I was a loan officer at a local credit union. I had worked there about 2 years and had my own office. Most people that came into my office were members of our credit union seeking various types of loans. Auto and RV dealerships also sent representatives by my office, trying to gain insight into our loan approval process so that they could find a way to make more sells. This afternoon I was visiting for a few minutes with a salesperson from one of the local RV dealerships.
As we visited I had a sense of deja vu - you know - the sense that this exact scene had been played before. Most people have deja vu now and then. I experienced deja vu with increasing regularity, at least several times per week on average. This time it got stronger and stronger until it was like never before. Then everything seemed to fall in around me, not that it looked like anything was falling, just felt kind of like that. It felt as if I had a rapidly narrowing tunnel vision. And then it seems as if the feeling exploded and I suddenly felt the opposite of deja vu, known as jamais vu.
Jamais vu was definitely a new feeling for me. I suddenly found myself (in my own office mind you) in an unfamiliar place. Part of my mind seemed to be racing with explanations: I've been kidnapped and taken somewhere, how did I get here, who is this man talking? I was very scared. My logical brain began identifying objects, a door, a window, a computer, a person, a chair, while it seemed the other part of my brain just couldn't put it all together to recognize anything as familiar. My right arm and shoulder were twitching and I was breathing heavily, as if hyperventilating, I had a strange taste in my mouth, and had a rising sensation in my abdomen. The feeling began to dissipate. I was sweating profusely.
I felt embarrassed. I was able to recall the entire event from beginning to end, but during the event I was unable to realize what was going on or how I even got there. During the event I noticed the man in my office talking, but did not comprehend any of what he was saying. I now began to make sense of the man in my office speaking to me. He was asking what was wrong, wondering if I had ever had that happen before, was I a diabetic? I didn't know what to say, so I said, "I think I need a drink of water." I excused myself and went and got a drink for a minute. I then returned to my office and continued the visit. A few days later I called the man and asked him about it. He said at the very beginning I began to slur my speech and that the event lasted 3 to 5 minutes. I hadn't noticed the change in my speech or the length of time, it seemed like a mere 10-20 seconds to me.
Later that night my wife and I played cards with my sister and brother-in-law. I casually mentioned what happened. I thought it might have been a stroke, but couldn't figure out how I recovered from a stroke so quickly. My wife wanted me to go see a doctor. I refused, but agreed to go if it ever happened again. That wouldn't take long.
As we visited I had a sense of deja vu - you know - the sense that this exact scene had been played before. Most people have deja vu now and then. I experienced deja vu with increasing regularity, at least several times per week on average. This time it got stronger and stronger until it was like never before. Then everything seemed to fall in around me, not that it looked like anything was falling, just felt kind of like that. It felt as if I had a rapidly narrowing tunnel vision. And then it seems as if the feeling exploded and I suddenly felt the opposite of deja vu, known as jamais vu.
Jamais vu was definitely a new feeling for me. I suddenly found myself (in my own office mind you) in an unfamiliar place. Part of my mind seemed to be racing with explanations: I've been kidnapped and taken somewhere, how did I get here, who is this man talking? I was very scared. My logical brain began identifying objects, a door, a window, a computer, a person, a chair, while it seemed the other part of my brain just couldn't put it all together to recognize anything as familiar. My right arm and shoulder were twitching and I was breathing heavily, as if hyperventilating, I had a strange taste in my mouth, and had a rising sensation in my abdomen. The feeling began to dissipate. I was sweating profusely.
I felt embarrassed. I was able to recall the entire event from beginning to end, but during the event I was unable to realize what was going on or how I even got there. During the event I noticed the man in my office talking, but did not comprehend any of what he was saying. I now began to make sense of the man in my office speaking to me. He was asking what was wrong, wondering if I had ever had that happen before, was I a diabetic? I didn't know what to say, so I said, "I think I need a drink of water." I excused myself and went and got a drink for a minute. I then returned to my office and continued the visit. A few days later I called the man and asked him about it. He said at the very beginning I began to slur my speech and that the event lasted 3 to 5 minutes. I hadn't noticed the change in my speech or the length of time, it seemed like a mere 10-20 seconds to me.
Later that night my wife and I played cards with my sister and brother-in-law. I casually mentioned what happened. I thought it might have been a stroke, but couldn't figure out how I recovered from a stroke so quickly. My wife wanted me to go see a doctor. I refused, but agreed to go if it ever happened again. That wouldn't take long.
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