An Undergrad With Memory Loss

By: Farida Amgad

It’s October 2022. The weather is slightly improving after the summer canicule. I was idle all summer like stagnant water, but not because of the heat.

Often, I wish I could go back in time and change some events. Or only one event – the car crash that caused my memory loss. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. Living with memory loss is a challenge only a few can understand, and fewer can genuinely relate to.

It’s like you’re isolated from people, and yet surrounded by everyone. Like you’re missing out on everything, but also present in every situation. It’s a challenge, to say the least. The most challenging part, however, is that unlike a broken arm, having a form of amnesia does not show so it’s harder to speak up about the whole story of having a car accident resulting in severe memory loss. As a university undergraduate student, memory loss can be quite challenging.

A challenge for students suffering from memory loss is that they cannot process the information being said at the same speed and understanding as students without brain injuries. As a real life example, I had a group presentation and it was quite impossible to memorize what I was required to present.
So, I needed to explain to the whole class why I would be reading my notes, as I was sure that they wouldn’t have otherwise understood. While this instance can be seen by others as not embarrassing, it was for me.

Lastly, I believe that people need to be more aware of how to deal with people suffering from memory loss, as it is not that easy for them to express themselves every time they meet new people.

Emotions play an important role in brain functions, but that is some thing else to consider.