For more than three decades, Michelle Philpots hasn’t been able to create new memories. After two car accidents — one in 1985 and a second in 1990 — the traumatic brain injuries she suffered led to the development of a severe decline in memory retention. By 1994, she lost her ability to form long-term memories. Since then, Michelle’s life has become a strategic routine of calendars and Post-It notes. She even lost her job because she couldn’t remember the work she had done. Meanwhile, her husband has to convince her daily that they’re married by using a photo album. If this all sounds a bit too familiar, that’s because Michelle’s story has much in common with the 2004 film 50 First Dates, starring Drew Barrymore as a woman with amnesia and Adam Sandler as her husband, who must remind her every day that they're married. Unlike the film, Michelle’s memory doesn’t just reset every night when she goes to sleep. Within minutes of making a new memory, it can disappear. That can even happen mid-conversation. Despite it all, Michelle has managed to maintain a positive outlook on life. “I can really relate to the film Groundhog Day,” said Michelle. “When I wake up, everything outside my window is the same. It’s like I’m living the same day — day after day.” Michelle, who lives in Spalding, Lincolnshire in the UK, rarely leaves the town and requires a navigation tool to get around locally. Often, when she arrives, she has no clue where she is or why. Her house is full of Post-It notes with reminders, and her phone helps too, but her husband Ian is the greatest reminder in her life. “The only thing I can do is be patient, and I have to make sure she is writing everything down,” he said. “Sure it can be very frustrating for me, but I have to be patient and understand and accept that she struggles to remember. I get frustrated, but I have to keep calm because I love her.” Years of rehab have yielded some minor improvements to Michelle’s memory, but despite the efforts her memory will never return to normal.
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| Ian and Michelle |
