My Brain Scares me Sometimes

[valeriem2220]

My cog fog is horrible also.
It really is noticeable at work for me, as we have a lot of paperwork we need to make sure is perfect. Mine is very seldom perfect and I need to go back and fix errors a lot.
I have forgotten how to put gas in my car, forgotten how to get out of my car, have forgotten how to do my job, and remember what I did yesterday, NO WAY, plus many more things at times.
Easter morning my memory decided to mess with me. I could not find my car keys when it was time to leave for my parents house. My daughter and I searched everywhere. I had gone to a wedding reception the night before and looked all through my lawn thinking they fell out of my purse on the way into the house. I tried like crazy to remember what all I did when I got home that night so I could retrace my steps. I then remembered that I MUST have gone to my vehicle that morning to get the Easter basket items out of the back, since the baskets were all made up and sitting there. I needed my keys to get in. I knew I HAD to have done this, but I couldn't actually REMEMBER that I had or the actual event of doing it.
I ended up getting my spare set and just leaving after 30 minutes of searching.
On my way home Easter evening I decided I would check the refrigerator and freezer since I had made food to take to my parents house that morning. These 2 places were the only places I had not checked yet.
I then thought, "If I had gone to my vehicle this morning, I know it had to have been cold out for me so I more than likely put my coat on, maybe they are in the pocket of my coat" I don't remember putting my coat on because still I didn't really remember the event completely. Yes I found them in my coat pocket when I got home.
This is only the second time in my life I have ever lost my keys. The first time was 20 years ago when my son was 1 and decided to play in my purse while we were in a store and he dropped them on the floor without me knowing.

Losing my keys was frustrating, but trying to remember everything I did just hours before was more frustrating. Almost the entire morning was blank for me.

[muse_7]

I am experiencing a lot of the same cognitive issues...does your neuro have you on any medication for these specific symptoms?

No he doesn't. I haven't spoken to him specifically about cog fog. My mom is on aricept and namenda for alzheimers and frankly those scare me.

Right after I typed that yesterday I took a load out of the dryer. Took the lint out and put it aside and put a wet load in the dryer and a new load in the wash. When I looked for th lintball it wasn't there anymore. So I don't know if I put it in the dryer, the washer or threw it away and didn't remember.

I sometimes get a flash of not knowing where I am while driving or my husband driving. It doesn't happen often but it's scary. I only drive a couple of times a month now for dr appts that are close to home.

I don't know if this is true or not but I have heard that cog problems are most prevelant the first 5 years or so. Maybe the brain rewires that too?

[ars320]

I am a physician in a physician-owned multispecialty private practice, so no supervisor. And talk about student loans! I need to bring in enough to cover my share of the overhead (including paying for the staff's salary and benefits), and the remainder I take home. So a small decrease in the number of patients I see leads to a much larger decrease in income. I know I shouldn't complain. Things could be so much worse. But very little cognitive dysfunction is tolerable as I see patients, so I am having to consider disability at 42, when I only finished my training at 35!

[mjan]

To ars320, I really truly FEEL for you. I too was making critical mistakes as a therapist, some I didn't even know so how could I even correct?

But to you and the others here, I want to tell you not to overlook your nutritional DEFICIENCES and how to feed and nurture the BRAIN. We take many meds over the years, add stress (DUH)fatigue, and our balancing acts so our systems get depleted. Now add a devastating, challenging disease and POW!! We're zapped!!

What was recommended to me, was taking a medical leave of absence in order to SAVE my job and career. Oh this was not my employer, but others much more caring.
I did. BUT I also went in for a nutritional evaluation as recommended by my chiropractor who had saved me earlier in my career..he's a true healer.

Look up NRT (Nutritional Response Testing) as related to ART (autonomic response testing). Had the eval, after a FREE class that explains what the method is and how its used. He not only found me ready to collapse as so many of my systems were in dire condition, but detoxed me 2x from mercury and other heavy metals, BUILT UP my systems and whalla.. my balance, memory and cog fog really improved. Now I was NOT yet dx with MS, but it was strongly suspected. I cannot afford him at this time (he's office visit was $35) but the supplements do add up. Still I "invested in my health" and saved my career.

Just a thought.. don't forget the meds we take tax our livers, poison our systems, then add the chemicals we eat and drink.. and our poor brains become inflammed, along with our clogged up systems.

Best to you all..its hard, I know.

Jan

[happy42day]

Overwhelmed...

As a newbie to the whole MS thing (was just diagnosed in January), I am sooooo overwhelmed right now.

I don't even know where to start. Does anyone here have tinnitus? It's driving me absolutely crazy. Any suggestions?

On the cognitive issues (which is the biggest disability to me, then the fatigue, then the tremors, then the pain, then the wobbly legs, then the....then the....ha!), I have read good and bad about Aricept. My neurologist said she feels comfortable prescribing it for me....any thoughts from everyone here on that?

In regards to the tremors...does anyone here experience those? Any suggestions?

Also, I decided to try Avonex. Is there anything that can be done for the side effects? I read something about cortisone? Does anyone know anything about that?

I am so lost right now. My daughter found this site for me and it has been a joyful relief to see others that I can relate to, and at the same time so sad.

[mommy1]

Embarassing

So I was asked to give my friends boy home from sporting event last night:

-"Boy I will be your ride home tonight"
-"Thanks Mrs. M".
-"We are not leaving right away because my boy needs to do extra practice for a bit"
-"OK!"

1 hr later while eating dinner.... "Holy Crap on a Cracker! I was supposed to...."

My boy was done and I walked right out without friends boy. He was fine someone picked up after me.

It took my brain 1 hr to pixel in the picture. I had no thought what's so ever about what I was supposed to do EVEN AFTER speaking my intentions.