3/8/2018 Reading Material - Off2Class

Reading Material

Amnesia
1.

About three years ago, Helen su ered a serious head injury in a bus accident. But Helen
was lucky. The best surgeons in her city were available to operate immediately, and her
physical recovery from the accident was rapid. However, she now su ers from problems
with her memory.

2. ‘Naturally, during the rst week that Helen was in the ICU, the medical sta was focused
solely on her physical state,’ recalls Dr Tina Fowler. ‘Helen was in a coma for several days
and she was critically ill. It wasn’t until about 12 days after the accident that she awoke, and
of course we weren’t surprised when Helen didn’t remember what had happened to her.’

3. Helen remembers feeling frightened when she awoke. ‘I couldn’t remember anything at
rst. It took a few days for the memories to return, but then I realised something else. After
ten days awake, and feeling better every day, I realised that I didn’t know the name of any
doctor or nurse in my ward.’

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 4. ‘It
3/8/2018didn’t make sense. So many doctors and nurse
Reading came
Material to me every day. They checked a
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thousand things, brought me food and drink and administered medicine. I thought they
were di erent people, always introducing themselves. And because I remembered my
family and friends who visited me, it took the neurologist a few weeks to gure out that I
had a problem with my memory.’

5. Dr Julie Blaise, Helen’s neurologist, diagnosed Helen with anterograde amnesia. ‘Amnesia
is a condition that a ects memory. Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new
memories, while long term memories remain completely una ected. Helen talked with all
of her visitors normally. She remembered their names, who they were and their shared
past memories. But when her husband visited her twice on the same day, she forgot that
he had been at the hospital just a few hours earlier.’

6. Despite a clear diagnosis, treating anterograde amnesia is a long process. Dr Blaise

continues: ‘Helen needs a lot of support from her social and family network. She needs
assistance to remember her daily routines. Helen has a very supportive husband and
children, and it is extremely likely that she will make a full recovery.’

7. Helen remains upbeat about her future, even though the anterograde amnesia does
cause frustration. ‘It feels like I have two lives. One life that existed before the accident,
which is clear. My life after the accident is more challenging, and I mean it is challenging for
others. I can remember when my husband and I were on a picnic together 10 years ago in
Switzerland. What we ate, what we talked about… even the color of the blanket we were
sitting on. But when my husband goes away for an hour or two, I won’t remember when I
saw him last. But I’m improving. And of course, the outcome could have been much worse.’

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