Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group
This community is a place where members can discuss current events and weigh in on what's going on in the world.
So if you are not familiar with my case and all of the b***sh** that has happened with a particular teacher that I have please go to my page and read the post if you want. Now i have found out that I am going to have to take the written portion of the CPR test on-line because I failed it in the classroom. hmmmm wonder why? sorry is there sarcasm dripping off my chin? What gets me is that I told her that I have MS and since i am ambulatory and not showing signs of it currently at least in my phyical demeanor that she as an RN(!!!!) for gods sake did not or would not even take the time to look anything up on the cognitive difficulties that some of us get or ask me some questions.
I seem to have a learning disability by default by having MS it seems. When i get confronted by the utter unfairness and the meanness of her actions (of anyones actions)I have a tendency to want to shrink away from what I am trying to acheive and I absolutely do NOT want to do that. I am kinda pissed can you tell?
The thing is that I have not worked in 7 1/2 years and am just getting into doing as well as i can with all of this. I started going to a trade school for medical assisting under the impression that I was going to be working with teachers/peers that would recognize that as a fact. Maybe it was miguided and naive for me to really believe that that was possible. I know I know granpa used to say the aholes are everywhere and they all have opinions and they all stink...well that grandpa was a pretty unsophisticated realist to all of us that we took with a heepin helpin of a handful of salt.
I think that my bigest hurdle that I am trying to overcome is that of my depression that is always hiding in the background. it only seems to show its ugly mug when I have been grossly upset and offended by someone. as much as she absolutely does not deserve the opportunity for me to give her one ounce of power in my world she has taken this opportunity to really fly her flag of true colors. I am not going to school to play in some game that she has going in her mind and I know that the other students that have come and talked to me not knowing what I have been going through and what i have felt that I needed to do as a result of this, complaining about her blatent immaturity in the way that she is approaching teaching (and offending) people in a manner that I feel is only innapproprate but downright the absolute wrong way to be acting in a situation of that caliber. I should stop now bt I do feel like my head is going to take off of my body like a damn rocket.
I seem to have a learning disability by default by having MS it seems. When i get confronted by the utter unfairness and the meanness of her actions (of anyones actions)I have a tendency to want to shrink away from what I am trying to acheive and I absolutely do NOT want to do that. I am kinda pissed can you tell?
The thing is that I have not worked in 7 1/2 years and am just getting into doing as well as i can with all of this. I started going to a trade school for medical assisting under the impression that I was going to be working with teachers/peers that would recognize that as a fact. Maybe it was miguided and naive for me to really believe that that was possible. I know I know granpa used to say the aholes are everywhere and they all have opinions and they all stink...well that grandpa was a pretty unsophisticated realist to all of us that we took with a heepin helpin of a handful of salt.
I think that my bigest hurdle that I am trying to overcome is that of my depression that is always hiding in the background. it only seems to show its ugly mug when I have been grossly upset and offended by someone. as much as she absolutely does not deserve the opportunity for me to give her one ounce of power in my world she has taken this opportunity to really fly her flag of true colors. I am not going to school to play in some game that she has going in her mind and I know that the other students that have come and talked to me not knowing what I have been going through and what i have felt that I needed to do as a result of this, complaining about her blatent immaturity in the way that she is approaching teaching (and offending) people in a manner that I feel is only innapproprate but downright the absolute wrong way to be acting in a situation of that caliber. I should stop now bt I do feel like my head is going to take off of my body like a damn rocket.
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I was diagnosed with Epilepsy when I was 10. I am currently 20 years old am at a point in my life where I am starting to lose hope on having my seizures controlled because throughout my life I have tried multiple medications but the ones that worked my body used to and then would stop. The longest Ive been free of them was only 5 months. Im trying to find something in my life truly worth living...
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I miss traveling with my husband. Has anyone found a specific site regarding cruising for widow/widowers or any sightseeing trips. Not interested in being with couples and kids,,,I realize a cruise ship will have a portion size of families and couples, but perhaps they also put together a part of the cruise ship for groups of widows/widowers????
The teacher said that I was not to perform CPR on anyone if someone else was there. I just can't breathe deep enough to help anyone.
Thank goodness I have never been around anyone that needed it.
Let me know what happens.
Eloise
stand up for yourself,,, kick ass and dont take any prisoners..grin..
if this teacher does not get the idea that she is there to teach perhaps she should not be there... and i love the idea of picking up the reading material for her...grin...
way to go...
Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis
What is Cognitive Impairment?
Cognition is another word for thinking. It includes many different functions, including our abilities to pay attention, learn and remember information, solve problems, and use language to express our ideas. Almost everything we do involves some aspect of cognition, from walking our dog to solving a complex math problem. Impairment of cognitive functions can occur as a result of brain disease or damage. Conditions that frequently cause impairments of cognition include Alzheimer's disease, head trauma, and stroke. Most people think of multiple sclerosis (MS) as a physically disabling disease. In recent years, it has become apparent that this illness can also affect the way the mind works and, in particular, how the brain performs cognitive tasks.
1. How Common is Cognitive Impairment in MS?
Approximately one-half of persons with MS experience some degree of cognitive impairment. Of the MS patients with cognitive dysfunction, most (80 percent) exhibit relatively mild symptoms such as difficulties remembering lists of food items to buy in the supermarket or performing tasks in distracting environments. Most patients can learn ways to compensate for these nuisance symptoms (see below). The remaining 20 percent experience more serious cognitive problems that may interfere with their ability to work and engage in everyday activities such as cooking and driving.
Causes of Cognitive Impairment in MS
Many factors can cause cognitive impairment. Stress, anxiety, and depression can decrease our ability to remember, pay attention, and solve problems. Similar impairments can occur as a side effect of some types of medications. We are also quite aware that our ability to pay attention and retrieve information declines as we get older. But, in MS, the cause of cognitive dysfunction is directly related to changes that occur in the brain. MS produces changes, called lesions, in the white matter of the brain. These lesions affect the way electrical impulses are transmitted across nerve cells. The lesions can be visualized with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Almost all patients with MS have some brain lesions on MRI scans. Research has shown that the degree and type of cognitive impairment observed in MS patients is related to the amount and location of the lesions in the brain. Thus patients with a small number of lesions may not experience any cognitive dysfunction, whereas persons with a large number of lesions are at high risk for experiencing cognitive problems.
How Do Cognitive Impairments in MS Differ From Other Conditions Such as Alzheimer's Disease?
For most patients with MS-related cognitive impairment, the deficits are mild and do not necessarily progress for long periods of time, if at all. This contrasts with Alzheimer's disease, where afflicted individuals experience severe cognitive deficits that invariably get worse with time. MS and Alzheimer's patients also differ in the way memory and language functions are affected. In the area of memory, patients with Alzheimer's disease experience difficulties storing new information. As a result, they may not benefit from receiving reminders from others or from using notes to aid their recall. In contrast, persons with MS can store new memories and are capable of learning new information, but have problems spontaneously retrieving this information. MS patients are capable of benefiting from reminders and visual aids. Alzheimer's patients can experience severe problems in using language to communicate (called aphasia); it is very rare for an MS patient to have language or communication problems.
Diagnosing Cognitive Impairment
Cognitive impairments are typically diagnosed as part of a neuropsychological examination. Neuropsychology is a subspecialty field within clinical psychology that is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive dysfunction. A clinical neuropsychologist will administer a battery of cognitive tests and compare the results to a normative sample of healthy individuals of the same age and educational level as the person being evaluated. This examination can be lengthy (three to five hours), but it can provide information and useful recommendations to the patient, family, and treating physician. Such an evaluation is often requested by the patient's physician, although occasionally a patient may contact a neuropsychologist directly.
Are Cognitive Impairments an Inevitable Part of MS?
Some MS patients experience cognitive dysfunction very early in their disease, whereas other persons may never experience such problems. Over a three year period, approximately 20 percent of persons with MS will experience the emergence of new cognitive symptoms or a worsening of their existing cognitive symptoms. The patients who experience a worsening of cognitive symptoms tend to be the patients who acquire new brain lesions. It should be noted that there is very little relationship between the degree of physical disability and the degree of cognitive impairment. As a result, a person with significant physical symptoms (problems with walking, coordination, visual or tactile sensory disturbance, bowel or bladder dysfunction) may experience no problems with cognition, but a person with little outward signs of physical disability may have significant cognitive problems. Likewise, an acute worsening or exacerbation of physical symptoms may not affect cognitive functions, and vice versa.
How to Cope With Cognitive Impairments
Most patients can compensate for their memory problems by relying more on visual cues such as post-it notes, calendars, date books, and day planners. An electronic organizer, such as a Palm Pilot, or a handheld tape recorder can be particularly helpful. Making lists will help to organize and prioritize information, errands, tasks and other details and will aid recall. It is important to check items off as you accomplish them. There's also nothing wrong with requesting relatives and loved ones to call you with reminders about upcoming events and appointments. Exercising the mindreading newspapers and books, playing cards, doing crossword puzzles, engaging in stimulating conversationcan also be helpful. For people with attention problems, directing concentration on a single task is preferable to doing too many things at once. When engaging in tasks requiring intense concentration, try to avoid noisy or distracting environments.
For MS individuals with more severe cognitive problems, cognitive retraining programs are available through most medical centers. Typically these programs are conducted by rehabilitation specialists from a variety of disciplines, including clinical neuropsychologists, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists.
Are There Any Medications Designed to Treat Cognitive Impairments in MS?
Currently, there are no approved medications for treating the cognitive problems in MS, although one double-blind clinical investigation currently in progress is designed to assess the effects of Aricept in improving memory functions in MS. Aricept is currently approved by the FDA for treatment of cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. Results from the clinical trial involving Aricept in MS patients will be known within the next one to two years
Medications Designed to Prevent the Development of Cognitive Impairments in MS
An alternative approach is to prevent the development of cognitive problems in MS. As noted above, patients with many brain lesions are more likely to experience cognitive problems. Furthermore, MS patients who acquire new lesions tend to experience a worsening of their cognitive symptoms. It stands to reason that any drug that prevents or slows down the development of new lesions in the brain is likely to prevent or slow down the progression of cognitive dysfunction. There are three FDA-approved medicines for treating patients with MS: Avonex, Betaseron, and Copaxone. These agents work by altering the body's immune system to prevent or reduce MS exacerbations. In two double-blind studies, patients treated with Avonex and Betaseron experienced less cognitive impairment than patients receiving a placebo. The Avonex study, which involved a large patient sample, resulted in a significant 47-percent reduction in the number of patients showing deterioration of cognitive functions. In contrast, a similar study involving Copaxone showed no effect on cognitive functions.
Summary
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One-half of MS patients experience some form of cognitive impairment, primarily in the areas of attention, memory, and problem solving. The primary cause of the cognitive impairment is the buildup of MS lesions in the brain. In most patients, the problems are minor and can be compensated for by making changes in the home and work environments. More severe cognitive problems can be treated with cognitive retraining programs. Cognitive dysfunction can occur early in the disease, but is not inevitable. The diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction is typically made by a clinical neuropsychologist. Proven treatments of cognitive dysfunction with medicines are not available, although drug testing is currently underway. Prevention of cognitive dysfunction can be achieved with disease-modifying treatments designed to alter the body's immune system to prevent the build-up of new MS lesions in the brain. If you have MS and think you may be experiencing problems with cognition, it is important to discuss this with your physician.