I am just wondering if anyone shares a peculiar symptom I have. I'm not a very intelligent person but I don't consider myself stupid either. But sometimes I am just stumped. The particular thing I am trying to understand might not be a hard one but it takes me 10 times longer than anyone else to take it in.
It's as if a maze has suddenly appeared and instead of going straight forward (as everyone else does), I have to painstakingly find a way through the maze.
It means as well that when I try to explain something, I take people laboriously through this maze and they wonder why on earth I am making it so complicated.
This problem has been with me for a long time and it has meant that I've missed out on numerous opportunities which were there for the taking but I didn't know because all I could see was this maze.
I don't know if my problem has anything to do with ataxia. That's what I'm wondering.
I think you may learn more if you can ask people that you are around if they can help figure out your problem, they may not be up front sometimes for fear of upsetting you. I know I am starting to get mixed up all the time. I do a lot around the house and shopping and am starting to make a lot of mistakes and getting very clumsy and forgetful. Jerry
Amazing! How is your life style if you have a CA? Weight,diet,meds, Alcohol and smoking must be in control otherwise life will be difficult..Sounds like you may just have a common symptom called 'brain fog'.. See your doctor!
Peter, you are not alone Perhaps it depends on exactly what type of SCA it is as to whether this ‘symptom’ is present. This sort of thing has plagued me for years, I’ve usually dismissed it as ‘brainfog’. Some SCAs appear to more mentally, than physically, challenging.
Sometimes I find myself just ‘switching off’ altogether if for example I’m faced with something ‘technical’ and lengthy to read. My brain doesn’t seem to want to compute. If I post something or send an email, I have to keep the text to brief sentences or short paragraphs.
Following a group conversation is very taxing, people seem to speak so quickly barely pausing for breath. I find this stressful, and have often avoided social occasions because of this. Perhaps I speak too softly and slowly, I’ve often felt ignored and actually left out of the conversation.
The main thing when this happens, is to try and not let it stress you. Worrying about it, trying to reason it out and think of a logical explanation or berating yourself for being ‘slow’ doesn’t help. I actually haven’t brought this up with my Neurologist but my next appointment is in January and I’ll ask for an opinion.
I had cancer in the cerebellum so it's CA for me, I don't think there's anything spinal but I'm not a medical person so wouldn't know really. I've also got to see my neurologist in January and was thinking just like you that I'll ask him. But I suspect he won't really know much about ataxia and stuff and will leave me as much in the dark as I am.
I also get left out of various things but the hardest thing is that most people just don't understand and think I'm being stubborn and lazy ............. perhaps I am!
And I will watch your space as you say; I'm interested to know what your neurologist says to you too.
my be i do not share the same symptom,but i can shre someething similar.2-3 yedars ago i started to blank the words. I am just forgeetting it for a while and no chance I can recole them. English is m third languuage, but never had this problem.
As it happens, I am booked for my annual visit to neurologist tomorrow and am going to mention it. In all the years I've had this problem (30+ years), it has never occurred to me that it may be something to do with with the problem I am actually going for (after-effects of a brain tumour including ataxia). So I've never mentioned it - but will do tomorrow.
Thanks for replying
Peter
magdalena ward said:
Hi Peter,
my be i do not share the same symptom,but i can shre someething similar.2-3 yedars ago i started to blank the words. I am just forgeetting it for a while and no chance I can recole them. English is m third languuage, but never had this problem.
I have the occasional problem of explaining something. I joke that I have to take a long detour in order to get to the point that I am trying to make. Also, particularly if I am tired, I have trouble recalling a word.
A new symptom that has started to occur, is people running their words together quickly, as Beryl has indicated. I thought it was as if they were trying to get in as much information, in less time, so they can go to a commercial. More commercial for us to watch. This is the first time I have seen that symptom mentioned.
Thank you for all your replies. I went to see my neurologist yesterday and presented him with my symptoms. His reply was that it is not ataxia as ataxia is completely physical. But my symptom is due to other brain damage. As far as I understand, when I had brain cancer in my cerebellum 40 years ago, they operated and removed the bulk of it. But they then used radiotherapy to reach the bits that were inoperable.This was successful on the cancer but it also damaged a lot of good tissue around the cerebellum and it is this damage which has given me these symptoms. That is my understanding of what he said.
Thank you for your reply. I do find this, but I generally put it down to comparing it with myself - it is me that is slow, not them that are too quick. However my wife says that she appreciates me being slow sometimes as she can think about it as I'm talking and when others talk, it goes over her head. I have found though that I seem to have got worse and the thing I've noticed is that I can't follow a TV program. I used to really enjoy detective programs but now I find that I can't follow the plot as it is all too fast. I also find it hard to remember the faces of the different characters.
Peter
Israel said:
Peter,
I have the occasional problem of explaining something. I joke that I have to take a long detour in order to get to the point that I am trying to make. Also, particularly if I am tired, I have trouble recalling a word.
A new symptom that has started to occur, is people running their words together quickly, as Beryl has indicated. I thought it was as if they were trying to get in as much information, in less time, so they can go to a commercial. More commercial for us to watch. This is the first time I have seen that symptom mentioned.
Much as I respect ‘most’ Neurologists, from my own experience and what I’ve read, I have to disagree with the comment that ataxia/SCA ‘symptoms’ are purely physical, if that is exactly what he implied.
Perhaps he actually meant, ataxia as a condition is physical? :-)xB
I think you're right Beryl. As soon as he said ataxia is physical, I thought "This man doesn't know much." He is though better than my GP who said "Ataxia only affects your balance."
Peter
Beryl Park said:
Much as I respect 'most' Neurologists, from my own experience and what I've read, I have to disagree with the comment that ataxia/SCA 'symptoms' are purely physical, if that is exactly what he implied.
Perhaps he actually meant, ataxia as a condition is physical? :-)xB
Perhaps it depends on exactly what type of SCA it is as to whether this ‘symptom’ is present. This sort of thing has plagued me for years, I’ve usually dismissed it as ‘brainfog’. Some SCAs appear to more mentally, than physically, challenging.