Jenni Ogden, Off-Grid Writer

Mar 24, 2013 12:44 AM EDT

I love your little comment on the man in the wheelchair who didn't know the kitten was down there near his left wheel, yet never ever hit it! It's lovely that the instinct to protect is so strong.

- Kathleen Dixon

Mar 24, 2013 1:34 PM EDT

This is absolutely fascinating. It brings to mind other phenomena such as those of people with normally functioning eyes who are "blind"; unable to see but still able to navigate around hazards.

- Rupert Gilliand

Oct 04, 2012 1:05 PM EDT

I loved that movie - very heart-wrenching, and beautifully done.
I like your comments about what is currently considered the best way to guard against Alzheimer's. Instinct says that this must be correct - that giving children the opportunities, and maintaining those mental and physical activities throughout life, will keep the brain stimulated. Going sideways into studies of animals in captivity, we see that the same holds for them.
It's great when science connects with instinct.

- KiwiKathleen.

Aug 04, 2012 2:03 AM EDT

It is a sad syndrome, I had a bad car accident and after they told me I had concussion and would get over it. After 3 months a doctor sent me for checks and found I had this syndrome. It has completely changed my life with a near total memory loss pre accident still to this day it is hard to understand what I have lost. Funny though I'm very reserved and never get up set or even. But very quiet and would sit back and watch and now run my own business. Thankyou for having this page as it has explained a little as I look to find away to make life a little better. Life is now a struggle but have changed the life of many to a better life through my work. but it does little as i work endlessly trying to sort out my my own planning, decissions. And to think I don't remember been with my ex-wife for many years and when I see her its like looking at a stranger. My family who live in Auckland NZ when I return there from Australia is very hard to place them in my life and who was I, what was I like. But I live in the here and now.
Thankyou for your post

- David W

Aug 10, 2012 10:35 PM EDT

I believe I may suffer some of the symptoms of fls as I have had some severe knocks on the same left front part of my head (fall age 10, car wreck age 17, head butt age 53). Now, at age 54 am having more frustrating memory lapses and am considering having this checked out (MRI?) Thoughts?

- Robert W. Fulton

Aug 14, 2012 10:03 PM EDT

Hi Robert,
It may be difficult so long after receiving the various blows to your head to prove that your current memory problems are related to a "frontal lobe" problem or indeed to problems related to damage to other brain areas related to memory. Certainly if you sustained significant damage an MRI might show this, but before going this far you need to ask yourself how this will help? It may be better to find a clinical neuropsychologist who works in rehabilitation and have a full neuropsychologicial assessment and then hopefully get some practical help or therapy/strategies in coping with any difficulties you have.Good luck, Jenni

- Jenni Ogden

Sep 05, 2012 2:47 PM EDT

Thanks for the information Today I found out I have this after a MRI with dye. I am a disabled veteran and was knocked out cold about 4 times one time I had two concussions in the period of 3 days. I was dizzy an puked had problems maintaining my balance. Then came depression , isolation , anger rages , aggressive behavior , locking my keys in my car , my house. Out of all the Therapists I have seen only one asked me " were you ever knocked out " then I saw a Neurosurgeon. So who knows about what happens next it is what it is I guess along with having my ankle reconstructed , loss of hearing in both ears , compressed spine with two degenerative discs with nerve damage I'm a mess but I won't give up. I love life , I led life to the fullest so know I'm paying my dues. Have to stay strong for my daughter an my cat :)

- Mark Slugocki

Dec 28, 2013 10:36 PM EST

I had a bicylce accident where I hit my head in the forehead region and then my personality and handwriting changed immediately after I also became impulsive and uninhibited. ten years after this accident, several repeat mris show frontal lobe lesions and 20 years after accident i have memory loss problems, problems finding words and problems with controlling my spending and paying bills. mris still show the lesions in left and right frontal lobe, these are permanent scarring but also mris show other lesions in different parts of brain that some doctors think look like multiple sclerosis

- MD

Jan 29, 2014 3:32 AM EST

I underwent surgery for the removal of a benign meningioma two years ago now, but during the 3-4 years preceding my diagnosis I was affected by extreme disinhibition and inappropriate behaviour - the worst of which were thousands of online chats in which I expressed sexual interest in children, most of which I can't now even remember taking part in. Horrifyingly, it has led to me being investigated by social services and the police who are disinclined to believe in the possibility of brain disease playing a factor.

- PC

Feb 10, 2014 4:09 PM EST

I was a rehabilitation counselor for ten years and worked I the field for 30. There was a psych consultant who was very good at diagnosing FLS in clients to varying degrees. I read many evaluation reports that described recommended accommodating each set of limitations.

Fast forward to marrying my wife, raising two kids and now being retired. My wife was struck by a car at the age of four, during the early 1950's in a Canadian metropolitan area. She has a couple of scars on her forehead, but doesn't recall being unconscious. Her ability to sequence events has always been shaky. Many family resolutions and decisions have been based on pretty lucid logic and her stubbornness. She has always been very outgoing, often a little too much. Her attractiveness and overly warm impressions have been a sore spot in our marriage. Learning from mistakes is hard. For example, She is forever losing her car keys, so I mounted a couple of hooks to the end of a kitchen cupboard and showed her how easy it would make finding her keys by just hanging them there each time she came home. That was about two years ago. I reminded her each time she had to look for the keys about the hooks and their purpose. She is still losing her keys and almost never hangs them up. Her tolerance for frustration is quite low. All new technology is learned by me and translated to her in a format more friendly for her. She has broken several devices by throwing them across the room and then becomes upset because they are no longer available. Lastly, her judgement about when not to blurt out certain types of information in the presense of others is sometimes appalling. I have lost friends because of it and find myself cautioning her before we attend many social functions. Her inability to apply one situation to another, transferring similar themes, in my efforts to understand problem dynamics has often left me in a state of "...beam me up Scotty!" I lover her to death, but after 40 years of marriage I often feel alone and isolated, having been down so many familiar roads over the years. Interestingly, her best friend is almost a mirror of her cognative issues and my wife is appalled that I don't want to travel with them. There are no available drugs that could that happen.

- ParadigmDrift

Feb 10, 2014 9:56 PM EST

Thank you for sharing your story. I suspect as we age, earlier problems that may have originated years before as the result of brain injury become exacerbated. She is lucky that she has you, and that you are so thoughtful and systematic with your strategies to give her life some meaningful structure. I am glad you love her so much and have not given up.
Jenni

- Jenni Ogden

Feb 26, 2014 12:29 PM EST

I suffer from frontal lobe syndrome. I would like to find a day program and or a facility where I can live full time. Does anyone have any suggestions? I live in the Northeast in the US.

- Charley

Jun 25, 2014 12:18 AM EDT

This is what I'm starting to suspect my husband is sufferig. Or the man I now live with, who has the physcial appearance of my husband. 3 years ago he had major surgery and since then, I have lived a life of hell, with an almost complete stranger. There was no traumatic head injury. Just a lack of oxygen or a stroke (trying to find that one out now). We lived abroad in a 3rd world country until recently, so there was no way to find out what was wrong - and of course, he refuses to accept anything is wrong - it's just me being a b***ch to him.

- pisces

Jul 29, 2014 3:09 PM EDT

My husband had a bike accident just coming up 3 years ago sept he was a pro bodybuilder 45 year s old in good shape great dad to 3 children and fab grandfather since the accident he is not the same we had to go to london from wales for a special mri where they found the front lob had damage on both sides and 9 other to back and side , he is slow in thinking forgets what he is doing , goes into a world of his own he has tryed to go back to the gym but he is tied very quick his body is not in shape any longer which pull him down he has painc attacks the list goes on he went of a cliff as a woman pulled out in her car and I am still fighting in wales for help I live in hope things might get better but to be honest to myself I dont think so now do you ?

- vivienne

Jan 09, 2015 5:28 PM EST

I am writing about my daughter 36 years old two beautiful daughters. 11 and 13, And married. Had a seziure 2 years ago.. Rushed to the hospital and had 2 more seziures on the way. Ended up with 6 leisions, 4 in the left frontal lobe and 2 at the top right in the middle of her head. Did a biospy , and could not get into the leision in the front. Was encapsulated..Ended up taking all four leisions out of the front. Sent them to Stanford Univ. did not know what they were??? She was doing fine for awhile, now completely isolating herself from family. Is this part of the Lobe syndrome? Thanks concerned Mom ...

- Karen Swasey

Jan 09, 2015 9:38 PM EST

Dear Karen,
This is very sad. I wonder if you can get her doctor to refer her to a clinical neuropsychologist? I have no idea what her lesions were but given that some were in the frontal lobe, she could be suffering from a frontal lobe syndrome. Or she could be suffering from depression or some other psychological reaction that may be able to be helped with therapy or medication. Also if she is on a lot of anti-epileptic medication this can cause problems, so should always be regularly reviewed by a neurologist. I do hope you can find her some help. Warm wishes, Jenni

- Jenni Ogden

Apr 27, 2015 8:33 AM EDT

My father, age 74, had his 3rd Mengionoma removed in Jan of this year. Following the surgery, he did very well (except for a set back of pneumonia and sepsis). In Feb. he was released from Inpatient Rehab with only needing PT for endurance. Otherwise, he was completely independent within the home in terms of self cares and ambulation. He only had very minor memory and problem solving issues.After being home for 2 days, we started to see a dramatic cognitive and physical decline. Within a few days, he was incontinent of bowl and bladder, could not complete self cares without verbal cues or picture cues, lost his ability to comprehend what he was reading, and began loosing the ability to initiate any gross motor movement (standing, transfers, etc). Once up, he could walk with ease. Then that began to decline. He was seen by 3 neurologists, a rehab dr, a NP in neurology, an neuropsychologist, and an endrochonlogist. He had also had 2 inpt stays where they completed every test in the book, including a seizure study. They have now dx him with Frontal Lobe Syndrome. I understand this dx, however the drs. can not figure out why this did not happen right after the surgery. He continues to regress and is now in a nursing home as we could not physically manage him at home anymore. I am an OT and have exhausted all of my knowledge. Any suggestions? Thank you!

- Anne S

Apr 30, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Hi Anne,
With so many tests it seems that your father's health professionals have done their best to find out what is going on. If many of his problems are associated with frontal lobe dysfunction, possibly this is progressive because of small strokes which are in turn related to his operation/anesthesia etc? I assume he has had a recent MRI (since surgery)? There are still many mysteries I fear and it may be that you will never have an answer. You can perhaps be comforted a little by knowing that everything has been tried in terms of diagnosis, and the best approach now is to spend as much quality time with him as possible.

- Jenni Ogden

Jun 25, 2017 5:03 PM EDT

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- Basset