Post-Stroke Cognitive Decline

After my stroke when I was about to be released from the hospital the staff neurologist told me that he believed I do have some cognitive loss issues. I challenged that opinion saying that without a pre-stroke baseline his opinion was just that, an opinion. He conceded that I was right and then I added that my wife’s subjective pre-stroke opinion was that I was an idiot and that she had confirmed that opinion several times since.

You don’t know what you don’t know when it comes to memory loss. My wife says I’m not as detail oriented as I once was. Being less nitpicky is not always a bad thing. What I know for sure is that multitasking is a little more challenging than it used to be. However, I can still do complex and interlinked Excel spreadsheets and punch out PowerPoint presentations with interlinked special effects, as well as write in complete sentences with correct punctuation and no misspelled words. I guess with spell-check, correct spelling doesn’t count.

People who I was frequently in the company of before the stroke, when they saw me for the first time after the stroke, I could tell they were looking at me with a puzzled look wondering how much of me was gone. I know because I’ve had opportunities to give others that same look. I usually met that look by reminiscing about some event they had hoped I had forgotten, and with every painful detail.

I still seem to have a biting spontaneous humor skill set saying things that are sure to remove any chance of an unguarded conversation with me. I also remember my first kiss with a non-family female as well as other important firsts. Unfortunately, I don’t remember anyone owing me money so if you do you’re not off the hook as my wife keeps records. I remember several cultural shock events that this Reformed Church raised boy experienced in Vietnam. I remember a sniper doing his best to perforate my anatomy.

So far no one except my wife has noticed any cognitive deficits, and when she does mention something I remember those same issues before the stroke. As strokes go, I’m lucky! I could have found myself sitting in a wheelchair in a VA facility drooling. My focus now and ‘til I die will be avoiding another one. Sugar in any form is the root cause of all autoimmune diseases including strokes. I’ve previously posted links to the scientific evidence behind this statement. Thank God the sugar industry lost its struggle to hide this information!