An autoimmune disease stole this man's memory. Here's how he's learning to cope

Sometimes our immune system runs amok and attacks the organ that makes us “us” — the brain. It’s called autoimmune encephalitis and it can appear out of the blue. The brain inflammation can cause confusion, memory loss, even psychosis. Doctors are getting better at identifying that rare but bizarre form of autoimmune disease but it’s still tricky. One California man got his life mostly back after a “year of unraveling” that damaged his memory. He can spout facts learned long ago and make new memories. But he was left with a decades-long hole in his personal, “autobiographical” memories.