A woman with memory loss makes memos on everyone in her life so she can remember details about them - and has been nicknamed Dory by her friends.<br /><br />Megan Mackenzie, 27, suffered a traumatic brain injury after she fell off a stage in school and hit the back of her head.<br /><br />The author had to relearn to talk without a stutter and over time realised she was struggling with short and long-term memory loss. <br /><br />Now she keeps a memo for every friend or family member in her notes app on her phone - detailing things such as their favourite colour, birthday and places they like to go.<br /><br />Megan, an actress and college educator, from New York City, US said: "When I was in school I got pushed off a stage and hit the bottom of a piano. I hit the back of my head.<br /><br />"I had to relearn how to speak.<br /><br />"Then I realised I didn't have a memory anymore. I can remember how things make me feel but the details are blurred.<br /><br />"I spent the next few years navigating the new normal.<br /><br />"Each person has a personalised notes app.<br /><br />"A lot of my friends know and let me tell the same stories over a million times.<br /><br />"A lot of my friends call me Dory [from Finding Nemo]. I always say 'just keep swimming'."<br /><br />Megan was 17 years old when the incident happened which caused her brain injury.<br /><br />She said: "I couldn't articulate what had happened.<br /><br />"I don't remember the next few months."<br /><br />Her parents took her to hospital the following day - as initially no one realised the damage the fall had done.<br /><br />She was told she had mild concussion but, after her symptoms continued, she was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.<br /><br />Over the years Megan has had various therapy to relearn to read and talk.<br /><br />She said: "I loved reading. Now I read by speed reading.<br /><br />"I can read an entire book in three hours.<br /><br />"I get to redo the Harry Potter series as an adult with a fresh brain."<br /><br />Megan started making a habit of writing things down after she realised she was repeating stories to her friends.<br /><br />She said: "That's how I started using my notes app to keep track of things.<br /><br />"I love bullet points. I title the notes app for that person.<br /><br />"I write down their birthday, places they go, names of dogs.<br /><br />"It's random life bits that were important when I wrote them down.<br /><br />"Everyone wants to see their notes but I never let them see it."<br /><br />Her boyfriend, Andrew, 24, a masters student in computer engineering, is very supportive of Megan.<br /><br />She said: "He is lovely and wonderful. He finds it charming when I tell him my stories for the 800th time.<br /><br />"When I'm retelling stories I'll look at him like 'what happened next?' and he'll jump in."<br /><br />After Megan's brain injury she was told it wouldn't be "an option" to memorise lines.<br /><br />Now she's worked out a way to do it - by using movement.<br /><br />She said: "If I'm learning lines I will touch my head or something.<br /><br />"Through movement I'm able to lock in these words."<br /><br />Megan shares her story online - to help share the "quirks" of a brain injury.
