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That must be very frightening for you. I don't know if my experience will be helpful, but here it is. I had a bad reaction to anesthesia during an emergency operation a couple of years ago, was delirious for about a week, and found I had some memory impairments when I finally became fully conscious. These were fairly mild --- I don't know how my problems compared to yours --- but I was worried. I started seeing a neuropsychologist. Basically, he advised me to THINK --- use my mind, talk, read, do sudoku puzzles, learn to play video games, take a class, learn a language, etc. --- whatever, but exercise my mind and memory. About six months after the medical event, he gave me a four- or five-hour battery of tests to determine where I was weak; then a year later, he repeated the tests. The first set of tests showed I had lost some memory and some executive function (nothing really bad, but yes, there was some loss). The second set of tests showed some improvement. Maybe it was just the passage of time, maybe it was the mental exercise, but it was improvement. I'm still seeing him and I'm still making a point of being mentally active. You might want to ask your doctor to suggest a good neuropsychologist. Good luck.
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Casey, am wondering what your docs are telling you? And also, do know, so many things are individual and unpredictable. Keep working on things, and wishing you much improvement going forward.
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You are NOT stupid.. you have had a life altering event and are trying to adapt with the changes. I suggest you carry a notebook around to keep notes to read later, perhaps start journaling as you go through this. As has been suggested, if you have not, please visit a neuro for evaluation and possible meds that can assist, not to mention exercises that keep your brain somewhat stimulated. Best wishes..
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My Dad had a stroke when he was 4 years ago at age 86. He has had a remarkable recovery, and has been involved in a couple studies on cognition in stroke survivors. He was like Realtime was advised to do puzzles like Soduku, keep up with the news, read, etc, basically exercise his brain.

Talk to your doctors about how to stimulate your memory and cognition.
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Im so sorry you had this scary experience, and I hope that physically you are feeling well. I can echo the advice you're getting here about seeing a Neuro specialist (although my personal bias, because I have an excellent and compassionate one, would be a neuropsychiatrist rather than neuropsychologist). Anyway, see someone you feel you can trust.

From the experience of a friend, I'd say that the odds are very good that, while there may be specific things from around the time of the stroke that you won't remember, your *ability* to remember will return.

Remember, stress makes it harder to think and remember, so feeling stupid can be part of a vicious circle. But no matter how you may feel now, you're *not* stupid. That's why it's so important that you see a specialist -- because he or she can give you meaningful reassurances and advice.

Good luck to you as you recover your skills and your confidence.
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