Dementia ?

[Mom2four85]

2 years ago at the age of 42 I had a heart procedure done where my heart stopped 3 times and I suffered nerve damage throughout my body and what my dr thinks was oxygen loss and mild brain damage. I also have moderate obstructive sleep apnea and have loss of oxgen which I think makes the problem worse.

Could that brain damage and oxygen deprivation cause dementia/alzeheimers? how do I tell?

the past 2 years I've gone through periods of complete memory loss issues, forgetfulness, and "brain freezes" that leave me completely stumped...

at first after surgery, I noticed little things wrong with my memory like not remembering my older children were from my first marriage or that I had been married before but the dr said that might be due to PTSD and the memories may come back.  

for example I know what words; are but forget what they mean or mix words up; like last week in my dr's office I told him I would sit in the table instead of chair; when I know full well what a table & chair are for and didn't even notice I said I would sit in a table until the dr looked at me weird and questioned me.

another thing is when someone jokes as my husband often does, I don't know what it means any more and have to ask him to explain it all to me...

I have problems sometimes even remembering my children's birthdays or how old they are...that should be easy, and I thought my husband and I had met when we were teens yet we didn't know each other or live in the same city and didn't meet until he was 29.

I was shocked to find when I had a psych eval last month that I could not subtract numbers as I used to no matter how much I tried I only got 1 number right -  I mean 3rd grade math stuff subtracting 7 from 100 I got; but then i couldn't even remember what that number was or how to subtract 7 from that sum.

In the past 2 years, I've had a ton of tests done to try and figure out what's going on healthwise.  The only thing besides electriacl issues with my heart; is I have inflammation throughout my body they can't find a cause of and I've had just about every blood test there is to check for most possible problems.

any ideas?

[Jifizap53]

that sounds very scary, and i hope you get some answers.  I just wanted to comment on one part, and that was mixing up words.  I do not forget the meaning of words, but I do use some interchangeably (like your example of table and chair--If someone asked if you were going to sit on the table, would you have known that was wrong?)  i will say Thanskgiving when i mean Christmas, football when I mean basketball, gazelle when i mean deer.  i don't usually notice when i do that, and i get annoyed when my husband points it out - he knows what i meant.  i have done this since my cardiac arrest 13 years ago

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

so sorry your going throught all of that sure sounds like a lot to handle, i really wish i could give you a answer but i really dont know i am so sorry.

i do know they are going to have a dr start coming on here to answer questions like you have and am very thankful, so plz hang in with us and am sure the dr can help you out.

[Mom2four85]

I forgot to mention:

I read about Chronic traumatic encephalopathy from frequent injuries such as concussions from fainting.  I've fainted since I was 9 and in June I had another concussion and pretty severe neck sprain from fainting & falling into the corner of my tiled tub.

I'm sure this has played a part in my cognitive problems.