So last Monday, I had an interest event happen. The quick summary is that I experienced an episode of transient global amnesia, which basically means my short term memory wasn't functioning normally for about a 6 hour period. I've waited this long to post this particular message because I've been trying to figure it out enough to explain it and make some reasonable guesses as to what caused it.
Since the event I joined a Facebook group which honestly has had a bit of a calming effect. My episode, it seems, really isn't that surprising even though prior to last Monday I hadn't even ever heard of TGA. "Rookies" seem to join the group weekly, and their stories are always very similar to mine. There seems to be a general unofficial consensus that hydration level and stress level are connected to having an event. A low hydration level mixed with some type of mental, emotional, and/or physical stress occurrence seem to be a "winning" combination of factors. And those things would have been factors in my episode. I'm often dehydrated in the morning, especially after officiating a lot, even though I really try to stay hydrated. And the intermittent fasting eating schedule I'm on seems to require drinking even more water, so my eating habits may have also contributed, even though I'm not stopping my IM eating schedule.
The basic summary of my event involved an early morning strength workout down at Turning Pointe in Andalusia with more weight than usual for me. I wasn't "maxing out" or anything like that, but I felt good and wanted to increase the weight I had been using. While I don't remember exactly how much water I drank before the workout, my guess is maybe a small glass of water along with the typical cup of coffee that I have in the morning. And it's entirely possible that I only had a cup of coffee.
I remember looking up at the clock above the treadmills at Turning Pointe thinking that Amber's exercise class should be wrapping up - and I'm pretty sure that's when my TGA event started. From that moment at about 6:00 a.m. until about noon, I'm only able to recall "flashes" of things that occurred. The best way I can describe it is an awareness of "losing time", as that's how I was trying to describe it to Amber just before we called her mom who was a former nurse and then calling up 911 for some help.
I remember a discussion about pajamas, sitting at the kitchen table telling Amber something wasn't right, the name pin on the deputy that responded to the 911 call, the new EMT entering the ambulance at the transition point, the garage at the hospital, the face of the doctor, the shaking hands of my ER nurse...in retrospect, it's almost like everything I was really concentrating hard on I can remember a flash of it, but my automatic gathering of memories that usually seems to naturally occur without effort wasn't functioning, like that switch of my brain was just turned off.
The switch seemed to be turned back on when I was completing the MRI at the hospital. And along with the short term automatic memory returning, I was aware of a headache, like the feeling of a hangover from too much alcohol. (A feeling I haven't had in quite some time because I really don't drink much anymore.)
All of the tests came back normal - blood work, EKG, CTscan, MRI - all normal. The ER doctor sent me home, after my $150.00 debit card charge for my share of the ER experience. She told me the even might happen again or it might not. She told me to take it easy for the rest of the day but to return to normal activities and not be concerned...she said it just happens sometimes to folks - usually in their 50's or older after some type of stress situation to the body and/or brain.
So no aneurism, no stroke, no brain cancer...just a little episode of TGA. I haven't had any episodes since, but I have tried to be more aware of hydration level, and amount of weight I'm using when/if I'm in the weight room. I'll keep you posted.
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