Memory

does anyone else have memory problems? like trouble remembering common words?

Yes, I have trouble with speaking and spelling. I know what I want to say in my head but have difficulty spitting it out.

ugh. thank God I’m not alone!

Yes. Probably my most frustrating symptom. I have heard that playing word games will help. I do crossword puzzles and words with friends as time allows. Not sure if it helps but better than doing nothing at all.....

I’ll have to try words with friends and games like that!

I have the same trouble. It is one of my most frustrating and sometimes embarrassing symptoms. It also has not gotten better but worse since decompression surgery. Sometimes, I feel like I'm getting dumber. :) I call it my "Chiari brain". I have tried to do "brain games" like Lumosity and also word puzzles, but I haven't seen a huge improvement.

Hi. I have only been taking paracetamol, so have no strong drugs on board & my memory is shocking. But, as I was just informed, it has been getting worse & worse for the last two years leading up to diagnosis. I wonder iv we have some mood & concentration issues that could be similar among Chiari people, too. Cognitively I do really well, but there is something just a bit different in me. I was always teased at school because I would go into a trance like stare several times a day - just had surgery one week ago, so I will find out if I change. I had one recent episode of the concentration problem while out at lunch with a friend who got furious with me for not 'being there' for her because I had vague moment while she was speaking to me. I was so embarrassed!

What were we talking about again? LOL Yes, I have it often and quite badly!

Hello everyone ! I hope all of you are feeling good. I have not been here in a long time just because of my memory problems. I'm from Colombia and my first language is Spanish and I'm forgetting words I have known forever. When I try to speak in English, I don't do well and people don't understand what I'm saying. That's making me become more and more introverted and ashamed to speak with strangers.

Elisa- you have a double-whammy (sp?) please don’t feel shame, that just made me so sad.



Elisa Haywood said:

Hello everyone ! I hope all of you are feeling good. I have not been here in a long time just because of my memory problems. I'm from Colombia and my first language is Spanish and I'm forgetting words I have known forever. When I try to speak in English, I don't do well and people don't understand what I'm saying. That's making me become more and more introverted and ashamed to speak with strangers.

Oh do I have that problem. I had a memory test done a few moths ago ...they didn't give me the result but it was comical.

Elisa I sympathize with your situation. I am from Kenya and can speak 3 languages so I mix my sentences up .

Most definitely yes!!! I'm not even sure if this reply is working because I can't remember how to do it in my kindle

Yes, totally. And by the time the right word comes out, I forget what I was talking about.

All the time. It's very embarrassing at times when I am talking to people that don't know me and the stress makes it worse.

Very common issue! Have you ever been checked for seizures? There are seizures, although I can't remember what they are called (lol), that can evoke a trance-like state where you can see, hear and feel what is going on but cannot respond.

Yes for sure. I used to be SO good and now I just can't think of any words. I also can barely concentrate to even play games.