Katie Couric is explaining the frightening health scare that left her missing hours from an otherwise ordinary day in Aspen.
The journalist wrote about the experience in a July 6 Substack post titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember.” Entertainment Weekly reported that Couric, 69, initially raised concern that she may have suffered a stroke before doctors diagnosed her with transient global amnesia.
The condition was temporary, and Couric said her memory returned the next day.
Couric Lost Hours From Her Day at Aspen Ideas Festival
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Couric said June 27 began normally while she was in Colorado for the Aspen Ideas Festival. She remembered walking to a farmers market, buying fruit, kettle corn and a straw hat, then heading to the Aspen Institute campus with her husband, John Molner.
After that, her memory went blank. Couric still completed two scheduled panels, including one about artificial intelligence, but later wrote that she remembered nothing from either appearance, or what happened after the panels or several of the people she had appeared with that day.
Her Husband Noticed Something Was Wrong
Molner initially thought Couric might be dealing with dehydration or altitude sickness, according to PEOPLE. Aspen sits at high elevation, and he had spent enough time there to recognize that visitors can feel unwell.
Molner took her to Aspen Valley Hospital, where doctors began asking basic questions.
Couric could not correctly answer the month, the year or who the president was. PEOPLE reported that she also struggled to remember some family details, including names of loved ones.
Doctors Ruled Out a Stroke
Couric said hospital staff began stroke protocol and ordered an MRI. The scan ruled out a stroke, and doctors diagnosed her with transient global amnesia, a temporary condition that affects short-term memory.
Mayo Clinic explains that transient global amnesia is a sudden episode of confusion in someone who is otherwise alert. During an episode, a person may be unable to form new memories and may repeatedly ask questions because they cannot retain the answers.
The condition is not caused by a more common neurological condition such as stroke or epilepsy, but doctors still have to rule out more serious causes when someone suddenly loses memory.
Couric wrote that doctors told her that her memory would return. It did, although she said several hours from that Saturday will always be missing. The broadcaster described the experience as frightening but said she felt relieved after learning it was not something more serious.
The Diagnosis Explained the Missing Time, but Not the Whole Mystery
Mayo Clinic says the underlying cause of transient global amnesia is unknown, though some reported triggers can include physical strain, emotional stress, sudden immersion in hot or cold water, medical procedures or mild head trauma.
Mayo Clinic says transient global amnesia typically improves on its own and has no known lasting effects.