Cog Fog

[kittysmith]

All my lesions are on my brain. Lately, my memory has been getting worse. Long term is fine. Short term is a nightmare. I can't remember why I'm calling someone, forget what I'm talking about mid sentence. I'll be typing and writing and use the wrong words. It's embarrassing. I feel stupid and inept. I work in a fast paced environment, so I have to be on my game. Anyone else suffer this way?

[Seasha]

I'm sure many of us face this problem. It is one factor, among many others, that forced me to reevaluate working anymore. My Dr. kept urging me to apply for SSDI, but I wasn't ready until I finally was.

Multi-tasking at work was torturous and became harder and harder to keep up. I worked in a busy public environment for 30 years (librarian) where everyone thought we should know Everthing! It became evident to me that my cognition problem was effecting my work - I couldn't even remember the author of popular books - talk abut feeling stupid!

Now retired, I blame MS along with the aging process. My non-MS friends are starting to catch up with me. Don't know why the short term memory is so affected whereas the long term is sharp.

Keep on working as long as you can kittysmith! Take lots of notes, steady your pace and don't forget to use those breaks for a quiet regrouping time.

[MMMMS]

Well, here's an example. By the time I got myself logged in, I forgot exactly what you asked.

Ok, now that I've read it again. I have the same trouble. Part of it is forgetting. Part is very slow recall. Others without MS say that they have the same thing going on. Who knows. I know that my forgetfulness is noticible (and annoying) to everyone. And the slow recall probably makes people think that I'm a dunce. It takes time and clues to recall so many things now.

I've decided not to work long hours and to be very strict about getting a full night's sleep every day. That has helped tremendously.

Do you work long hours?

[Jules A]

Short term memory seems to be the area that goes, even in dementia patients their long term memories often remain in tact.

I recently discussed with my neuro the MS vs expected aging changes and in a strange way it comforts me to hear my non-MS girlfriends in peri and menopause are saying their memory and focus is shot also.

[Tawanda]

I remember rolling my eyes as my Dad would repeat the same stories over and over again. He should have numbered them! Now it's like the shoe is on the other foot. I do it. My husband does it. My teenager rolls her eyes! My Dad is laughing in heaven.

I think Jules asks a fair question to her doctor...what is MS? What is aging? Chicken? Egg? I don't know and I never will. If I wasn't telling old stories, I'd be telling new ones, and quite honestly, what has been happening lately except MS taking over every cell of my body? And getting senior discounts without asking for them? I guess I could talk about that !! I feel better telling my old stories. Every once in awhile, there just might be a lesson in them for my daughter...mistakes I made that she won't be doomed to repeat (but she will make mistakes all of her own anyway).

Does anyone take any of those supplements for memory? Do they work?

[Thinkimjob]

I'm 47. Should be pretty darn good, memory-wise.
Alas, no.
My 94 year-old Grandma forgets where she left things and tells the same story seconds after she finished it.
Fair enough. She is an elderly lady.
I'm half her age, and have the same trouble.
Plus side - she can still walk.

Oh how I hate MS.

[Jules A]

Personally I think much of the 60 is the new 40 is BS even for people with excellent health. Not that there isn't that 90yo still driving herself to Piggly Wiggly but is that the norm? Not even close in my experience.

Thats not to say that MS doesn't affect our cognition, its been shown that it does what I've read seems to indicated that starting in our 20s-30s humans start having changes and declining abilities.

"Processing speed refers to the speed with which cognitive activities are performed as well as the speed of motor responses. This fluid ability begins to decline in the third decade of life and continues throughout the lifespan."

"The Whitehall II study also found declines in inductive reasoning, as measured by verbal and mathematic reasoning tasks, beginning around age 45"

"Grey matter volume begins to decrease after age 20"

From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4015335/

[Tia1]

I have this problem with lack of focus and memory. It sucks and makes everything harder. Have to attempt something over a period of hours or days, for something that would have taken a short time, if I was able to stay on track. Oh well!

[KatieAgain]

KittySmith....I have cog fog....no fun.

One of the worst examples is when I was in the hospital this year a few days after surgery. I told my nurse that there were two important things I had to tell the surgeon when he came back to see me that day.

The doc showed up and I said, "I have two things to tell you." Then everything went blank. I sort of knew what I wanted to say, but I drew a blank. This went on for a few minutes and I just started crying. He grabbed my hand and all I could say was MS over and over. I could not say anything else.

The doc responded very kindly and the nurse found out what happened and asked me if she I wanted her to relay the questions...of course I shook my head yes.

Cog fog is real and can be frustrating for all... 🌷🌷🌷

[Tia1]

KatieAgain, i'm glad that both your doctor and the nurse were understanding. It really is frustrating, especially when you tell someone your having trouble and they want to use it against you, for everything. (insert angry red face here!)

[its2much]

A few years back I was in Court for issues related to support for my children. The judge threw me off the stand as I wasn't answering fast enough and was repeating myself. Judge said he was tired of telling me to answer the question..... (Judge actually never even told me previously to answer the question - it came with no warning.)

[dastardly]

Hi Guys this makes it very hard to hold a conversation especially when you try to describe a place or thing you can't remember what it is called and you feel like a fool, my wife will be talking to me as she waits for a response she looks at me I'm just sitting there with a glum look on my face, she asks are you listening and I'm just trying to remember what the hell we are talking about.

I read somewhere once about the difference between Alzheimers and being forgetful, you can forget where you left the car keys but with alzheimers you forget you had a car.

if I go shopping for my wife as she tells me what to pick up I tell her any more than 3 items make a list or she gets what I get have a great day guys keep smiling don't let it beat you Craig

[pennstater]

I can relate. I have become the list queen! My husband good naturedly teases me that I have a list about making other lists.

Nothing I hate more than telling a story and then forgetting where I was going next. Or Playing cards, I used to be a card shark because of my memory. Now, my 6 year old neighbor can best me. Ughhh...

Like everyone, asked neuro about and fear of Alzheimer's. He said the same that everyone misplaces car keys, but in Alzheimer's, you will forget what a key is. So as long as I know wat the key is, even if I can't drive the car, I'll be relieved!

Oh well. Have to do what we can to control other influences ( get a good night sleep, watch sugar and caffeine, eat healthy fats and proteins, and exercise in our means, puzzles to challenge brain, stay social). The rest, we just have to accept and not beat ourselves up. We are still intelligent, still good people, just have a few idiosyncrasies.