Forget. Remember. Write.
Michelle O’Kane
Hey!
I’m a writer. And amnesiac. In 2019, my gallbladder ruptured. The rupture caused a severe infection that cut off oxygen to my brain, leading to permanent damage. I remember the fluorescent hospital lights, the stiff sheets, and then nothing. When I opened my eyes, almost everything was gone, including my memories, my sense of place, the thread of my own story.
I was diagnosed with both retrograde and anterograde amnesia. I live between forgetting and trying to remember, always reaching for memories that slip away before I can hold them.
The Shape Of Memory
Memory shapes every sentence. Sometimes I lose the thread halfway through. I collect notes. Fragments. Chapters. My current project: And She Was. A memoir. Living with a mind that won’t follow the rules.
Writing. Forgetting. Writing again.
In this book, I explore what it means to rebuild a life without a map—how identity, purpose, and connection survive when memory fades. The story weaves together moments of loss and moments of unexpected discovery, searching for meaning in the spaces between what is remembered and what is forgotten. And all the shit that's bumping around inside all of it.