Cognitive problems

I have been reading more about MS cognitive problems, and I made notes of some of mine.
-Forgetting how to search for files on the computer (use Finder!)
-Thinking maybe put liquid hand soap on toothbrush
-Forgetting nighttime routine (wash face, etc.)
-Clicking car key button to lock house
-Forgetting names of familiar people
-Forgetting recent conversations
-Forgetting passwords
-Forgetting what to use to remove the pan from the toaster oven
-Forgetting familiar work paperwork
-Forgetting to do anything not written down the second it pops into my mind
-Forgetting to check the calendar
-Confirming psych session time then getting into my head it's at another time--late
-Taking wrong free exit because forgot where I'm going or thought it's the right way to go
-Forgetting how to get to a familiar place
-Hearing gobbledygook, needing to ask for repetition or figuring it out from context
-Difficulty following directions
-Forgetting new routine (stretching with PT Shandi)
-Saying the wrong word for what I mean
-Can't find word, stall
-Forgetting what I am about to do
-Losing my train of thought, often in the middle of a sentence
-Mentally freezing during a meeting, no idea what had just been said except to know that it was my turn to talk about what they had said
-Misunderstanding during meetings, making comments that get me odd looks
-Using the wrong part of speech
-Difficulty giving directions to kids
-Difficulty explaining how to do something
-Making spelling errors
-Making typos that are totally different words
-Difficulty understanding scriptures and quotes read aloud during church
-Losing track of characters in a book
-Forgetting grocery items
-Difficulty explaining technical information, synthesizing information, making connections (to parents at meetings)
-Frequent word retrieval problems in ASL (not my first language--used for work and at home)
-Forgetting that my car needs gas to run
-Forgetting which day it is

Sensory:

-Pins and needles: 0
-Tingles: 1
-Dysesthetic pain: 5
-Paresthesias: 5, the tingle in my left hand has turned into pain. Sharp pain. It is on the side of my index finger knuckle, thumb side, running down toward thumb. (NEW symptom)

-Numbness: 3
-Vision: 1
-Nerve pain: 5
-Hearing: 1

Motor:
-Walking: 1
-Sore muscles: 1

-Spasticity: 1
-Weak muscles: 3

-Endurance: 3

-Fine motor: 0

Cognitive:
-Processing: 1
-Memory: 1
-Attention: 0
-Confusion: 0

General:
-Fatigue: 3
-Balance: 0

-Vertigo: 0

-Sleep: 1, 8.5 hours

-Bladder: 1, just the medication-induced trickle in the morning. No incontinence, whew.
-Proprioception: 1
-Swallowing: 1
-A: 0
-B: 6

Emotions: OK. Nothing exciting.

Great PT Visit

I am glad I went to PT today. She found spasticity under my left scapula. It HURT when she worked on it, but then it was better, and I was able to move my left arm better. I told her that an area of my upper back has hurt sometimes, and she checked it. When she pressed there, OW!!

She worked on that and managed to get the tension out without much pain. I asked how I can prevent that from happening again, and she said it was probably due to weakness in my left arm. Those muscles on the right side (intercostals?) stabilize the left arm. If I strengthen my left arm, I might have less trouble with the right side. She taught me an exercise targeting left arm strength. That is great, because it should help me sign better. And type! I often have difficulty using my left arm for long. Now, for example, it is sore and ready to give out--and my wrist is resting on a table.

Sensory:

-Pins and needles: 1
-Tingles: 1
-Dysesthetic pain: 4
-Paresthesias: 4, electricity!

-Numbness: 2
-Vision: 0
-Nerve pain: 2
-Hearing: 1

Motor:
-Walking: 1
-Sore muscles: 3

-Spasticity: 2
-Weak muscles: 3

-Endurance: 3

-Fine motor: 1

Cognitive:
-Processing: 0
-Memory: 1
-Attention: 0
-Confusion: 0

General:
-Fatigue: 4
-Balance: 0

-Vertigo: 0

-Sleep: 5, awoken at 3:30 by a neighbor drumming! That kept me awake for a while. I drifted off, but that infernal drumming woke me again. Then woke up when my roommate's alarm went off at 5:30. Got up at 7:00. I probably got a total of 6.5 hours, not in a row.

-Bladder: 1
-Proprioception: 1
-Swallowing: 1
-A: 0
-B: 0

Emotions: Some tears today, I cannot lie.

Whatever

Struggling with weakness today!

I spoke with a friend about my neuropsych results. She was not very surprised; she said that I was so high that even with some decline I am still above average. But she acknowledged that it is too bad they do not give patient narratives much weight--forgetting conversations is not normal.

Sensory:

-Pins and needles: 1
-Tingles: 0
-Dysesthetic pain: 3
-Paresthesias: 2

-Numbness: 2
-Vision: 0
-Nerve pain: 5
-Hearing: 1

Motor:
-Walking: 4
-Sore muscles: 1

-Spasticity: 1
-Weak muscles: 5

-Endurance: 5

-Fine motor: 2

Cognitive:
-Processing: 0
-Memory: 0
-Attention: 0
-Confusion: 0

General:
-Fatigue: 5
-Balance: 0

-Vertigo: 0

-Sleep: 2

-Bladder: 1, one moment of incontinence--little trickle
-Proprioception: 1
-Swallowing: 1
-A: 0
-B: 0

Emotions: OK, just a little discouraged about getting weaker.

Neuropsych Results

I am fine! Yes, I passed the tests with flying colors--the tests I have given to people numerous times. Amazing that I could score "way above average" on a test I practically memorized years before I had MS.

So that means I am fine, hm? Forgetting conversations that happened moments before... expected for a young person, I guess. Oh, and having "what was I about to do?" moments 100 times in a day (then be normal the next day or a few weeks later). Saying the wrong words for what I mean. At least now I know that this is all normal. Just because none of it happened until the last nine months is not a big deal. I am probably just tired.

The neuropsychologist did admit that having given all of the tests in the past might have influenced my scores. You think? Besides the fact that I am brilliant, which she does not know. She thinks she has a baseline now. I have slipped from astoundingly brilliant to amazingly brilliant; this is not my baseline.

Today I had a stabbing pain in my upper right back, between my shoulder blades.

Later I had a moment of stress incontinence. That has not happened in at least a month. Darn.

Sensory:

-Pins and needles: 1
-Tingles: 1
-Dysesthetic pain: 1
-Paresthesias: 3, a few sharp pains in my left hand, as well as the odd feeling in my back, some electricity in my left leg

-Numbness: 2
-Vision: 0
-Nerve pain: 4
-Hearing: 1

Motor:
-Walking: 2 in the morning, but it became worse as the day went on, and right now I would rate it a 7
-Sore muscles: 2

-Spasticity: 1
-Weak muscles: 2 am, 6 evening

-Endurance: 6

-Fine motor: 2

Cognitive:
-Processing: 0
-Memory: 0
-Attention: 0
-Confusion: 0

General:
-Fatigue: 3 am, 7 pm
-Balance: 1

-Vertigo: 0

-Sleep: 3, 7.5 hours

-Bladder: 1
-Proprioception: 1
-Swallowing: 1
-A: 0
-B: 6

Emotions: Annoyed, frustrated, paranoid, and irritable. Not all day, but now that I am thinking about that neuropsych call, I am again.

Feeling Poorly

I had a super rough morning, "almost napped" for a while, and then felt better. Later I was dealing with pain and some weakness but generally was much better than the morning. I was able to take turns interpreting for a meeting.

I got calls from both my psychologist and neuropsychologist today. I spoke with my shrink when I got up from my almost nap. She called to say that she was thinking of me and just wanted to make sure I was ok. Thoughtful. I told her that the neuropsych visit had been on my mind, that I had had some nervousness about whether those general screenings would capture any of my issues. And how an article I read yesterday really bothered me. It was about people exactly my age, newly diagnosed, studying the amount of brain area they lost over the first five years. And they lost brain area. In the first five years! A measurable amount!

Unfortunately the neuropsych's call came in while I was at a movie with my sisters. Then I went straight to the meeting, which ended at 9:00. And I have a meeting tomorrow, 10:00-12:00. So I probably will not be able to speak with her until after noon. She did not say much, of course, since it was a voice message. She gave me her home number and said I could reach her there this weekend, and she gave me her office number for if I called during the week. Is this good or bad? Keep in mind that we have not met, so she might just have a question about something. Or maybe I failed one of the screenings and she wants more testing. Whatever the reason, I am glad that she is spending time on my case and not just doing the bare minimum and getting me off her caseload.

Sensory:

-Pins and needles: 1
-Tingles: 1
-Dysesthetic pain: 6 :(
-Paresthesias: 1, a few weird, sharp pains and needle pricks in my left hand, as well as the odd feeling in my back (after the shower, when it nearly always happens)

-Numbness: 2
-Vision: 0
-Nerve pain: 4
-Hearing: 1, had a few rather loud, temporary episodes of tinnitus in my left ear, as well as the usual, constant, low-level noise

Motor:
-Walking: 1
-Sore muscles: 0 except after interpreting 10-15 minutes, then more like 7

-Spasticity: 1
-Weak muscles: 2

-Endurance: 3

-Fine motor: 2

Cognitive:
-Processing: 1
-Memory: 1
-Attention: 0
-Confusion: 0

General:
-Fatigue: 6 am, 3 pm
-Balance: 0

-Vertigo: 1, bad when I woke up, but it went away within 15 minutes

-Sleep: 3

-Bladder: 1
-Proprioception: 1
-Swallowing: 1
-A: 0
-B: 7

Emotions: Stressed about the neuropsych visit, discouraged about the article, happy during the afternoon, and a tiny bit nervous but mostly relieved to hear from the neuropsychologist.