Monday, September 22, 2008

New Knowledge?

Question:

Now that you understand the basics of our memory systems, what can you (could you, will you) do with this new knowledge? This should be done in class. For homework, you are to comment on someone else's blog entry to this question.

Answer:

I would love to use the information I know to learn more about my sister and her condition.
After being alive and healthy for only 5 days, a germ travelled up her left side into her brain, causing most of her right functions to become sub-normal (officially diagnosed at Meningitis). She had a patch over her left eye for a couple years in order to strengthen the vision in her right, she lost most fine motor skills in her right hand, and she is very much a left-brained person.
She loves to read and write and draw. She is one of the most creative people I know, and I want to know more about why this happened and why when one side of the brain is directly affected, the long-term effects are on the right.
She has a lot of problems with her short term memory. She won't remember to do simple things like wash her hair, or brush her teeth. My family has "assigned" seats at the dinner table, and she never remembers where she sits. These are only a few examples.
She also has a few learning disabilities resulting from her condition, OCD and ADHD to name a couple.
Most people can't really tell anything is wrong with her, and that is owed mainly to her medicine. When she forgets to take it, its a pretty scary experience. :)

I love my sister more than anyone, so I'm fascinated to learn about why she is how she is.

2 comments:

Dave said...

Interesting story about your sister Kelsey. The brain is wired in such a way to the body that the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. The right side of the brain has long been understood as the creative side. I think explains some of the things you mentioned. My question would be how your sister has done with language development. That is primarily a left brain function.

kenzdmotte said...

Kels, I really enjoyed reading this. Far too often, people are too lazy to take the time to learn about someone and who they are,or what makes them tick, or maybe even slows them down, and chose instead to make a hasty judgement. My cousin has a much more severe retardation( I'm sorry if that word isn't fitting here),and often times I wonder if those that stare, so blankly and obviously, genuinely care what her story is and how she got to be how she is. I think maybe this class will let us study both the glared at individuals and the blank starers=].