I completly understand..i was always kinda scatterbrained n unorganized where id lose stuff or forget..but geez!! i forget the simplest or complex things like who i was talkin to what was i just watchin or eating..then id forget where i put my keys more n my phone etc it was always something..at first my bf thought i had selective hearing lol after two years he realizes its not selective memory..i truley forget n dont remember many things anymore..so far the most expensive thing ive "misplaced" was the playstation 3 wireless remote..its like 60bucks new i had absolutly no memory of were i saw it last nothing..he checked the fridge the bathroom the garbage n many other places..i said y u checking there? He says i put things in weird places..damn it sux i write everything down from my bills to a checklist so i dont forget my keys tc when i leave the house...crazy but what i do i just write everything down..literally everything..i also tell my family n bf important things i need to remember as a backup when i forget..lol funny thing i lose my checklists n papers i write on so im constantly rewriting lol..i feel ya

Ditto here. I was just complaining to my husband that I'm having a hard time doing my job anymore because I just cannot understand the concepts that I use in the daily math scenarios of my job. I was preparing a simple funding modification to a contract that I am responsible for, adding funds. I made all kinds of mistakes and the contractor caught them thankfully. I feel like I should be retiring I'm just making so many mistakes lately. I don't know the answer though. Julie Stachowiak just released a newsletter today, with an article entitled, Treating MS Cognitive Dysfunction found at url http://ms.about.com/b/2011/12/19/treating-ms-cognitive-dysfunction.htm?nl=1 It might be helpful to you to read this. I read the article earlier today, and for the life of me I can't remember what it said. This is the kind of problem that I face everyday.

Jenni you described me right down to the 'I used to be a bookkeeper' part.

What bothers me the most is not being able to remember the simple things or sometimes even simple words.

I fing myself wanting to say one word and a completly different word comes out.... or even worse... my kids told me recently that I sometimes combine 2 words (with similar meanings) and say them as if it was one real word.

For the memory things... I tell my boys everything I need to remember AND I write things down.

What is really sad.... I'm not even diagnosed yet and my kids already refer to my cognitive problems as 'That's just Mom's MS Brain speaking'.

I wish the best and pray it gets a little better for you.

Merry Christmas,
Lisa

My cognitive issues are really bad at times, like really out there! And as previously mentioned. I have a hard remembering even simple words sometimes in the middle of a conversation. My husband bless his heart...it's always me saying you know, or oh come on what's the word I'm looking for. Now we have our own little system where I point or give ques so he can figure it out....it is so frustrating. We are still intelligent people, it's just something MS does to our brains that is so annoying, but not our faults, so please don't be hard on yourself. Since I have been taking fish oil supplements everyday...my mind is getting better. Maybe you could talk to your doc and see what he thinks about it. It has no scientific proof behind it, but I know that it is helping me. Best wishes to you and happy holidays!!

The last 6 months, my cognitive function has been like a snowball rolling downhill. My family has really noticed. The one funny thing that is intact in my memory is song lyrics. Every time someone says something, the last thing they say triggers a song for me starting with that last word and I start singing immediately. They think I'm nuts. Maybe they're right. :)

@LisaCa I am not diagnosed yet either. Just read an interesting article though that neuropathologists have found that cortical demyelination starts before the plaques in the white matter show. That means that the gray matter of our brains, the nice sheeth around our brains that is filled with nerves is hit first. The gray matter doesn't show up in MRI so lots of us are probably not diagnosed but are suffering with MS and the docs can't see it yet. The only way to find this of course is after death and then pathologists get to disect the brain.
I am hanging in there. I am thinking of teaching my 13 year old son how to manage my checkbook...never too early for him to learn. He is very intelligent and should be able to help me. Still, it is hard to give up my independence of my finances...I am only 43 and feel like 83!

Hi again Jenni,

My MRI showed some hyperintense foci in my brain, but the intern that I was seeing at the time wrote it off to a past 'brain event'. I got a letter in the mail from her yesterday describing it this way. My big question is "What past brain event?" I'm scheduled to see a neurologst January 31st so maybe he will provide some answers.

Teach your son how to handle things for you. My boys have been my lifesavers in so many ways. The 2 still living at home will be 19 & 21 next month so they are old enough to be a big help. My husband lives in another city (we haven't lived together since early 2008) and he is as much help as he can be living so far away, but if it wasn't for my boys I would be totally lost.

I also understand the feeling 83 part! Some days I feel at least that old!

I pray we both get some answers and help soon.

Lisa

well i have it too- i have been on copaxone 4 years- then one night i could not figure out how to give myself a shot- had no memory-of it how to do ity- have grabbed anothers womans shopping cart!! lol- but with me it comes and goes so far- but i stay at home now-its safer for everyone-unless im with someone!!

This is an excellent book , very readable and which was very reassuring for me when I read it.

'Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis'

Jeffrey N. Gingold


Demos Medical Publishing, 19/07/2011


'When attorney Jeffrey N. Gingold misplaced his wife on the living room couch, and became lost while driving just blocks from his home, little did he know that he was experiencing a hidden symptom of multiple sclerosis: cognitive difficulties. Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis is a courageous and compelling personal account of one man's anguishing struggle with this aspect of the disease. It was written for the silent majority of MS patients who are privately dealing with MS cognitive symptoms and potential disabilities'.

I hear the next great research surge in MS will be on cognitive issues. However, until that time comes when we know more, I suggest the following:

1. Automate your life as much as possible. Bills being auto-debited to your account.
2. Develop a routine and stay to the same routine every day. Sometimes this is difficult given how you feel, but just go with it. Do what you can.
3. I have developed "reminder lists" in PowerPoint, put them in a frame and hung it on the wall. Reminder lists could be: What to do before an appointment, Reminders to check this or that...I have them all over the house which makes for some interesting questions.
4. If you have a smartphone, use this as much as possible to give you reminders and "to do" lists. This is better than the plan old paper organizer because it beeps at you.
5. Do some sort of cognitive exercise every day. This need not be a chore, but actually a lot of fun. I love to do word puzzles. I also have apps on my smartphone that have various types of brain games I can play. You can also find these on your computer. I recommend trying the website www.lumosity.com
6. Velcro has become my new friend. You know how you always lost pens even when you were healthy? Imagine adding MS to the mixture. And trying to explain this to someone who is healthy tends to lead to the "Oh, I do that to". Ok back to Velcro. You can mount frequently used items such as pens, remotes, glass cases, keys to a board or even an empty frame and hang it on the wall. When you need a pen, you need not go hunting for one. Just remember to put it back when finished.
7. When making a telephone call, I have pen and paper at hand to record who I called, when, why, and the outcome. This is handy when you are trying to remember certain events or who you spoke to about a specific subject.
8. I have fallen in love with my label maker. I use my label maker to label the many cords to my computer. Cord X goes to this, Cord Y goes to this. I also use it to place simple instructions on appliances or label drawers in the bedroom or office.
9. Insert quarterly and annual type of tasks into your electronic calendar. We all used to remember what to do for spring cleaning, but when was the last time the gutters were cleaned? It goes without saying that I also insert appointments as well.
10. For appointments, take those little reminder cards they offer you. Sometimes smartphone do not sync, or data is erased. It is good to have a written back-up. Often I have discovered that if my smartphone did not sync as it should I knew I had an appointment coming up. I just look at the calendar I printed out for the month.
11. Always back up the data in your smartphone.

Hope this helps.
r/Alita

Oh, though not for cognitive issues, using velcro to keep items on shelving is a good idea. I have knick-knacks on bookshelves and my balance problems causes me to bump into things on a regular bases. I use velcro to ensure items to not fall from bookshelves. Depending on the item you may want to line the bottom with some sort of sticky paper before applying the velcro to it. Same with the shelving.

I am a Church Administrator. We have a small office, and I told one person whom I trust completely to let me know when she notices mistakes that I don't, that I won't be offended, that I welcome and need her input. I am a member of the congregation and have not "come out" to most people, only three very dear friends. So far so good, and thank goodness for spell-checker!

I was taking Gingko Biloba, then ran out and after a week I started noticing small memory lapses. I started taking it again and I'm able to remember more.

I'm hosting Christmas Eve dinner for my family (grown and married) and have the menu written down, what goes into each dish so I don't forget, and I even wrote down my grocery list by category - put all the fresh ingredients together so I don't have to go back to the produce section from the other end of the store. I don't care if it sounds weird - I'm the only one who will see the list and it works for me.

Two days ago I dusted; yesterday morning I vacuumed, had to take a break and rest before I could finish. Yesterday afternoon I made the centerpieces and set the table. This morning is grocery shopping; this afternoon I will any prep work that I can so I can enjoy time with my adult children tomorrow. I had everything written down as to what I would do each day for the entire week.

It helps to break things down into manageable tasks.

My cognitive crap was a big part in why I couldn't perform all the little nuances like billing...try being a legal professional who can't bill hours adequately :-) I think that really helped me get disability.

I spoke with an MS friend when I was first diagnosed.....she felt like she had MS all her life. As a child she was tired a lot and just thought everyone was like that. I wondered about this for myself, too. I don't notice much difference in myself now because I have always had short term memory issues that were significant enough to affect my every day life. I always wondered why other people seemed normal and I just wasn't. Over the years, I've learned to compensate, so it's just business as usual, but it did affect my self esteem thinking that everyone else was normal, but me.