Zombie For A Few Hours: Jack Maybolt Had TGA, Transient Global Amnesia

TGA, tansient global amnesia, is a poorly understood affliction of older men which causes a brief, usually less than 8 hrs, loss of recent memory and the inability to form new memories during this event. It is often precipitated by vigorous physical activity.

I am a member of the rare TGA club as of this past week.

I was seated at my computer after working out in the hot sun all day when Mrs. Maybolt tells me Tom Petty died. She states I acknowleged her statement and 5 minutes later I proclaim, "Hey, Tom Petty, died!" To which she snarkily responded, "I just told you that!"

Next awareness is of my confusion. I felt as though I had just beamed down to a new home Mrs. Maybolt and I just purchased on a creek near the Tennessee River. I was lost. I got up and wandered through the house looking for anything to jog my memory but came up short, and by this time Mrs. Maybolt who usually pays me no attention as we have become the same person over the years began to question my sanity.

After a few well placed questions, Mrs. Maybolt, who has a medical background of sorts living with a physician for over 2 decades, and was a nurse before our marriage, determined I was a few cards short of a full deck. She called my son, a physician, and explained my symptoms and I am told I got on the phone with him and explained since all I was missing was my immediate memory and had no other focal neurological deficits, it was most likely Transient Global Amnesia.

Well, sonny boy and Mrs. Mayboldt would have none of that, a man who is clearly out of his mind has no business making a complex diagnosis on himself? Preposterous! I vaguely recall Mrs. Maybolt's threats of calling an ambulance if I did not get my ass in the car for a trip to the Emergency room. Time, for me ceased. It was like being asleep with eyes wide open but unable to process anything seen or spoken. I recall getting out of the car at the hospital and walking in a fog to the intake area of the ER. I got in a wheelchair to go for a CAT SCAN and no recall until about 4 hrs later when I find I am in the ER on a gurney with IV fluids and heart leads.

Mrs. Maybolt tells me I asked the same question over and over again. Specifically, "Now tell me what happened?"

I spent the night in the hospital and the next day the ability to process short term memories came back to 100% as predicted by the diagnosis. It is a very peculiar affliction. There is no treatment and its occurence in the population is 4 to 5 in 100,000 people. It usually affects those over 50 and rarely recurs.

I have been playing this up to get out of chores with Mrs. Maybolt fiening no memory on how to place dishes in the dishwasher or how to make my side of the bed. She ain't buying it.

I feel the mechanism is similar to sleep walking but you are not asleep.

Mueller needs to resign.

The press needs to lay off Trump.

And the congress needs to get with the program and pass Trump's initiatives.

The NFL will fade into obscurity and have fewer fans than roller derby if these ballerina's in padding do not repent.

And hey, did you hear Tom Petty has died?

Last dance for Mary Jane.

I am,

Jackson Delano Maybolt, TGA survivor President Urban Poverty Law Center