Hi Pengold:

I know how you're feeling! My cognitive issues come and go; sometimes I am sooo articulate and other times can't put one word in front of another.

I have found that list-making helps tremendously (and then I put my list somewhere prominent so I don't forget that I wrote it).

I also ask people to repeat themselves. Frankly, sometimes that doesn't help either. At the dinner table, when both kids and my husband jump from subject to subject and I find myself getting lost, I ask them to stick to one subject at a time so I can follow.

I focus on one thing at a time. In following a recipe, for instance, I read "pepper" and  repeat the word in my mind as I take the pepper out of the cabinet. I know that if I read "salt" and "pepper" I'll forget both items before I get to the cabinet to take them out.

Mainly, I find that my cognitive issues are greatly exacerbated by stress and fatigue. It tells me I'm doing too much and need to really slow down.

Hope some of this helps.

- Julie

I am very up front  say outright I really would love to grasp what you telling me but the cross talking makes it hard for me to follow. People begin talk louder and slower makes me see red rag to bull , try put handle on it with in the family may say please can such such tell me it makes it easier to follow.

I also end up in anxiety attacks as visitor assume I am lazy leave making tea to my husband when reality is I get all the people mixed up no sugar or one sweetner end up making 40 cups still not sure have what they asked for.

I also feel hurt when people speak for me ! some confided in say something like why dont you clean ears out then told you 3 times so some days anxiety increased feel panic take over , sometimes say Dr asked question I can hear him but not comprehend he asking how my tablet are he may say do they help think something stupid unrelated ......

say word Here as come here find type come hair or hare get so embarrassed some days unable to know which is the one ,

food preparation Ive lost ability to remember to eat let alone prepare food . do have 100% more stress than some not any thing I am able to control. Alzheimer mother, husband cancer , all kinds seious other issues days want world stand still be just kinder to me recognise my needs no one ever seems to always see me as coper I am but love someone make me the tea not always watch me struggle

Merely Me, Health Guide

10/ 7/08 2:52pm

My goodness I think someone should be making YOU the tea! 

 

I am having some of these same issues and it does get embarrasing.  It is good to know I am not the only one experiencing these issues. 

 

When I have these types of issues I think about my son who has autism.  Much of the difficulty of having autism is having problems with processing which is what I am feeling we have.  It is like our card catalog in our brain has been reshuffled.  I am doing what my son does to figure out speech...I am echoing what the person says and holding that thought there until I can process it.  In front of people I trust...I do this out loud.  In front of others...I echo/think it.  This is hard to do when the conversation is going a mile a minute though.

 

As far as tea goes...why not have the sugar and cream and extras sitting out so people can just help themselves? 

 

I hear you about these cognitive issues.  It is horribly frustrating.  There are times when I just need a break and I allow myself to not think.  I know this is not always possible but...if you can do it...it does help.

 

You have inspired me to want to write a post about the cognitive issues with MS...or maybe several.  I can handle the motoric problems so much better than the cognitive ones...yet when you go to the doctor...they don't tell you about these mental problems that can arise.

 

Anyways...

 

Welcome to Health Central...and I am glad you are sharing your experience here with us.