determination and stubborness and tears ..we seem to be thrown many hurdles ..the mental focus was one..it also knocked my confidence as I found even simple tasks were no longer simple to a point of I couldnt count in simple tens in a job..I had no concept of time..I felt dumb..I look back and I feel some parts of me shut down to heal other parts..I didnt realize this a the time but I feel this was what happened.so what helped..one was the support of friends on ds who at my low times encouraged me I was not so dumb..who do my debates I love ..the drug Im on made a huge difference took time but worked..I also take a tonic....I also work and make decisions when Im at my most alert..when I start to act like a grumpy ass..I rest keep away from people who tend to push my buttons..LOL as they are likely to find Im a Tazmania devil ..I check everyting..bloodpressure diet..at the moment Im one step ahead

Zippy for some getting on the meds and getting levels down where they should be helps clear these issues up. Some it clears up a little or is only more apparent when they get overly stressed or fatigued.. For some it is just a constant present from the beast that one learns to deal with.......that's me. I was finally forced to retire from my job due to the fatigue, cognitive and memory issues in 2009.

Jokey is right....we adapt, we work when we are at our most alert and rested. We listen to our bodies and when you feel the fatigue washing over you, you rest or switch task to something less stressful or demand of your sharpness. I was able to work some 9 years after my diagnosis by doing some things that helped me learn to listen more attentively to my body.

1. I started a journal. Everyday I recorded things like what I ate, what I did, how I felt, what pains I had, levels of fatigue, cognitive levels, coordination, BP, pulse rates......anything that would give me a picture of my total function for that day. In time I started seeing patterns during the day and during the month. The week before my shot is the worst. The middle of the month is the best. Mornings are the best time of my day, my cognitive skills are sharper, coordination is better, I'm rested. By lunch time Ican feel the fatigue coming on and everything's dropping......I'll take a nap to recharge or I'll switch to something that doesn't take much effort either physical or mental or I'll just chill.......It all depends on the signals my body is sending out.
2. Because of the journal, I noticed certain foods effect differently. I avoid those that effect me the most depending on what I'm wanting to do. I've cut way back on sugars and processed foods or ingredients.
3. I try to follow my exercise regiment to the letter. I alter my activities every other day. One day I ride 10 miles on my recumbent bike inside and those day I do my stretching routine with the power bands. The next day I do a 20 minute Tai Chi routine for beginners and seniors and left light weights with many reps for muscle tone.
4. Every morning I do puzzles that stimulate my my brain activity. Crosswords, backgammon, word game, etc., etc..

The main task it learning to listen to your body and what it's trying to convey to you and working with it not against it..........it hasn't stopped my decline but I feel it has slowed it down. In 2009 I was forced to evaluate my ability to do my job to my satisfaction and had to admit I just wasn't able (Architectural project manger). The stress was killing me, the memory and cognitive wasn't there were I needed it, the coordination had dropped and the harder I tried to fight it the more it effected me and the worse I got and performed. I retired for good and in 20013 was awarded full disability after a 3 year fight.

Adapt....that's what we do.

Hi guys I Knew something waswrong with me Last year went back to Uni doing Psychology and Sociology to my surprise I really struggle with my course work it was even difficult remembering simple instructions let alone the entire lecture,,, I fail all of my exams I do revise enough but nothing seems to make sense because I can't even recall anything I have been revising.. I have mention my problem to my lecturers but I bet they thought I was just making excuses,,,this year just gave up, my brain is just foggy.

I agree we adapt to a new normal, which isn't actually normal. Coffee keeps me more alert. I use my phone daily for calendar, to do lists and alarms. I set alarms for even simple tasks like switching laundry or picking my son up from school. I avoid stress, even stressful TV shows. I listen to my body and rest when I need it. Recognize even simple things like socializing stress me. I have others drive me long distances since that stresses too. And I also try to play games to keep my brain sharper. But even with all that, most of the time I still feel my brain is foggy, can't seem to concentrate, short and long term memory are very bad. I also feel dumb even though it's not true. It is depressing to realize limitations, and that others don't understand. I've had trouble finding work for years, and don't feel that I have the mental ability to perform the job I got my degree in. It makes me feel worthless, also not true. It helps to realize you're not alone. Keep your family and support network close. If anyone finds a cure let me know :-) Been dealing with this 9 years now.

Subxaddict....you're absolutely point on. We adapt and we adjust, but then there is the mental aspects. My first Endo, bless her heart, warned me about the depression and spent time with me during each office visit discussing with my my mental condition and offering advice thankfully. Coming out of career where I was responsible for multiple projects simultaneously that often time ranged in the hundreds of millions of dollars, one had to be sharp, constantly up to date and paying attention to the details. As the project manager you had to keep up with hundreds of details and ongoing issues. You had to make snap judgements based on your information and how they would effect some other task, budget or schedule maybe months down the road........in short you had to see the current picture as well as the long term picture. No focusing in a single trees and forgetting the forest.

I can't do that now.......heck, I'm doing good to remember and keep straight my calendar of things to do, doctor visits, my daily meds and house keeping duties. It's gotten to the point that I really don't feel comfortable driving by myself if I'm not familiar with are and the route. I do good going to my doctors, the grocery store, the pharmacy, the home supply stores but anything more than that, I rely heavily on my GPS app on my phone or Ipad.and I keep the trips short.

There is the very real danger in this Beast beating down one's self esteem. I'm a watercolorist, most of my work has been in the past very detailed and realistic scenes Mostly landscapes, city scapes, or wildlife.........my ability to do the fine detail work is fading and that leads to more levels of frustration. I've had to adapt and go to a more looser style of painting and though my mind , like you, feels like I'm in a fog most of the time, there are brief moments of clarity and I've disciplined myself to make the most of them. In addition, I've found other creative outlets.....I have 2 books that I'm working on currently One is about a man's battle with Acromegaly and how it impacts his life and outlook. The other has a more religious tone to it....a young evangelical christian has an epiphany moment between college and seminary and how it alters his foundational beliefs and his life journey........

My point is that life doesn't stop for us......the world goes on and we find new outlets to exercise our talents and our remaining skills............

Hello all - Thanks so much for your help and encouragement. I am so grateful that I am not alone in this rather overwhelming world of acromegaly. My career as an IT programming manager has become so difficult ---- I have become unable to keep up with the constantly changing technologies, business needs and the lightning speed in which all this takes place. I have played piano since the age of 5 - now my eyes read the notes but my brain is not able to send signals to my fingers --- it seems like I'm starting at ground zero. Needlework was a wonderful pastime but now I lose the position in the pattern and spend huge amounts of time figuring out where I am. Oh my !!! Like you folks, daily tasks like shopping or driving have become rather frightening.-- lists and clear reminders have become a necessity. I was told 2 days ago that there are portions of the tumor that remain and cannot be surgically removed because of location so I will be sent for a consult for radiation therapy. In the meantime my endo has asked that I continue with medications to keep levels in check. What a roller coaster. I am trying so hard to learn to adapt .........

Everyday I have to remind myself what I had achieved prior to being diagnosed because since then it has been a very long struggle. My biggest problem is having a sense of worth. I have not seen anyone to discuss and not even spoke to my wife. I can tell she knows though as she has slowly taken on more and more with little fuss bless her. Simple tasks seem so stressful that I start the and never finish. I am at the point that soon I will no longer have my mobile phone as I don't want to speak to anyone outside of my wife and children. I'm not angry or bitter or stressed its just an empty feeling, hollow. My attention span is non existent and I can't focus on anything. I'm at my happiest around the wife and children so I've just been home for months, as a result of this my business has folded, but I feel lighter and happy. Not sure when or how this will all end or even if I want life any different.