memory loss from seizures

[del6292]

I am a caregiver for my brother who is 46 years old. He is a high functioning quadraplegic who, on a normal day is out of bed by 7 am, drives himself to our local community college and teaches a full schedule.  He has a masters in Biology/Botany and has taught for nearly 20 years.  He is a very active and independent person and is highly respected.  He has been a quad for 32 years and until recently has had only minor medical issues (kidney stones).  He was admitted a month ago with an infection due to a whole in his stomach, which was repaired.  He came home but was not doing well and was readmitted.  He has had trouble in the hospital with low levels of potassium (1.9) and phosphorus.  A week ago due to these metabolic issues, he suffered 5 grand mal seizures within 6 hours.  They almost immediately gave him adoran (spelling?) and then gave him anti seizure medicene (not sure which one).  He has had no seizure since.  However, after the seizures he was mentally out of it for 4-5 days.  On Monday he woke up very lucid but the nurse warned me that his memory was not good. He is quite alert and is getting out of bed daily. He is eating well and his levels are doing good, but the memory of recent events is still not there.  Each day for the last 4 days I have given him detail which on the next day he doesn't remember.  Sometimes he doesn't even remember that I was there the day before.  He remembers the older days of college and being young.  He doesn't remember the house we live in together (been here 10 years) and seems to think my daughter (his niece) should be in the 5th grade (she's in the 10th). I keep trying to pinpoint that he has lost ____ number of years of memory, but it's not consistent.  It truly bothers me that he doesn't remember some things day to day.  The hospital has taken excellent care of him and the doctors have been wonderful, but I would like to know if this memory can or will come back.  His catscans have been normal and one EEG done the same day of the surgery resulted in them telling me that things were just "slow".  I expected them to be "slow" the same day as the seizures.  Is there any excercises that I can do with him daily to help.  I take in pictures each day to show him of the house, his van he drives, his new fancy wheelchair, his niece, etc.  Is this a good thing?  I'm not sure at this point if I should continue to push him or if I am impeading normal and natural progress.  He is a driven man or he would not be so active and independent.  I need to know how I can help him.

[del6292]

Thank you so much for your post. I think at these times we just need reassurance.  

[Dennis MD]

Hi.
I understand what you are going through.
Seizures can cause some memory impairment.  In your brother's case, it seemed that his recent memory is lost but with an intact remote memory.  This condition will improve in time.
What your are doing now to improve his memory is beneficial.  Just be patient.
Good luck.