuck in my mind was Camellia but felt that was wrong but didn't know why. In the end had to ask MrsF, it's a magnolia you daft old fart came the reply.
Genuine memory loss is scary. About 16 years ago I was off work for 6 months plus another 6 months on light duties not allowed out without a minder after accidental exposure to some v nasty chemicals. Essentially my lung function dropped to 1% point away from the state where you get stuck on the lung transplant list, problem being gas transfer.
Hot day, father's day as it happened, spent the morning treating the garden fence with whatever then went upstairs for a shower. That's the last thing I remember. Came to some hours later sitting at the table on the patio eating my Sunday lunch. Apparently I'd had a complete memory loss, acting normally apart from didn't know who wife and daughter were, what job I did, that I'd been ill and off work, just kept asking lots of questions about stuff I should know. Wife and daughter freaked out and just coped with it by making me cook my own Father's day lunch, under supervision, which apparently did perfectly normally, didn't need to ask how to do roasties, where all the knives were kept and so on. Still have zero recollection of those missing hours.
According doctor it was possibly a case where blood oxygen levels had got so low that brain had shut down certain parts to look after the important bits. Wife and Co not impressed that who they were was in the unimportant section but how to do crispy roasties was preserved as mega important.
No after effects. Still a cantankerous old fart.
Thing that stuck in my mind was Camellia but felt that was wrong but didn't know why. In the end had to ask MrsF, it's a magnolia you daft old fart came the reply.
Genuine memory loss is scary. About 16 years ago I was off work for 6 months plus another 6 months on light duties not allowed out without a minder after accidental exposure to some v nasty chemicals. Essentially my lung function dropped to 1% point away from the state where you get stuck on the lung transplant list, problem being gas transfer.
Hot day, father's day as it happened, spent the morning treating the garden fence with whatever then went upstairs for a shower. That's the last thing I remember. Came to some hours later sitting at the table on the patio eating my Sunday lunch. Apparently I'd had a complete memory loss, acting normally apart from didn't know who wife and daughter were, what job I did, that I'd been ill and off work, just kept asking lots of questions about stuff I should know. Wife and daughter freaked out and just coped with it by making me cook my own Father's day lunch, under supervision, which apparently did perfectly normally, didn't need to ask how to do roasties, where all the knives were kept and so on. Still have zero recollection of those missing hours.
According doctor it was possibly a case where blood oxygen levels had got so low that brain had shut down certain parts to look after the important bits. Wife and Co not impressed that who they were was in the unimportant section but how to do crispy roasties was preserved as mega important.
No after effects. Still a cantankerous old fart.
Scary stuff though, glad it turned out ok!FiF said:
At least you know you've forgotten. Other day I was looking at a shrub in the corner of the garden and wondered about the best time for trimming and cutting back. I knew it wasn't now as it was still flowering but could I hell as like remember what it was in order to do a Google for the info.
Thing that stuck in my mind was Camellia but felt that was wrong but didn't know why. In the end had to ask MrsF, it's a magnolia you daft old fart came the reply.
Genuine memory loss is scary. About 16 years ago I was off work for 6 months plus another 6 months on light duties not allowed out without a minder after accidental exposure to some v nasty chemicals. Essentially my lung function dropped to 1% point away from the state where you get stuck on the lung transplant list, problem being gas transfer.
Hot day, father's day as it happened, spent the morning treating the garden fence with whatever then went upstairs for a shower. That's the last thing I remember. Came to some hours later sitting at the table on the patio eating my Sunday lunch. Apparently I'd had a complete memory loss, acting normally apart from didn't know who wife and daughter were, what job I did, that I'd been ill and off work, just kept asking lots of questions about stuff I should know. Wife and daughter freaked out and just coped with it by making me cook my own Father's day lunch, under supervision, which apparently did perfectly normally, didn't need to ask how to do roasties, where all the knives were kept and so on. Still have zero recollection of those missing hours.
According doctor it was possibly a case where blood oxygen levels had got so low that brain had shut down certain parts to look after the important bits. Wife and Co not impressed that who they were was in the unimportant section but how to do crispy roasties was preserved as mega important.
No after effects. Still a cantankerous old fart.
Bloody hell, that’s scary and impressive all at the same time. The brain is an incredible organ.Thing that stuck in my mind was Camellia but felt that was wrong but didn't know why. In the end had to ask MrsF, it's a magnolia you daft old fart came the reply.
Genuine memory loss is scary. About 16 years ago I was off work for 6 months plus another 6 months on light duties not allowed out without a minder after accidental exposure to some v nasty chemicals. Essentially my lung function dropped to 1% point away from the state where you get stuck on the lung transplant list, problem being gas transfer.
Hot day, father's day as it happened, spent the morning treating the garden fence with whatever then went upstairs for a shower. That's the last thing I remember. Came to some hours later sitting at the table on the patio eating my Sunday lunch. Apparently I'd had a complete memory loss, acting normally apart from didn't know who wife and daughter were, what job I did, that I'd been ill and off work, just kept asking lots of questions about stuff I should know. Wife and daughter freaked out and just coped with it by making me cook my own Father's day lunch, under supervision, which apparently did perfectly normally, didn't need to ask how to do roasties, where all the knives were kept and so on. Still have zero recollection of those missing hours.
According doctor it was possibly a case where blood oxygen levels had got so low that brain had shut down certain parts to look after the important bits. Wife and Co not impressed that who they were was in the unimportant section but how to do crispy roasties was preserved as mega important.
No after effects. Still a cantankerous old fart.
FiF said:
At least you know you've forgotten….
This is the important thing I’m told.A few years back I was pretty worried I had early signs, my Grandmother has vascular dementia & I was going through a period of really struggling with my memory on simple things like names of people i’d met etc. (I was in a rapid paced environment with 100’s of faces/teams).
It was passing on info to my back to back that really highlighted it & got me worried (& him too due to frequency) , I’d say something like “there was an issue with one of the team” then explain the issue in detail but when it came to identifying the individual I’d be like “you know powerful built guy, shaded head , drives an Audi, name begins with A etc” until the back to back shouted out the correct name. It was embarrassing the frequency it happened.
I was told it was probably due to stress/tiredness (16hr days), I was not remembering things, but the fact I could remember all the surrounding snippets (like you remembering bits around those images etc) & I knew I’d forgot what I should know it was OK & not a cause for alarm.
I sat in on a few friendly assessments my Gran had & it was really interesting to see how they identify real problems. They were just like chats with little questions she had every week with a visiting professional. One I remember was her being asked simple things, told to remember them & being asked the same questions shortly after & supposed to give a different answer. Kinda like playing family fortunes with herself, the amount of times she repeated the same answer for her second one was very telling (her answer was never wrong just a duplicate correct one)
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