Short-term Memory Loss
A crucial part of short term memory is that many experience its devestating effects. Memory loss is presented in four types: immediate memory, short-term, long-term, and lost memory. Short- term, long-term, and lost memory are all three that I have experienced. Short-term is defined as the ability to remember something after 30 minutes. This type of memory loss is more common in patients suffering concussions due to the fact that it isn’t a severe concussion – it is just a minor concussion and the brain is reacting to the injury. It is as simple as trying to remember what you need at the grocery store. Someone with a perfectly healthy brain should be able to remember what they need. At the same time a person who is suffering from a concussion will remember only one or two things on their list but they will remember at a time not convenient for them to go to the store. Short-term memory loss is one of the reasons why I was given more time on tests and quizzes. It causes you to think slower than you normally do and the extra time is needed because most of the time the harder you think with a concussion the worse the symptom can potentially get.
Lost Memories
Lost memories are actually memories that the concussion is so severe that the brain just shuts out all information it is taking in about the incident or what happened and things before the incident. This is when people have amnesia. The two types of amnesia are retrograde and anterior grade amnesia. Amnesia means that you have lost memories that you once had. It basically means that part of your past has been erased. My last concussion had some amnesia. It wasn’t a bad concussion but I had had a couple before it so it made it a little harder on my brain.
I still don’t remember that entire day before the game and after. All I remember is walking up to my dad at the end of the game and hugging him crying because he was so scared and my mom joined too. It was one of the most emotional moments I had ever seen with my parents before in my life. It sucks when you have a good game and you can’t remember it. All you can do is ask one of your buddies about it and listen to them talk about how well the team and you were.
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