MEMORY
Memory involves many parts of the brain, and if a brain aneurysm rupture or treatment damages any of those areas, your memory will be affected.
Survivors of ruptured aneurysms usually do not remember the event or much of what happened in the hospital, and never will. This can be disconcerting but is normal.
Many survivors regain their ability to remember as they continue to heal, while some continue to have difficulty with short-term or working memory for years. Survivors might remember events from ten years ago but cannot seem to remember who called yesterday or where they put their keys.
Absorbing, storing, and recalling information are some of the challenges survivors face after a rupture or treatment of a brain aneurysm. Learning new material in general may be difficult. Some have difficulty with something called prospective memory, which is the ability to remember future events. Here are several strategies for coping with these issues.
To help absorb information:
• Link— associate new information with old information.
• Simplify— avoid sensory and language overload. Shorten sentences for easier understanding; break up large pieces of information in order to focus better.
• Use apps that help with memory or record new information on your smartphone. Write down notes or memos to help jog your memory.
To help store information:
• Repeat and rehearse— immediately after someone says something or you learn something new, repeat it to yourself. Then wait a few minutes, and repeat it again to see if you remember.
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