I ended up with a staph infection from acupuncture which went into my blood then abscessed on my spine. They had to remove 2 vertebra c6,c7 and put a piece of bone then titanium with screws. I almost died from this. I am only the 2nd case in the maritimes that they know of in 37 years. My bladder collapsed, I lost 15% mobility on my left side and had a stroke in the back of my brain that affects my balance. Fortunately I regained bladder control and have the mobility back on the left side. I have had to wear a neck brace for 3 months and will be on antibiotics for 7 months in total when all is said and done. My question is, could all of this affect my thinking. For example remembering names or trying to say something and not being able to remember what something is called?
You have had a horrible experience which could easily affect your thinking. Just the stress of it alone could cause problems. Additionally, you have a stroke and sepsis which also could cause damage to your brain and affect your ability to think and remember things. Yes, all of this could affect your thinking. Some of that damage may heal up after a while and these symptoms improve, like your left-sided weakness and bladder control did. But it may take up to a year or longer. I am glad some things have improved and hope that you will continue to heal. Hope this answers your query. If you have further questions, I would be happy to answer them.