I have speech problems too! With me, I stutter!? I guess that's what you'd call it!? I was saying on a post yesterday that my son day before was making fun of me! When he is running me down & degradding me or attacking me, he will talk really fast & intentionally mumble--in his case! But he does it intentionally to play games with me! He will start talking & running things off really super fast & will not give me a chance to fit anything in, or to respond to him! And, when I ask him to please slow down, not talk fast & to please only attack me or degrade me one piece at a time so that I can truly hear each attack or each degrade & to please give me time to respond, he just keeps doing what he's doing, &/or he will take on that really slow make fun voice that people do when they are making fun of a retarded person!? And, make sure that I can't hear him!

He will make repeat my request several times! Then, he will do that, & sniker at me! And, make fun of me with smirky comments were I can get bits & pieces of them but can't get the full thing!

He makes light of & makes fun of my disease & teases & tortures me about it! I just hung up on him when he kept doing that!

I don't speak to him now unless I have to!

But the point here is: I get what your saying!!! And, I am very self-concious when I have all of my speach problems! Esp... the stuttering type one!

And, I have found that whatever I do, even here, people have something to say about it. Either I don't talk right! Or I stutter! Or I sound stupid! Or I talk too much! Or I don't talk enough! People say shit no matter what! And, I am just to the point where I'm starting to get mad about it & where I'm starting to blow it off at the same time!

I just figure either you want to listen or you don't! You want to read it! Or you don't! I am who I am!!! And, that is all that I am!!! POPEYE!!!! :) So except me the way I am or don't except me at all!

I think that it would all of us to be a lot more tolerant! Even here I see people attacking each other, or putting each other down, or just nit picking!!! We're all in this shit & this world together!!! We need to be more tolerant & more excepting of each other & stop the damned nit picking!!! I for one am getting sick of it!

And, most people mean well, or they think that they do!? But the fact is NOBODY IS PERFECT!!! DEAL WITH IT!!!

If I paid attention to everybody's complaints or tried to change everything that everybody complains about I'd wouldn't be me at all!!! I'd be somebody else!!! And, I don't want to be anybody else now!!! I want to be me!!! LOVE ME! HATE ME! BUT I AM ME! AND, I AM OKAY JUST THE WAY I AM!!!

AND, YOU ARE OKAY!!! JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!!! IF THEY DON'T LIKE IT & CAN'T EXCEPT YOU & LOVE YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE, SAY F-IT, & LET THEM GO TO HELL! OR JUST STAY AWAY FROM THEM! BECAUSE THEY DON'T DESERVE YOU!!!

NOT YELLING!!!!! MAKING A POINT HERE!

Anyway, trying to say that I get it! And, that you are great the way that you are! And, you need to be loved & excepted just the way that you are! And, that it really hurts like hell when people do that shit! And, that they probably wont' change! So we have to! By learning to love us just the way we are!!! And, we need to worry less about changing for other people!

I know I talk too much! But I do hope that you take this the right way & that it helps!

I know exactly how you feel. My husband & son say that to me all the time. He also tells me to quit whispering, to me it seems like I'm yelling. Isn't it nice to know your not the only one:)

Thank you both for the response.

I find the ones most intolerable are those that cannot tolerate any of my MS symptoms. I have those that understand. But it is still frustrating when I hear it happen.

In fact I have a friend who can hear it when I can't. He is kind about it, he will simply say, Hon, you are having a bad day, aren't you? I will ask how he knows and he says, Your voice, I can tell from your voice.

He is not picking on me, or pointing out my deficiency, as much as letting me know he is there. Because he know if my speech is bad, then I am no doubt in pain from muscle spasms and so on.

I have two friends with MS that have speech problems and I struggle to understand them. I have a friend who had a stroke and suffers from aphasia. I care for all these people so I make an extra effort to have a conversation. But if people are downright not understanding that you have difficulty that is awful. I think you should tell these people how their insensitivity makes you feel

Would working with a speech therapist-preferablly at a rehab hospital- be helpful? Maybe you have already done this. I watched 60 minutes showing Congressman woman Gaby Gifford relearning how to speak. Different situation but there are talented people out there that train extensively to help people.

To see if you can retrieve the speaking skllls you have. This is such a heartbreaking disease.

I was a musician - played piano and String Bass for 20 yrs. Can no longer stand or use my left hand. But I'm glad I had the experience in my life and try to view it that way.

But shame on your father. He needs to wake up and smell the coffee! You can only have so much control over this nasty disease.

Hope you can find a resolution this !

Melanie

So sorry. I sometimes have speech problems. Like your friend, I have a friend and my hubby who recognise when I am not doing well by my speech. It is really hard when I have to go to my daughters school.

I can't pronounce things right or at all and sometimes try to say "car" and it comes out "table" no matter how many times I try.

So far I have never had anyone be overtly rude or cruel. I think some just wonder but are afraid to ask.

Wish none of us had to deal with this or the unkind or thoughtless people.

Sending hugs, love, and comfort.

Tonna

I know how you feel when it comes to family, they just let me sit there and stutter and dam well knowing what I want to say and could say the simple words but let me struggle that throw in thier 2 cents, have the right finger obeying by then, crap I embarrassed by the time they open thier pie hole to help, but lets just some fun out of it first

My husband tells me that I am whispering when I think I am speaking at a normal tone. I like to think it is his hearing and not me. LOL! Sometimes at work people tell me that I am not speaking loud enough so I don't know what it is. You are not alone.

Me too, it seems like there is little connection between my mouth and my brain.LOL. I also started to stutter. My family is patient enough to wait ,sometimes I just wave and tell them "you know!!!" And we have to laugh. We I was ok I was always the boss, the loudest,the mom. At the beginning of my journey I wanted and needed to do everything by myself, now I accept I need help to bring food to the table, water etc, and thank God there is still people around willing to do it for me!!

It seems the speech therapy would definitely be worth checking out? Have you looked into that at all?

Could you let your dad know how painful his intolerance is? I think sometimes people just feel that we're using the label of MS for a crutch. Very frustrating when that happens.

Wow! I have been having a super hard time with speech lately. It can take eons for words to come out of my mouth. I started out with a stutter problem and now it is more like making my mouth form the words to come out is so difficult. I hate when I say a word that is not even close to the word I mean. It is quite frustrating to not be able to control my speech. Thankfully nobody has teased me or given me grief over it. My kids often times will just say the words for me. I even went to the doc today and had a hard time telling her things because speaking is so difficult. I find myself closing my eyes and I feel like I am physically pushing the words out. It seems like a chore almost. Glad to know others are feeling the same way.

LOL no laughing matter but I also have to close my eyes really hard just to get some words out, must of the time

Tell them to pay close attention when they are treating you this way...they'll have to do some explaining on Judgement Day.

yes-i have started this- and dont realize- till they say im mumbeling- i blame it on their hearing!! hee hee!! its the first thing that goes you know!! lol!

I occasionally have the "drop tongue" syndrome - mumbling.

I made up business cards thru Vista that say: I'm sorry that I'm having vocal trouble; I have MS. Please bear with me or hand me a pen and paper...

If someone comments about my speaking, I give them a card. Usually, I don't get another comment from that person.

LOL tickey now I know I'll them It's not me It's your hearing problems. I'm going to make me those cards thank you!!!!