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A review by jeanetterenee
I Forgot to Remember: A Memoir of Amnesia by Su Meck
3.0
3.5 stars
There are a lot of novels and films about amnesia, but the reality of living with the condition is considerably more difficult than what is portrayed in fiction. At least for Su Meck. Some people with brain injuries are able to recover some of their memories over time. Not so for Su. She has no recall of the first 22 years of her life before her brain injury, and very little memory of the first few years after the injury.
Imagine coming to consciousness in a hospital with no idea who you are and no recognition of the people who say they are your family. You don't know what your likes and dislikes are, what your childhood was like, or what your basic personality is like. You no longer know how to read, do simple arithmetic, prepare food, or behave in social situations. Nor do you have any recall of ever having known how to do these things. And after MRIs have been done, the doctors tell your husband it's a psychiatric condition.
This is what happened to Su Meck in 1988, after a falling ceiling fan gave her a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This book chronicles her struggle to be a wife and mother with no memory of what the words marriage, motherhood, sex, or even love meant. For many years she was like an automaton, mimicking the behaviors of those around her, with no understanding of why she was supposed to do and say those things.
The first part of the book is very interesting, as Su explains what it means to have severe amnesia, and the disorientation she felt every minute of every day. As the book progresses, it gets mired down in the mundane details of married life and raising kids. The dailiness of her account grows tedious at times. I would rather have learned more about how, specifically, she regained some of her basic skills. For example, she says it took her many years to learn how to read again, but she doesn't describe how that re-learning evolved.
The story is still well worth reading despite a sometimes lagging pace. For twenty years after her accident, Su Meck kept her struggle with amnesia a secret from almost everyone. Part of her purpose in writing the book was to let people with similar problems know they're not alone and can reach out to others for support and guidance. I applaud her for the effort, and for taking on the challenge of writing a book for which she had to rely almost entirely on the memories of family and friends.
There are a lot of novels and films about amnesia, but the reality of living with the condition is considerably more difficult than what is portrayed in fiction. At least for Su Meck. Some people with brain injuries are able to recover some of their memories over time. Not so for Su. She has no recall of the first 22 years of her life before her brain injury, and very little memory of the first few years after the injury.
Imagine coming to consciousness in a hospital with no idea who you are and no recognition of the people who say they are your family. You don't know what your likes and dislikes are, what your childhood was like, or what your basic personality is like. You no longer know how to read, do simple arithmetic, prepare food, or behave in social situations. Nor do you have any recall of ever having known how to do these things. And after MRIs have been done, the doctors tell your husband it's a psychiatric condition.
This is what happened to Su Meck in 1988, after a falling ceiling fan gave her a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This book chronicles her struggle to be a wife and mother with no memory of what the words marriage, motherhood, sex, or even love meant. For many years she was like an automaton, mimicking the behaviors of those around her, with no understanding of why she was supposed to do and say those things.
The first part of the book is very interesting, as Su explains what it means to have severe amnesia, and the disorientation she felt every minute of every day. As the book progresses, it gets mired down in the mundane details of married life and raising kids. The dailiness of her account grows tedious at times. I would rather have learned more about how, specifically, she regained some of her basic skills. For example, she says it took her many years to learn how to read again, but she doesn't describe how that re-learning evolved.
The story is still well worth reading despite a sometimes lagging pace. For twenty years after her accident, Su Meck kept her struggle with amnesia a secret from almost everyone. Part of her purpose in writing the book was to let people with similar problems know they're not alone and can reach out to others for support and guidance. I applaud her for the effort, and for taking on the challenge of writing a book for which she had to rely almost entirely on the memories of family and friends.