memory techniques

[Bill[uk]]

Can i suggest a new thread which containts a list of methods employed by individuals to aid their memory. Individuals would then be able to select from the list that individuals employ that would suit their lifestyles and condition.

the ideas should be in list form ONLY to not exhaust people.

Here are a few which i use just to get this thread going,i hope somebody finds some of it useful and can add to the list ...........

1. camera phone[with a decent memory stick]excuse the pun
2.pocket diary,for ease of travel
3.larger home diary that contains more detail
4.stapler to attach receipts etc as these always have time and dates on them.
5. a small box to keep momento`s from events i.e. beer mat,menu from a bar etc.

[Bill[uk]]

a couple more,

1.in your diary, red pen for "things to do" and a different colour for "things done"
2. use alarms on mobile phone/computer as a reminder
3.plenty of sleep

[Lavandula Canadensis]

Bill, very very good idea... Great !!! :D

"post-it" little sticky notes (yellow and other colors) around computer monitor or washroom mirror

refrigerator magnets for notes (appointments, grocery list...)

bulletin board w pins for business cards and newspaper articles

different colors highlighters for different kind of activities in diary and on calendar

List things to do // cross out when done

keep note pad and pen ( 1 in bedroom and 1 in washroom)

use a watch with timer

[Lavandula Canadensis]

keep keys and watch (attached together) to purse/briefcase handle with a biner

[Bill[uk]]

wipe board/day board whatever you call it

[Lavandula Canadensis]

always keep small notepad and pen in pocket / purse
keep notepad and pen in car
MP3 with recording feature for notes/reminders to yourself

[Bill[uk]]

use e-mail and text messages more,then you have a permanent copy.

[Lavandula Canadensis]

ask someone reliable for a reminder/phone call for an important event

[Discododi]

A small voice recorder for simple items, etc. This helps with shopping.

[Bill[uk]]

send yourself detailed countdown e-mails which you can then read on discharge ,explain to yourself everything that is going to and has happend to you ---

very useful.

[Bill[uk]]

i`ve started writing in my diary if i have had a good day [[a.g.d.]

when i `m feelin down i look back and realise is only a blip and that infact most of my days are good,its just that i`ve forgotten them and can only focus on the bad one i`m currently going through.

to my amazement i found i had written [a.g.d.] nearly every day !!!!!!

i have now started writing [a.v.g.] - "a very good day"

try it, it works


Bill

[Bill[uk]]

Have one or two anchor points very important

for more detail on these feel free to view my thread in the colloid cyst forum

[Gymnast_Navy_Wife]

* I make a weekly-- day by day (ei I divide the week into each day) to do each day, as well as some room for for weekly things on my Marker Board (dry erase board)-- this is put directly in my line of sight in the place where I spend most of my time (so I see it constantly)......

* I have a very small 18 mo pocket size calender that I keep in my purse/bag at all times-- its tiny and I can only write fairly short notes but it allows me to keep up with appointments, times and the day's major "to do's " with a space at the bottom for notes and phone numbers..... its my life line

* in my small pocket calender, I typically color code or use a different color ink to indicate any really important things that have happend-- such as seizures, major pain days, etc so they are quick and easy to identify should/when I need let someone know or some one asks...

* I carry a medium size note book & pen in the side pocket of my car (i also have one in by my bed, in front of my computer, etc) so I can jot down notes, info from calls, things I need to tell people (so I don't forget) etc quickly and easily accessible

* I try to color code things things as much as I can-- I have a pink note book with a matching folder that I use for my internal med appts; orange folder that is for Very Important papers/documents only, purple folder for scrapbooking letters, green for scrap booking stickers, etc. This saves me a lot of time and energy in being able to find things when I need to....

* when i recieve instructions or directions from others, I try to make copies or type them up as soon as possible and put them up in various places in my house. This works especially well for my occupational therapy excersises, activities, work, etc as there are so many of them to do and involve various tools/places

There are many others, but those are some of the techniques I use most often.

I think the key is experimenting with different things and finding out what works for you and what doesn't. For example, my cell phone is not something that is helpful-- its my only phone and I use it for so many things-- with different tones for each things; using it as a memory aid would probably just confuse me more.... With a voice recorder-- tried that, good in theory and helps many people, but, I don't have the time/patience/motivation to go back and listen to it. But, notes, reminder cards, being exposed to things multiple times, repeating back directions, etc are things that help me that may not help others....

:) GNW

[Bill[uk]]

lISTEN TO MUSIC THAT YOU USED TO LISTEN TO BEFORE, MUSIC BRINGS BACK SO MANY EMOTIONS AND MEMORIES.IT PUTS YOU BACK TO WHERE YOU WERE AT PARTICULAR TIMES IN YOUR LIFE

[Bill[uk]]

listen To Music That You used To Listen To Before, music Brings Back So Many Emotions And Memories.it Puts You Back To Where You Were At Particular Times In Your Life

[Bill[uk]]

in hospital i gave all the doctors/staff nick names,without realising it i was using word association to remember peoples names i.e.

DR SORRIAL became DR SO-REAL
DR GANN became DR BIG GUN
DR YEPP[his younger side kick] became DR YOUNG GUN
The water trolley boy,because he had a funny walk became FRED FLINTSTONE
DR ANDY HAWKINS,because he reminded me of a famous British artist became ANDY WARHOLE

So what i suppose i`m saying is that my brain was naturally using word association to compensate for the memory deficiet at that time without me even realising it.i now use this method,although to a rapidly deminishing degree,even now

[Bill[uk]]

follow a particular a T.V. soap,preferably a daily one,

I never watched them previous to my surgery at all but from a rehabilitation point of view they actually help.its always the same characters and theres always a underlying theme or event/ story line that continues over a period of days, even weeks and i found it helps :)

[Bill[uk]]

Go Through Your Home Video`s And Photo Albums To Remind You Of Memories.

[Bill[uk]]

most Stories Repeat Over A Period Of Days [i.e. Hillary Clinton/barak Obama Recently] -seeing The Stories Develop Over A Period Helps With Continuity.plus The Newscasters Usually Remain The Same.:)

[Bill[uk]]

:)[ B]I found both these programmes most useful because of the continuity factor [/B]

[its irrelevant that you wouldn`t watch them normally,for rehab they are great]

[Bill[uk]]

a domestic cat is an uncomplicated affectionate pet that shows affection towards you regardless
Ours "Bailey" is always perched on the end of the bed and so long as you remember to feed them[joke] they love you and act as an anchor point.

[Bill[uk]]

:)listen to a radio station that plays a larger variety of older music, some stations tend to repeat recent music over and over however, some play slightly older music that is more use memorywise.

Also, listen to the simpler quizzes,they give you confidence that your memory isn`t as trashed as may be your personal perception.

[hobbs12]

Wow, Bill- this was a great idea. I wish it would have been here when I needed. I basically did all of the things on this list. Reading also helps. I read a lot, I would have to say it was biggest help in recovering. Thanks a lot for starting this list...

[Lavandula Canadensis]

Bill,
don't worry... if you forget to feed your cat... he will certainly make sure to remind you...
*kitty

[Bill[uk]]

you`re right there re the cats.

when i was going through my worst patch i found i got any visitors to sign my daily diary[as proof they really had been and it was not a false memory].vistors began asking to sign it eventually of there own accord.-useful

[Bill[uk]]

the BBC herehas its own reliable news website which also allows you to access [B]archived news on a week by week basis.this is useful as a refresher[life is sometimes like an unfolding soap opera i find. :)

[Bill[uk]]

we have two cats as you now know,"Bailey" and "Oliver". i used two sticky post it notes on the back door with "IN" / "OUT" for each of them to remind me of their current location i,e, if they were in or out the house. :)

[Bill[uk]]

The radio station i listen to here in the uk is SMOOTH FM I GET IT ON DIGITAL RADIO. They also have it on the internet for our friends over the pond i believe. Theres not too much chatter from D.J.`S that like the sound of their own voices too much,and they play a complete range of music from various decades so there should be something for every one.They tend to play more popular music so those into heavy rock,rap and classical may be disappointed,but the idea is to work your memory not dance ha ha ........

Just to clarify the other techniques i use in more detail.

They are all evidence based [can you can tell i`m a detective !!!!]

for example,

If you go out somewhere and want to recall it later you should have at least,

1. a photo/recording on your phone.
2.an article
3.an entry in your diary

It diminishes the concept of [B]false memories the method/combination acts as a simple cross referencing device

you can use a combination of the above to suit your needs,

hope you all having good days.

regards

Bill[uk] :)

[Bill[uk]]

You may come to to rely very heavily indeed on these techniques so make sure you keep back up.

i.e. your phone may get lost ,get dropped or malfunction so if you you loose your phone you loose your memories [again] so pay the few pounds[sorry dollars] and back up all the information to your computer

Computers also fail so have a secondary back up to a cd rom or something,keep hard copies of everything if you have to.

hope you are all having good days :)

[Lavandula Canadensis]

Bill,
thanks for reminding me... that before i moved, i purchased an external hard drive and that i was waiting after moving to buy the Norton Ghost software to make backups of everything... so, if something happens to my computer, i'll have a ghost copy... now, tomorrow will be time to go purchase the Ghost... good night!

[Bill[uk]]

get into your lofts and outhouses, get out all those old 45`s
8 tracks,cassettes,L P`S etc

music[hits the parts other therapies cannot reach........:)

[Bill[uk]]

if you want to keep your text messages, a phone screen will photocopy quite easily.then you have a hard copy of all of those too should you discover you have a defective phone or loose it.

hope yu all keep having good days.:)

[Lavandula Canadensis]

pet therapy is certainly good to keep you young as you can play with your pet as if you were still a child... memories from the past will connect with today's new memories... and this should keep your brain connection well lubricated... especially if you have a dog that loves playing ball like crazy, like the new adorable one i just adopted... *paw

the dog will also remind me that it's time to get up, go pee... then play ball... and go for a walk... as she reminds me that it's now time to go to bed, as she fell asleep at my feet... :D basically, they keep us in contact with our physical needs, then, our emotional needs (affection and leisure) :p

[Bill[uk]]

use the voice recording feature on your phone,this saves you having to carry around too may devices.:)

[Bill[uk]]

many a time i have nearly lost my phone by simply forgetting where i left it.i`ve so far always managed to get it back thanx to the honesty of the public.

So go out and get yourselves a lanyard to hang your phone around your neck. if you loose your phone during the rehabilitaion process it will be like loosing your left leg !!!!! :)

[Bill[uk]]

about once a fortnight at least make a copy of your day diary just incase you lose it while out:)

[Lavandula Canadensis]

diary: it's always either on my desk, in my backpack that i always carry w me or on the front passenger's seat in my car... it's not a pocket one, it's an administrative planner... i carry an index card or a folded sheet in my pocket on which i handwrite the info that i need to take w me to places i have to go for today (clinic, shopping ctr...)... and i always have a pen w me to take notes if necessary...

i used to have a pocket one, but now, i have to have a much more detailed agenda, as my memory is playing tricks on me after many mild and medium impact TBI...

[Bill[uk]]

Divide your day board up into sections.ie.

a quarter for things you do every dayquarter intoplanned dailytasks i.e.mow lawn,vacum,laundry etc
a quarter long term tasks
a quarter for notes:)

[Bill[uk]]

have A Listen To This Record For A Crash Course In History:)

[Bill[uk]]

Post op to begin with,only do one "major" activity a day,
i.e. only shopping or only the garden or only tidying up as each activty is exahusting and will fatigue your healing Brain :)

[Lavandula Canadensis]

;266465']Post op to begin with,only do one "major" activity a day,
i.e. only shopping or only the garden or only tidying up as each activty is exahusting and will fatigue your healing Brain :) same wise advice also applies to those w pain (arthritis/accident/surgery/chronic...) even preferable to start by breaking your allowed 1 or 2 hours of work/play/shopping/internet/exercice (physical or intellectual...) into 15 minutes periods, as my physiotherapist recommends, and increasing gradually over the weeks, until fatigue manifests, but stopping before pain start bothering you

:D thanks for reminding me, as i tend to stop when pain gets intolerable (not always... but still a bit too much)

*paw the new dog will help me remain more conscious about time, as i never will let her alone at home, and i don't want to let her alone in the car for more than 30 min. at a time (and never never in the sun!) - as a time reminder, i've set my watch timer to 30 min. (timex expedition, a sport model w chrono, timer, alarm, nylon & velcro bracelet, indiglo light, waterproof 100m, beeps every hour if you want it to, 55$cdn) - relatively simple to set - always attached to my key ring and to my purse w a biner (some sport models are even set on a biner, without bracelet) - delicate enough for a lady... and strong enough for a man :D
2054

[Bill[uk]]

Log on regularly to Braintalk communties and follow any threads of interest [how could i forget that one !!!!]:)

[Lavandula Canadensis]

Bill, good point!!!

i've subscribed to my preferred threads, incl. this one, of course :D and i visit that subscriptions' page first thing!!!

my watch died 2 days ago... it only laster 2 1/2 years, probably because it fell on the ground many many times, before i took the habit to keep my keyring and the watch on a biner attached to my purse or to my belt or to a special necklace... yesterday, i replaced it w same thing... i had the women's model, but as i found digits were easier to see on the men's model, i got the men's model... (as shown on the pic above) :D

have a wonderful day!

[Bill[uk]]

whatever you do remember to take TIME OUT at regular intervals,try not to overload you brain with too much activity or information as you will pay for it later by feeling dreadful.

That includes spending too much time on the computer,

YES THAT MEANS YOU :)

[Bill[uk]]

most people have a mobile phone these days, we have bought a puppy which has to be fed every 4 hours, i set and use my repeat alarms on the phone to remind me to do this but it could be used for anything as you can set them up to remind you of several tasks a day,with most modern mobiles, and most people ALWAYS carry their mobiles :)

[Lavandula Canadensis]

very useful gadgets that are real tools for us... :D

my new watch (photo above) has 3 alarms - each of them can be set to buzz everyday, or on weekdays only, or on weekend days only, with a snooze after 5 minutes... my old one only had one alarm... i really find it handy to have 3 now... :p

[Bill[uk]]

In your house have a place for everything.

Everything should have a place and try to to return everything to its place after use.This saves having to search high and low for it everytime you need at and it gives order to your house and you have to remember where things belong.

[jdoolitt]

If you have the means... Get Microsoft OneNotes and use it. It is a software program for college students to take class notes with. I was using it for work-related meetings prior to my CC operation, but found it a life-saver post-surgery. I religiously type in notes as I am talking with folks. OneNotes indexes your notes, so going back and finding relevant meeting minutes is a snap. As my memory was recovering I would spend the first several minutes of each day, re-reading my notes/minutes from the prior day.. and created a to-do list for the current day. I know this sounds like an ad for OneNotes... but it is a great program for recalling important stuff.

joe

[Bill[uk]]

Get the album by Norah Jones-come away with me

Sit back and enjoy..............:)

[Bill[uk]]

If you smoke,only take out the packet how many cigarettes you would normally smoke at the begining or end of each day,as you will not remember how many you have smoked later and as a result your usage will increase. :)

[Bill[uk]]

If you want to remember something significant OR if somebody wants you to remember something,ensure you or they repeat the instruction several times every 15-20 mins or so, this will increase your chances of remembering.

Just like when you used to repeat and learn by heart, definitions when you were at school.

DO YOU REMEMBER ?

[jdoolitt]

I just remembered this :)

I've been lost driving a few times, mostly before my surgeries, but a couple of times since. I picked up a portable gps for my car - one that talks directions (Garmin Nuvi 760). Wow! It's not a crutch, but something which validates where I am, while driving. I've rediscovered shortcuts I used to take, and am less afraid of driving indirect routes (faster times, but off the beaten track). Anyway . . . gps

j

[Bill[uk]]

I REMEMBER when revising for exams as a young student i employed the use of MIND MAPPING, i intend to begin using them again. :)

[Bill[uk]]

I try so hard not to do it now but i just can`t help it sometimes......

Some mornings i still look in the kitchen bin to see what we ate the night before.......But now,its more as a confirmation as opposed to looking for clues......

happy days :)

[Bill[uk]]

If i hear a record on smooth fm which sparks a few memories i always audio record it on my phone so i can play it back again later. Ok the quality is not so good but HEY!!!!:)

[Bill[uk]]

The only way i knew another week had gone by was because every friday the Noisy trash men come and collect the bins.
[Oh ....is that another week ................!!!!!!!!} :)

[Bill[uk]]

we are going away this weekend,to York[again].

i was looking at the intended route on a map and started looking at the towns,

LONDON,OXFORD,STRATFORD UPON AVON,WARWICK,as i looked, each town reminded me of memories of when we last visited. :)

[Bill[uk]]

During my worst point i got a small shoebox which i called my "MEMORY BOX"

If i went out i would colllect something tangible,you could call it a souvenier i suppose.It could be anything i.e. receipt,leaflet,napkin etc
i would even write the date and location of where i retrieved the article from in fine black marker pen on the article.Once i even had a piece of popcorn with the date written on it from when we went to watch a film at the movies..................!

i put each item in my small shoebox as a momento. Occassionally i would go through my box to try to remember where it was from.Also it acts as another cross-referencing method :)

[Lavandula Canadensis]

Bill,
beware not to abuse this last technique, which is very good, if not abused...
i have a few dozens of photocopy paper boxes full of stuff... and now, i can't find the time to sort it out... some of it should go to charity thrift stores... the rest to garbage or recycling... i feel my appart. AND my brain are cluttered... :eek:

[Mnemo7]

Create a system of connections and links whereon you can stick all sorts of info .... also a set of figurative codes will help. It's all a matter of "formatting" your brain with mnemonics which will help you organize, manipulate and recall information as a matter of choice

[Bill[uk]]

Use your itemised bank statements as a form of diary/cross referencing aid especially if you pay for things using plastic,as statements always have times and dates for all your transactions.:)

[Bill[uk]]

i make it my job to put away the weekly shop.

and then later on in the eve i check the receipt to see if i remember purchasing and putting away all the items.:)

[Tootsie]

I suffer from "aging brain," :p and have found that I need to put a DATE on absolutely everything. Since both DH and I are clutter people, we occasionally find notes that were left, telephone messages, etc. and have no idea if they are current or were just not discarded after being taken care of.

I consider myself technologically incompetent, as pencil and pen were the tools I was trained in using throughout my life. Therefore, all the cell phones and other devices are foreign, alien, and more bother than they're worth. A simple pocket planner is my main crutch in keeping track of appointments and obligations.

I would like to emphasize that using music is a wonderful way to reactivate and stimulate memory. That even works with dementia patients as music is processed in the brain differently. Occupational therapists also use music in a program called Vital Sounds to initiate therapy with autistic children. Cheerio.

[Bill[uk]]

i was lucky, i had saved e-mails for no particular reason,i think i`m a bit of a secret closet hoarder really.it was more just down to circumstance than something i had planned.

i had about 5 pages of e-mails going back a couple of years and which i never got round to deleting "just in case" i needed them for reference.

How useful they were post -op i cannot begin to tell you. :)

trouble is that now i`m reluctant to dispose of anything, oh well,i`m sure that phase will pass eventually..............

[Bill[uk]]

We have a new puppy german shepard pup as you probably know.the instruction was to initially feed him four times a day at,

8 am
12pm
4 pm
and
8 pm

initially i set my alarm on my phone to remind me but now i just remember the sequence of numbers


8 12 4 8


:)

[Bill[uk]]

If ever we went out anywhere,as i said previously,i would collect some article that would remind me of what i had just done i.e. a leaflet,receipt,etc

i found it was just after sleep that i would forget what i had been up to that day as if everything got erased during sleep.

So to remind me ,just before i slept,i would leave the article right next to me on my bedside cabinet so it was the first thing i saw when i woke up.:)

[Bill[uk]]

For over 12 month now i have kept my wrist hospital identity tag in my pocket,.

It has gone everywhere with me since.I think it was an instant reality check about the procedure i had had done.

I think ,at last, the time is now fast approaching that i can leave it in my "collected items box" :)

[Bill[uk]]

Now, If ever i go on the computer i usually set the alarm on my cell phone for about ONE HOUR .

The worst day i can remember ever having was once when i spent too long on the laptop.

NEVER AGAIN........... !

[Bill[uk]]

If you can,shower and,if a man,shave,at night,

thats one/two less things to do in the morning.

As a result you have less fatigue the next day and more time to concentrate on work and hence more time to work your brain:)

[Bill[uk]]

i watched the closing bit of a movie last night "independence day" on T.V.

i remembered the ending.i was impressed with myself.

Get your old DVD`S out . Even if its a stuggle to watch a whole film because of stamina issues,at least watch the begining and the end bits.

[Bill[uk]]

Helen and i are off to a team pub quiz tonight, should be interesting............

i wonder which team will be unlucky enough to have me on their side.:)

[Bill[uk]]

Well, we went, we took part , we enjoyed ourselves and i was even the only one to get some of the questions right. What a confidence booster.

We came second from last but hey ......still, what a confidence booster,we weren`t last. it was,especially my knowledge on current affairs.[as you know i follow the news a lot]that i was personally most impressed with.

so the daily intake is of news information is definately going somewhere.... and sticking.........

we now intend getting a game of trivial pursiut:)

[Bill[uk]]

i was looking at my old diary today and noticed soon after discharge from hosp i would insist my partner sign my larger day diary every day .

for me it acted as an independant confirmation that my entries were accurate :)

[Bill[uk]]

I have returned back to work[partime],

i was able to access my work e-mail which is an internal system, not connected to microsoft,for the first time in a year.

i had over 900 e-mails waiting to be read,many were saved[for reference] from before i had the operations.

About half i binned immediately but the remainder i will,in my own time,for the first time ever,thoroughly enjoy reading :)

[Lavandula Canadensis]

good 'snow white" morning from the gatineau hill, canada

physical/paper diaries are also very important for me... i can touch them, put color (codes) in them with highliters for different kind of activity... (ex. green for nature, blue for arts/culture/social, pink for workshops/lectures, orange for health care, yellow for business/finance...)

i also started to keep my old diaries, back to approx. 1990, and sometimes have to refer to them to double check date/event... before i realized that i had so much memory issues, i was not putting that much info. in them

i now put much more details in my diary, rather than keeping little loose notes here and there... which get lost in the many many boxes that i have that are filles with papers & folders... i also highlight very important general information for future reference for faster tracking...

i scratch out the note when something is done... this gives me the feeling that i've accomplished something that was important (enough) because it was written down in my diary... like daily things... groceries, cleaning this and that, paying phone bill, taking garbage/recycling/composting outdoors...

it's also very important to identify storage boxes/bins on the top and on the 4 sides... especially in you have many of them...

have a wonderful day!

[jch]

Hi please call me jay its been only 10 months since i had a multiple brain hemohage and i found that the biggest problem i have is self confidence due to alot of problem I.E stuttering and shaking and forgetting important , loss of taste and smell the list is endless. i was a musican and also was studding a psychology degee at uni when i was attacked. has ive been out of hospital a couple of months and seeing a proffessor of nuroepsychology every week. i never used to write anything down EVER my study my music because of how i used to rember things ive only just learnt this again (because i lost two years of memorys) i found some notes i must have made when i was first starting to use this way of rembering things (to much to go into atm and how it works i will explain if u email me any questions ) wot i was doing is using just my long term memory and cutting out my short term memory. LIKE LETS SAY for a shopping list (i will give u an example. if i needed lets just say milk, eggs, bread, butter, tea bags, and some black bags, (doesnt matter how big the list is and it doesnt have to be in any order atm )
wot i would do is close my eyes and imagen im in the supermarket and its empty and all i can see running down betwen the empty rows is a giant green umpty dumpty (egg) waving his arms about and running from the milk man (milk) who is throwing eggs at him and as i poke my head down the row thay have both run down i see the foundations singing build me up butter cup dressed as monkeys juggling loafs of bread (this can be used for butter and bread ) and it goes on like this untill u have ur list mapped out in ur long term memory but the pictures have to be colourfull and bright and big. and evertime u do this u have 2 make if a differnt place like the next list the following week use your home imagen its empty and place things you need etc. the more you use this system the more u will be able 2 use it in every day life without evern knowing you are. I know this may seem abit strange but just try it write a list of ten randon things down and try it and it gives u acsess to your ltm (long term memory ) using moving pictures in your mind and dont forget to make them funny :)

this saves me from writing everything down but at the same time (i am still learning it aswell ) if you are using this system for the first couple of time take the list with you but try not to look at it unless u really have to try using ur ltm cause it will always be there the problem people have is that after injurys or mental health problems you just dont have acsess to ur memorys :) all the best jay sorry about my spelling still eaching my self to remmber how to spell :D

[jch]

jasonhenshaw@hotmail.co.uk as my other one dont seem to be working

[Lavandula Canadensis]

combining notes with visual picture/image reminders will touch both sides of the brain... humour will awaken our child within...
2206

[Bill[uk]]

A good idea my partner helen had when in hospital was that each day she would leave me a post it note stuck on my bedside t.v.

Whenever i woke up it would be the first thing i saw,it was only ever a brief note but it would say,

[a] what we did /talked about that day
who came to visit
[c] when she would return

It was really useful to me as to begin with [B]post-op because i could not remember her morning visit by that same afternoon !

Each visit was like the first time i had seen her for weeks/months........:)

[Bill[uk]]

If so why not print it off and hand/post a copy to your neuro-rehab team so others can benefit....

Oh......and also tell them all about Braintalk Communities,spread the word.

Most of us probably stumbled across this site, lets ALL take a co-ordinated approach so others can benefit from this wonderful site,just like we have .:)

[Bill[uk]]

The best bit of advice i had from this site was from distinguished member HOUGHCRST..........

[/[U]THAT THE BAD DAYS ARE LIMITED IN NUMBER]

Remind yourselves of that from time to time and try to stay positive :)

[Bill[uk]]

Helen and i were lucky enough to go to the Live 8 concert in London in 2005

i watched the D.V.D. of it again today

Paul McCartney,James Brown,The Killers,The Who,Pink Floyd,Madonna,Elton John,Sting,Robbie Williams,R.E.M.Mariah Carey,George Michael, etc etc etc

An event and music ....

What memories that day bought back............ :)

[Mnemo7]

develop system of support images and figurative codes that will be the basis and file system whereon you'll be able to place your information. All of that is in your mind - no gadgets/notepads/voice recorders required ;-)

[Bill[uk]]

Please remember to keep the suggestions in List Format only

:)

[Lavandula Canadensis]

good day

bulletin boards... are great to keep useful info handy... they can be hidden behind doors too...

[Bill[uk]]

Family planners are so useful,not only do they have your future plans on them but everybody elses too.:)

[Bill[uk]]

helen got me the Trivial Pursuit game today as a one of my birthday presents,great !

i now intend to carry the question cards with me for whenever i have a spare momment.:)

[Bill[uk]]

get one, you are gonna be spendin an awful lot of time in that thing called a bed.....no pun intended:)

[Bill[uk]]

if ever i go out to a bar/restaurant,whenever possible i face a wall as opposed to facing the crowd.

This way i take in less information about my surroundings and am able to stay in the zone, as i call it ,for longer:)

[Bill[uk]]

SOME OF THE MEMORIES THAT CROP UP MAY BE UNPLEASANT SO TRY TO BE PREPARED.HOWEVER,THERE MAY BE NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.
IT WILL BE LIKE LIVING THROUGH THE MOST DIFFICULT TIMES OF YOUR LIFE FOR THE FIRST TIME ALL OVER AGAIN.

I WORK AS A MURDER SQUAD DETECTIVE AND HAVE BEEN A POLICE OFFICER FOR OVER 21 YEARS NOW SO I`VE SEEN JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING[I WON`T GO INTO DETAIL AS I DON`T WANT YOU TO HAVE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS]

All i`m saying is,depending on your life experiences,try to be prepared.:)

[Bill[uk]]

in your diary always make a note of a significant or funny event,infact anything unusual as this what you are most likely to remember.

Otherwise another day is like any other day,i.e. just another day.:)

[Bill[uk]]

I found,occassionally,in my diary i would give my day a name to help me remember later i.e.

tuesday- day i went to town day
thurs- day i got locked out the house day
sat - day i lost my keys day.
wed-day it snowed
sat-day car broke down

etc,etc:)

[Bill[uk]]

I have made it my routine to watch both these daily quiz programes on BBC tv. They are both short,quick fire quiz programmes which last about half an hour only so are not that exhausting.

You can probably get them on the net too.

Our finishing positions in the pub quiz nights i mentioned in earlier posts are improving by the way :)

[Bill[uk]]

Think of your memory like a filing system or a library.

When your brain wants to select a memory it goes into the filing system,selects what it wants to remember and then returns its to the filing system until next time you want to use it.

When you have Brain Surgery,its like a bulldozer going into the filing system and throwing everything into chaos,the files get all thrown around, damaged and lost.Thats why the chronology all seems out of order.

Your Brain then has to sort it all out,expect this to take up to 2 years.

Thats what i believe goes on in that grey matter.:)

[Bill[uk]]

If you hear or get an invite to a reunion/works party make a point of trying to go.

I went to our office christmas party last night, i bumped into people i have worked with over the years. i even recognised somebody i trained with at the Police Academy in 1986 !:)

[Bill[uk]]

Try not to get sucked into paying good money for "gimmicks".

Everyday things you already have usually suffice. You can probably ill afford extra expense as no doubt you will have been off work for a long time or worse still lost your job............ :)

[Bill[uk]]

New year, new diary thats what i say.

For Christmas i got one of those diaries that have a small entry on each day that tells you a significant fact from history for that day.........

useful:)

[Bill[uk]]

Top 100 films
top 100 adverts
top 100 love stories
top 100 number one hits etc etc etc

these progammes are great for memory, at they don`t last too long:)

[Bill[uk]]

This one goes against the grain of this LIST ONLY thread so i apologise in advance but i think its worthy of a long one..........

Seriously, getting a dog ,its the best thing we ever did, for my rehab "Zak" has been a god send.

Lavandula Canadensis talked about pet therapy previously and she was so accurate.

He keeps me company in the day,he`s always pleased to see me,i have to remember to feed him and take him for walks,even when i`m not in the mood he makes me go out for walks which can only be a good thing.

We decided to get a dog after we went to see some good friends, they have a dog already and who i would normally rough and tumble with and who i hadn`t seen for some time because of my illness.

On this occassion he didn`t want to play as usual,but some how sensed i wasn`t well. He just put his head on my lap and just wouldn`t move and ignored everything and everyone else.To tell you the truth he nearly brought tears to my eyes.... yes me, a roughy toughy murder squad cop................

Within a month we got our own and we have never looked back, he`s more theraputic than any medication or memory excercises.


But remember, a dog is for life not just for rehab

[Bill[uk]]

Add a few blueberries to your breakfast cereal each morning, they are an accepted super-food that is scientifically proven to help memory:)

[Bill[uk]]

DONT UNDER-ESTIMATE THE POWER OF YOUR BRAIN

As i type this particular thread, i notice my fingers are finding the keys to spell the words without me really having to think about it much, its as if my fingers know exactly where to go.


I`m certainly no "touch typist" but take a minute to think about what i`m trying to say on this one.....:)

[Lavandula Canadensis]

i recently discovered Tetris and similar games and i started a personal quest on these games because of their alledged therapeutic effects on brain functions & memory (PTSD, TBI, etc...) according to a recent study by the Oxford University research group...

more info about it have been posted on the 'suggestions for memory exercices' tread:

http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/showthread.php?p=316871&posted=1#post316871

many different tetris and similar games can be downloaded for free on the internet :D

[Bill[uk]]

Hey you Brits,

Got some free time on your hands,feeling a little better,want to give something back,want to do something as a stepping stone before going back to work proper ?

Especially if you live in the MIDLANDS Look up HEADWAY at your at your local Volunter Bureau.

Its a charity workshop for people with neurological conditions.

Having walked the walk just think of the knowledge you could offer others.I was a volunteer there a couple of years ago,how ironic is it that i should get a Brain Tumour.

Having now seen both sides of the coin i can tell you that any of your free time would be invaluable.:)

[Bahamaroot]

I keep a note pad on my coffee table that is nicknamed "My Brain". I make notes of everything I need to remember. It is in a place where I have to see it several times a day and night to help sink things in my brain. I highlight the more important things.

I use the calender in my phone a lot, with the reminder alarms on, to alert me ahead of time before appointments or if something needs to be done.

I always put my phone and keys in the same place everyday!

I run through the alphabet if I can't remember a name, it triggers my memory often when I get to the first letter of their name.

[Mal L]

A notepad on the coffee table sounds like a good idea. One thing I find very helpful, which may be commonly used, is a wall calendar with a one-inch square for each day. I put appointments and tasks on it, and refer to it occasionally during the day.

[Bill[uk]]

A good article today by experts on the BBC WEBSITE [BBC NEWS] ]on gadgets like Nintendo Brain Training

The experts seem to think cross words are just as effective.:)

[Bill[uk]]

I was lucky, as part of my profession i was obliged to keep a pocket note book,a small book which in effect is an evidence gathering book/diary and by police regulations has to be kept upto date for every day of my working life.

Yesterday i was in the locker room at work and found a handful of them which i had obviously kept aside for some court case or other.

Think i`ll enjoy reading those.......:)

[Bill[uk]]

Hobbs 12 is right,

Knitting,reading a book and playing computer games delay the onset of dementia,

Check out the BBC NEWS website for an article which shows experts discussing this topic

date of article 1st march 2009 :)

[Bill[uk]]

Helen and i are due to get married soon and we were writing out our guest list......

What a great memory excercise that turned out to be.i had to think long and hard to remember who we needed to invite.

Imagine you are about to host the mother of all parties and dig deep into the crevices of your memory about who you would need to invite

friends from school days,friends from college days,people you have worked with over the years,associates from the gym.etc etc......

the list could be endless....:)

[Gunher]

Microsoft Outlook program is great in general for appointments, to do list, and reminders. On the calendar you can put people's birthdays with an option for pop-up reminders. On the to-do tasks list you can set dates for reminders to pop-up. You can color code appointments, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.

Also, I've heard of individuals having difficulties if they have written a check -- there are programs to keep track of accounts and/or banking have on-line programs, and/or use carbon copy check receipts.

I use a PDA to synchronize with my computer. On my PDA I can make written notes, written tasks, scheduled calendar appointments, and record voice reminders -- all this data can be shared with computer & the Microsoft Outlook program. Also has address book.

Using a GPS can program addresses and/or find addresses where someone is going for an appointment and/or relatives place, etc. GPS also have businesses telephone numbers.

Also, if needed, a scheduled chart can be made in excel if needed.

Regarding movies -- when rented on Block Buster or other rental place if you rate the movie then you know what you have already watched.

Some quick additional ideas.

[Gunher]

Also, another strategy if someone forgets the day/date check on the television guide.

[Bill[uk]]

No longer is a mobile phone just a device for talking to someone.Technology has come on in leaps and bounds.

Here are examples of what i use mine for for,

1.calculator
2.diary
3.accessing internet
4.voice recordings
5.texts
6.personal organiser
7.clock/repeat alarms
8.reminder alerts
9.address/phone book
10.listening to radio
11.playing computer games
12.video camera
13.taking photos
14.stopwatch/countdown timer
15.keeping notes
16.calender
17.phone call history
18.listening to mp3 music
19.phone account time/cost updates
20 video calls

oh, and also
21.talking to people !

Intelligently use your mobile and it will act as your surrogate memory until your brain hopefully rights itself....

Now........ who was it that was saying a mobile phone is just a device for talking to people ?

Oh....and don`t forget that Lanyard,lose your phone and you lose all your information:)

[Bill[uk]]

My lap top was playing up the other day so we just went and bought another one as we can`t really do with out one at the momment.[how did we ever survive without them !!!!!!!!]}

But the old one i took in for repair to see if it could be salvaged in any way.

i was having a coffee whilst waiting for the repair shop to open and found i kept the laptop between my feet so if i got up i would brush against it,remember it was there and therefore not leave it behind. i tend to to do the same with my overcoat,very rarely is it hung on the back of my chair but most often on my lap under the table[ and dont leave your keys/wallet or mobile in the coat,make sure you keep these items on your person at all times. .:)

[Bill[uk]]

Because i work in an environment that entails access to highly classified information i now keep all my door codes,internal computer passwords and a/c numbers in my phone under discreet headings that only i know what they refer to.:)

[Bill[uk]]

Last night was about the 10th time we have been to our weekly pub quiz.....

Out of about a dozen teams last night guess what........


WE WON


our reaction.....

Anybody would have thought we had won the national lottery.........

I WOKE UP AT 06.00 HRS JUST TO TELL YOU THIS,IN CASE I FORGOT.......... !

[jayne]

all these are great but what if you forget to do them thats my problem i think about it and then forget it:confused::confused:

[Mal L]

Jayne - I suggest to write things down on a slip of paper and scotch-tape it to the wall.

[Bill[uk]]

good point

print them off ,reduce the size on a photo-copier and then get them laminated.so it forms a little book that you can carry around in your pocket perhaps.......

alternatively take the prints to a reputable stationer and they will bind and laminate them for you at minimal cost.Ensure the binding is of a type that allows you to add futher pages if necessary

[make one copy for your neuro-rehab team too,and don`t be afraid to tell them that this is the type of information that you have found most useful ]

in fact,while you are at it,make 2 or 3 of them for if .....no......when you lose them..........



BUT KEEP CHECKING BACK IN ON A REGULAR BASIS AS THIS THREAD IS BEING UPDATED ALL THE TIME AND YOU MAY MISS SOME EXCELLENT IDEA`S

[Bill[uk]]

I`m not into plugging brands of items for people to buy,i think it`s important for people to make their own choices according to their budget,without being swayed or influenced.

But i feel it imperative to mention my particular phone

i use the SONY ERICSSON CYBER-SHOT

It just seems to tick all the boxes for me and more importantly, It is reliable and quite simple to use...

and no.......I don`t have shares in SONY so there is no conflict of interest here !:)

[Bill[uk]]

If you are already aware of this site and about to go for neuro-surgery or are going for repeat surgery, and suspect or have been told that you may suffer memory-loss in particular, then,if time,seriously consider the following.,ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE ALONE......

Cancel/suspend any subscriptions you may have

Set up all your house hold Bills to direct debit mandates

Take your car off the road[supply keys and get someone to turn it over once a week perhaps]

[1] Get yourself a small to medium sized box
[2] write yourself [I]detailed instuctions in the box to include what has medically happened to you ,and what is going to happen to you.
[3] if you keep a diary,your last diary.
[4] house alarm codes,computer passwords,bank a/c details etc.[copies]
[5] a list of all your contact phone numbers, buisness & private
[6] List of all your financial investments[copies]
[7] photo albums and/or photo discs or whatever media you use.
[8] your favourite music cd`s and DVD`S
[9] print off your countdown e-mails in chronological order[as mentioned in an earlier thread]
[10]A copy of this thread.
[11] All your home/family/holiday movies
[12] Think hard about what ANCHOR POINTS you choose,and make sure those closest to you know of their significance to you.
[13] Write a very short auto-biography of your life
[14] Details of Brain talk communities
[15] a new diary,about A3 size at least.[a page for each day]
[16] a stapler
[17] day board/wipe board together with marker pens
[18] a supply of post-it notes.
[19 if you live alone then cancel or divert your post or get someone to collect it.
[20 If you trust them, tell your neighbours you may be away for a while
[21] Tell someone close to look after/check on your house/supply house alarm codes/spare keys if necessary
[22] Put a prominent "NO JUNK MAIL or COLD CALLERS" notice on your front door
[23] Get a few timer switches and fit to lamps/tv to come on intermitantly while you are away.
[24] Consider investing in a memory foam mattress
[25] make sure you have a properly working mobile phone-important
[26] [I]TELL SOMEBODY RELIABLE ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF THIS BOX

I`m sure there are more but these are the things that spring to mind.

Just imagine you are leaving the planet for a couple of years,because thats what it will feel like.


On discharge from hospital,only when well enough,break open the box,but pace it and be very careful not to suffer information overload.............. :)

[Bill[uk]]

A world memory champion,Mr Ben Pridmore, reveals his methods on BBC NEWS WEBSITE :

date of article 7th April 2009:)

Basically he suggests what Lavandula Canadenesis told us months ago , that of combining visual images.....

[Mal L]

Here is a procedure that occurred to me today: when leaving the house, or at other critical times, you can ask yourself, "Did I forget anything?"

[Bill[uk]]

If like me, you find you get up early hours of the morning for no apparent reason,it probably is because you are having a day time nap..........

Now,18 months post op i try not to sleep in the day,or go to bed before 10pm, but instead just take "time -out" to recharge the batteries.

I know, not quite a memory technique but a good nights undisturbed sleep really does make a difference to the memory the following day. :)

[Bill[uk]]

It makes sense to me ...........

Don`t forget your five senses.as a memory aid.Touch,sight,,hearing,taste & especially that of SMELL

we have already said listening to music reminds us of periods in our life,also remember that scents do the same.......

make use of your olfactory organs as certain scents can spark nostalgia and memories, i.e.

perfume,home cooked food,a certain drink,tarmac being laid on a road,a freshly mowed lawn,changing a babys nappy,bathing a baby,exhaust fumes in heavy traffic etc etc :)

[Bill[uk]]

At last i`ve been given permission to drive my car again.......

Ever park your car in the parking lot at the superstore and then can`t find it when you come out ?

Yep......me too......!

So now i always park it,as best i can, in the same spot,even if it means walking a bit further to get back to it.
walking never hurt anybody...........But not being able to find my car definately hurts my brain.:)

[Bill[uk]]

Again a stroke of luck.......

At work,as far as practicle, i tried to run a paperless desk.

On my return,on accessing my computer, i was able to locate files with all my cases i had been involved with over the past couple of years.

At first it felt like i was reading about the work of a person i didn`t know,but its all comming back now:)

[Bill[uk]]

I found whilst in hospital that if my brain couldn`t make sense of a situation it would fill in the gaps......

i.e.

i was in hospital
opposite me was an soldier from the gulf war
On the tv was news footage of the war
the soldier was having welfare visits by army personnel in uniform
the soldier was having military related conversations on his army mobile phone
i was on morphine
someone had poked around in my brain a few times
i had lost my memory

As far as my brain was concerned i had done a tour of duty in the Gulf.:)

[Bill[uk]]

A good article today on the BBC NEWS website on delaying the onset of dementia.....

Apparently working longer in later life delays its onset.

date of article 18/05/09
:)

[Mal L]

Within the past couple of years, there has been some clear-cut research that found that the onset is delayed some 50% by diet which includes the Mediterranean type (fruits and vegetables, fish, and omission of red meat.)

[Bill[uk]]

Because i made the relatively small initial outlay for a memory card for my mobile phone i have been able to keep over 12 months worth of texts and video/photo`s and subsequently hardly even touched its full capacity.

don`t forget that lanyard
[you will get fed up of me reminding you of that !!]:)

[Bill[uk]]

All the following normally have times and dates on them

1.receipts
2.tickets
3.bank statements
4.phone call history on mobile phone
5.text messages
6.phone bills
7.internet history
8.leaflets
9.mobile phone images
10.e-mails
11.anything tangible
12.diary
:)

[Bill[uk]]

I now have a small notice stuck to the inside of the front door with a check-list that includes basic things i need to remember whenever i go out,it includes....

House/car keys
house alarm set
all doors and windows locked
dog has some water
sandwiches
wallet
heating on/off
lights on/off
paperwork
mobile phone/lanyard
:)

[lfaitel]

Wish I knew all of these methods and they were all available back in the 1980's. Great techniques

[Bill[uk]]

mobile phone conversations

when making important phone calls to banks,utility companies etc why not voice record them on your mobile phone,as you talk.

Then later you can be sure you have the details all correct as you understand them.

No need to tell them,they are probably already monitoring your phone call too.
:)

[Bill[uk]]

An american researcher claims on the BBC news website today that he has evidence that the spice "curcumin" delays the on set of dementia.curcumin is a component part of the spice tumeric apparently,and is used as an ingredient in indian [south east asia,as opposed to native american indian] curry dishes. if you don`t like curry,you can buy curcumin as an extract in a capsule.

However,the theory only got a luke warm reception at the royal college of psychiatrists here in the uk,but he may just be right and hey,even if he`s wrong, there is nothing like a good indian curry.:)

date of article 03/06 2009

[Bill[uk]]

To avoid the dreaded fatigue i try to ensure i only go on the laptop for one hour at a time as mentioned in an earlier post.

To ensure this i always leave it on charge but then unplug it from the mains when in use, so that way, there is never more than one hours supply of charge before it automatically shuts itself down. :)

[Bill[uk]]

You know those tv channels that nobody watches ?

the ones that show old repeats all the time,films,soaps,sit-coms etc

they are infact really useful.:)

[Bill[uk]]

Follow a weekly music countdown chart in the genr`e that interests you,be it on the radio or tv.:)

[Bill[uk]]

So sad to hear about the passing away of Michael Jackson .

i will remember where i was when i heard the news......

Where were you when you heard the news that the following had passed away

Elvis ?
Princess Diana ?
J.F.K. ?
John Lennon ?

[Bill[uk]]

Helen and i went shopping in town yesterday,she went into some womens clothes stores so i sat outside for a rest !!!!

We live in a medium sized town with one main pedestrianised high street and as the weather was quite nice i found myself people watching.

Although i don`t really know them to actually speak to,its amazing how many people i recognised.:)

[Bill[uk]]

Now that i can drive i went and visited all the homes i have lived at over the years,they were all quite local so it was easy for me to do.
Houses in the uk tend to be built to last and they were all still there.

i visited childhood homes i lived at over 3 decades ago and found as soon as i got there, all the memories came flooding back:)

[Bill[uk]]

Last week i went for a follow up at the neuro-rehab clinic,i was waiting in the waiting area when a man in a wheel chair came and parked next to me,he asked me to pour him a glass of water which i did.

But i found myself occassionally glancing at him as if i knew him from somewhere,it was driving me bananas.......

After 15 minutes the penny dropped,when i was 1st admitted to hospital on the first day,now nearly two years ago ,the day before my surgery he was in the bed next to mine.He was there for some spinal injury or other.

The point of this post is that i had suffered memory loss and he hadn`t, but still i recognised him before he did me,and that i`m really pleased with myself for eventually making the connection on this unexpected reunion :)

[Bill[uk]]

Most major supermarkets now allow you to shop online.If you do this and have it delivered to your home address it makes shopping so much easier.

The programmes are designed to automatically list what you most frequently request from your previous orders and subsequently you are less likely to forget anything :)

[Bill[uk]]

Use the services of your local reference library archive to get previous copies of news papers[not that you can really believe a word thats written in most of them]

Most reference libraries have them readily at hand and they are free to view,usually you can also access the internet for free there too:)

[Bill[uk]]

As a follow on my post about sub-consiously knowing the location of keyboard keys,it just occurred to me how since i got my driving licence back i automatically remembered how to drive my car without even thinking about it.

Perhaps its because that information is long term memory and hasn`t been affected.So I may get lost and not remember new routes but i could drive my car competently without much thought.

So i suppose i can at least get lost safely :)

[Bill[uk]]

How exhausting is supermarket shopping,or is it just me.........

as a family we normally purchase tried an tested products that the family are happy with. Now i have a route around the supermarket which is linked to a shopping list.Let me explain,

i now have a plan of the supermarket layout[just ask them for one] and produced a route which encompases all the aisle`s i have to visit,in a sequence,to complete my shop.The key is that the route corresponds to my regular shopping list in sequence.

i hope this does`t make me sound too much of an anorak:)

[Bill[uk]]

i had a follow up appt with my neuro-consultant recently, the one that actually performed my operation.

i explained the memory issues and he said treat the memory like a muscle,the more you use it ,the stronger it becomes:)

[Bill[uk]]

If its impracticle to visit your old homes, then you can pay a virtual visit using Google Earth not as good,but the next best thing.

In fact,come to think of it you can visit any place in the world using it,and all from the comfort of your home.

Use it to re-visit holiday destinations,schools,universities,towns etc:)

[Bill[uk]]

Catch up on old events around the world.

If you go into the BBC NEWS website and view the front page,on the left of the screen is a column that contains a box that says "on this day"

You use it by simply inserting a date:)

[Mal L]

For grocery shopping, I use my written list and use my imagination to scan it. I then cross off the items as I take them off the shelf.

[Bill[uk]]

You know those compilation music albums that come out every couple of years,You may already have some in your loft somewhere.......

best of the 60`s,
number ones of the70`s
hits of the 80`s,
pop songs of the 90`s etc,

try to get a hold of them in whatever format suits,plus the music is in chronological order for you.

they are really useful.:)

[Bill[uk]]

As a follow on from that Michael Jackson post.........

where were you when

1.The Twin towers were attacked
2.Nelson Mandela was released
3.You first rode a bike alone
many others:)

[Bill[uk]]

Log in, put in the date and name of your school and see who you remember:)

[hobbs12]

A myspace page is excellent for memory issues and memory help... Just remember to set it to private...:)

[Bill[uk]]

Yesterday i went to my H.Q. and viewed my personal file, it contained information about my career spanning 22 years from when i first joined.i was able to view all my previous annual staff appraisals.We spend so much of our lives at work,almost 1/3rd of it in fact.Its important to know what we have been up to all those years.

Approach your previous employers,they may just have kept your records:)

[Bill[uk]]

A little early i know, but at the end of each year you usually get TV programmes and newspaper/magazine articles that give a run down of the years major events.:)

[Bill[uk]]

I`m back at the gym now,theres an athlete in there trying to get out i`m sure of it.Just like my regular parking spot for my car when shopping.i have a regular locker for my things at the gym. :)

[Bill[uk]]

i`ve never been one for much alcohol but since the op my tolerance to drink has gone right down.i now tend to stick to alcohol free beer if ever i do.
i prefer a nice cup of tea these days.
sorry, don`t mean to be a kill joy:)

[Bill[uk]]

Last night i had my first dream in over 2 years which i remembered when i woke up.i believe memory and dreams are inexplicably linked,they have to be.

then again,what do i know !:)

[Bill[uk]]

If you like computer games then consider something like TOMB RAIDER.

dont save your progess as you go up each level, but instead re-start the game and try to remember how you did it .:)

[Bill[uk]]

If,like me, you struggle with the concept/elapse of time

then consider getting one of those cheap digital watches that you can set to bleep on the hour,every hour.:)

[Bill[uk]]

contact details for Headway uk should anybody need it

http:www.headway.org.uk

[Bill[uk]]

charades is a great game to play any time of year.

it really stretches the mind and makes you have to think outside the box , plus its fun and free :)

[Bill[uk]]

Here are some notes given to me by a consultant clinical psychologist on discharge from hospital post-op.

i had actually forgotten i had been given them but found them yesterday.....

here is a summary.

1.internal strategies
visualise information as a picture.

2.attention
when memorising try to reduce background distractions

3.small chunks
organise information in small bite-size chunks under key headings

4.repeat and rehearse
repeat and rehearse infromation over and over silently in your mind

5.deep level processing
aim for deep level processing.,the more the new information can be attached to existing memories,the deeper it will be processed.

6.make links
make links or associations in your mind e.g. if you want to remember that davids birthday is on 27th december,imagine that two days after christmas,the poor chap probably got lots of joint christmas presents as a child

7.make visual pictures
"a picture is worth a thousand words" try to make the picture as vivid and bizarre as possible.

8. thinking of a picture activates the right hemisphere of the brain.just using words activates only the left hemisphere.

9.use mind maps or spider diagrams
because the information is broken down into smaller chunks.You can colour the routes.when your mind is searching for the information just visualise the map.

10.errorless learning.
you learn more efficiently if you get it right first time

11.expanded rehearsal
repeat the information in your mind,then again after a slight delay,then increase the delay to a few hours and later by a few days.

12. memory involves a number of stages
a-recording of information
b-storage of information
c-retrieving the information

13. there are different types of memory
[a] immediate ,or working memory[held for a few seconds]
short-term or recent memory [information stored just long enough for it to be used,this can be seconds ,minutes or days]

14. [B]long term memory
also called episodic or auto biographical memory.this records things that have happened to you in the past.

15. prospective memory
the ability to remember things in the future i.e. "meet david at 3pm"

16. verbal,semantic or auditory memory
remembering events using words i.e. when you remember a story

17. visual or spatial memory
remembering pictures or images

18. motor memory
remembering motor skills i.e. riding a bike

19. procedural memory
i.e remembering how to switch on a computer

routines
1. these can ease memory difficulties
2.set up direct debits to pay your bills
3.carry out certain activities on certain days
4.keep a daily timetable

wellbeing
1,anxiety,stress and depression make memory worse
2,plan positive enjoyable experiences
3,excercise at least once a day,even if its just for a walk.
4,learn to say no to excessive demands on you.
5.manage your time.take breaks and learn to relax

external aids
1.diary/notebook
2.post -it notes
3.wipe boards
4.calender
5.watch alarms
6.dictaphone
7.telephone answering machines
8.make lists
9.mobile phones
10.use a pill reminder for medication
11.list of phone numbers by your phone,or log in your mobile phone
12.computers are good for storing information
13.write on the back of your hand

:)

[goddessoflubbock]

I started with anomia - inability to think of nouns - about 5 years ago.

It has since progressed to short-term memory loss also.

I now know this is a result of hypoxia, low blood oxygen.

I make use of my Blackberry (which I backup to my computer, when I remember LOL) and notes, lots of notes. Without them I can forget even where my children are....

I haven't found anything to help, perhaps because the hypoxia is ongoing?

Nevertheless, my husband will say things like "remind me to buy bread at the store" ROFL

I also have face-blindness; really he should be glad I even recognize him!!

[Bill[uk]]

If you find you are having a particularly slow or tired day then just check your diary to see what you have been upto for the past couple of days,
you will probably be able to work out the reason or see a pattern emerge.

Its usually because you have over done it,had a few late nights or tried to fit too much in and something you can try to avoid in the future:)

[Bill[uk]]

Apparently, simple juggling increases brain activity some professor at Oxford University claims today on the BBC News website.
They did some tests using m.r.i. scanners:)

[Bill[uk]]

HERE IS A GOOD ONE POSTED BY IFAITEL

What helped me as I was healing from my TBI and I still use this technique today (23 years post) and teach this to menopausal friends; Backward chaining.

Think of the item you have misplaced. When was the last time you saw it? Where were you? Then before that where did you see the item? Where were you? And before that? And so on and so on.

Many time when I cant find something lets say, my hairspray (because I take it into several different rooms as I get ready in the morning) I think when did I last use it? "I remember I had it in my hand when I poured my second cup of coffee" and surprize! my hairspray often is right there where I was when I last remembered it. In this instance...next to my coffee pot

[Bill[uk]]

Just another quick note about the value of soaps on tv....

Most of them have several concurrent themes/story lines running simultaneously ,so you have to keep track of all the story lines as the episodes develop,
they really are useful.
:)

[Bill[uk]]

Here is the direct link for the BBC " on this day" i mentioned in an earlier post

http:www.bbc.co.uk/onthisday

:)