Neurological exam

[Andyman73]

Does anyone have any recent experience with neurological exams, the 8 hour variety?  My VA MH therapist is referring me to neuro to get scheduled.  He's quite interested in finding out what, if any, may be the cause of the holes in my memory.  Hmmm, wonder if maybe they can tell me why I experience deja vue (all over again) so often.

Apparently I was confused, when he told me previously that he wanted to go through a depression DBQ during our next session, which was Feb 29th. 

 

[flores97]

Andyman73, try sending in a secure message and ask when this exam is going to be rescheduled. The staff and nurses have to respond. If they dont know, i would keep asking until they figure it out. That exam could be very beneficial for you!

[Andyman73]

ArNG11 and Flores97,

I will have to secure message them.  Will try that tomorrow.  See what they have to say for themselves. 

Yes, I do expect the results to be telling, there's got to be some reason why I have blank spots in my memory.  For example, not just forgetting what my wife told me, but forgetting that she even talked to me at all.  She swears a blue streak, that we talked, about something, even what room in the house we were in.  I draw a complete blank, might as well been talking to one of the kids, and then telling me I remember what they said, as if I was there, even tho I was at work.

Then she wants me to think about it, to see if I can remember it.  What am I supposed to think about?  Tomorrow?  Do any of you remember tomorrow?  Then I just lie to her and say, oh yeah, now I remember, even tho I'm as clueless as to what, as the VA is in doing right by Vets.

When I told my VA MH therapist, he was quite concerned.  He found it rather interesting that I wasn't just forgetting something talked about, but forgetting even talking, or when or where.  It even happened to him, this past session.  He was asking me how a conflict resolution tool/trick was working out.  I said huh?  We didn't talk about that, I don't recall.  He says we did, cuz it was in his notes...hmmm, I wasn't there, was I?

Sometimes when talking with either of my brothers, and it's something from our past, I have no memory of it.  Like I called off sick, from my own life, that day.  I used to be pretty good with directions, too, verbal, not written.  But so often go left when I should go right.

I forget names seconds after I hear them, too.  

Dang, there goes that deja vu all over again... 

[ArNG11]

Andy I feel for you in the short term memory loss and short  term retention.  Apnea, medication, psychological problems can all affect this.  

I have noticed that in the last few years it has been getting significantly worse for myself, folks try to calm me down and state the it is stress, or my mid life crisis, or meds, rather I quite disagree. Now with medications it does get worse, that is understandable of course but that doesn't solve anything or put me at ease in any way.  Hang in there my friend.  Try cognitive behavior exercises, do manual entry of names and numbers, do activities that engage certain parts of the brain, it does help.

[Andyman73]

ArNG11,

I was doing those Lumosity games for a while, then I forgot I was doing them.

[ArNG11]

Lumosity games, like games that are specifically used to engage certain parts of the brain? Or just simpler

[Andyman73]

Well, not sure, like doing simple math on the fly, or matching memory(really sucked at that one).  They were fun, almost like a video game app.  I didn't pay for the full access app, so only played the free games.  Like advertised on tv.

Ok, well, got some news. I secure messaged the BH dept to reschedule.  Then I checked myHealtheVet for future appointments, not even thinking for a second about this.  What lo??? My neuro exam was already rescheduled for next Thursday, the 31st!  So I secure messaged them again, saying that the new time/date will work fine with me.  So...score 1 for the VA.  Totally caught me off guard with that one!