Cognative Frustration

zespectre

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Joined
May 21, 2005
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Lost in NY
I'm just venting here out of frustration (and a little shock).

About a year and a half ago I had the third (and final) of a series of serious abdominal surgeries. Not too long into my recovery I noticed something...odd... with my cognition and memory. It was very VERY subtle, but some things I found "duck soup" before were tougher to figure out and random stuff I had well memorized was just gone. Medical "professionals" deemed it "transient post-surgical amnesia" but after over a year I think there is nothing "transient" about it.

Since then I have pretty well "mapped out" the "holes" and in large adapted to my "new brain" but the combination of memory and cognitive issues were enough to utterly destroy my 20 year career as an IT/systems guy because I simply could not keep up with the constant new-tech learning curve (nor could I keep numbers in my memory).

What has been even more bizarre is coming back to CPF and discovering how much I knew and participated in flashlight conversations, and how much of it I simply don't remember. Mostly it's names, models, battery types but I've actually found a few posts, including a thread I STARTED, that I completely don't remember :shakehead

Just about the time I get used to this I stumble onto something else that shakes me up.
 

jabe1

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Apr 25, 2008
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Cleveland,Oh
About 8 years ago I had 2 surgeries in a 6 month period. I haven't been the same since.

After talking with a few mental health professionals, I have found that anesthesia can have long lasting, and at times permanent affects on ones cognitive function.

I have lost ability to remember things as easily, and some of my "drive" in business, I have also lost much of my instinct when it comes to bidding jobs, etc.

Mostly what seems to be affected though are memory functions from what I've gathered.

You're not alone.

Welcome back!
 

ElectronGuru

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Joined
Aug 18, 2007
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6,055
Location
Oregon
There's one symptom here, with two suggested causes.


...series of serious abdominal surgeries....

Since then I have pretty well "mapped out" the "holes" and in large adapted to my "new brain" but the combination of memory and cognitive issues were enough to utterly destroy my 20 year career as an IT/systems guy because I simply could not keep up with the constant new-tech learning curve (nor could I keep numbers in my memory).

This suggests an injury to the 'gut brain' (intestines) has a direct affect on cognitive function. The result of the specific kind of surgeries.


About 8 years ago I had 2 surgeries in a 6 month period. I haven't been the same since.

I have lost ability to remember things as easily, and some of my "drive" in business, I have also lost much of my instinct when it comes to bidding jobs, etc.

While this suggests a side effect from the anesthesia used in any surgery. Perhaps suppressing the brain then not letting it recover afterword?


More examples would show a pattern, but the 1st/gut brain idea is more provocative. Taking the smaller idea that we can consult the neurons in our intestines for decisions (aka, gut check), and making a larger idea that information and skills themselves reside there. Like an actual auxiliary brain.


Sorry for the difficulties for both of you. When I was an early teen, dad took a spill off a bicycle (no helmut), complete with blood and unconsciousness. After recovering, he lost much of his ability to smell/taste (and was only very smart). Years later he had a head scan - it showed the corner of his head that was empty from the dead/gone brain cells.

I'm sick to my stomach just remembering it (seriously).
 
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gadget_lover

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Near Silicon Valley (too near)
I've noticed similar impact, but I can't tell if it's just age or the impact of the medications.

For minor surgeries they use a drug (Versed) that causes short term amnesia. I have no real memory of any of my surgeries nor the time immediately surrounding them. Versed blows away your short term memory.

On the other hand, I had full anesthesia for open heart surgery. I have no memory of the day after that one. I thought that I was walking the next day, but my wife tells me I was awake and in bed all that day. I don't think Versed was involved.

I've been under the influence of Versed 7 or 8 times. I've noticed a decline in the ability to remember words in the weeks and months following the use. It's been a while since the last procedure and I still find myself searching for words a few times a week.

I should mention that I'm 57 and so some level of memory impairment is considered normal. Even so, it's difficult to take. I used to be able to quote paragraphs from the Unix programmers guide. Now I'm lucky to make it through a script without having to look up the options to a command. My vocabulary was once so vast that it was mentioned negatively during my yearly performance evaluation. I was intimidating my co-workers. Now I frequently hunt for words. :(

Did this help? Probably not, but it let me vent, so THANKS! :)

Daniel
 

TedTheLed

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ViolePna

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 21, 2012
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1
I generally get into the game enough that I dont remember, but assuming I did remember that :p Id still be stuck with having to redo it. It was just frustrating, I eventually beat it by using a somewhat lame kiting strategy but..
 

beerwax

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Joined
Mar 12, 2011
Messages
447
i have experienced a link between permanent memory function loss and general anasthetic on 2 out of 2 occasions. i not sure about other brain function as that is too hard for me to self assess, but i have suspicions . doctors look at you as if you are being silly if you ask. i am at the point where i would probably refuse another general .
 

dudemar

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Jan 11, 2006
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Arnieland
I haven't experienced memory loss from being under anesthetic, but I was in a car accident last year and suffered a concussion. Hit my head on the headrest and blacked out. Since then nothing has been the same. About 2 months later I noticed my left eye was always dry, the vision was blurry and a full shade darker compared to my right eye. I also had short term memory and I potentially became moody at times. I suspected TBI because I went down the list of symptoms and almost all of them matched. It has been rough because I forget things quite a bit.

Last week I had an MRI and it confirmed my suspicions. Will have a 2nd MRI next week using dyes. The memory loss is a struggle and I understand the pain.
 
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