Question: I was in in an MVA two and a half years ago in which I suffered a subdural hematoma. I have no memory of the events past the first few minutes. I was conscious and responsive all day but can’t remember anything except a few fleeting moments. I have mild traumatic brain injury symptoms. Is there a possibility or a way I can retrieve those memories after all this time? Other than three brief recollections, I lost about 10 hours. I was in another car crash 10 years earlier that produced a dislocated neck and a lacerated spleen. Would this have been cumulative injury that led to this?

Would the lacerated spleen and extensive blood loss during both accidents, transfusions needed for both—with hemoglobin level of 4 in the first accident and 7 in the second accident contribute to memory loss, due to oxygen deprivation? It was that way for two days.

Yes, it does help and confirms what I experienced with the subdural hematoma and memory loss. I have continuing short term memory issues that have improved but still require me to strategize to compensate. I also have executive functioning issues related to organizational skills. Cognitive function testing indicated that I am functioning two to three standard deviations below my previous capacity. I function as low as high average in problem solving, for example. I have an MS degree and was top of my class. I have retrieved some of my function since the May 2015 crash and hematoma, but not all of it. Is there any reason to believe that I could make more progress? Also, Alzheimer’s runs in my family, on both sides, my mother a confirmed diagnosis upon autopsy. I don’t have any signs of that and no lesions or dark areas on CT scans, but how might the head injuries impact my odds of developing it? Or, with my many comorbidities, will something else likely get me first?