Does anyone else have this problem?

[CindyD]

I'm not a doctor, but I've been to so many over the past 12 years that I guess I've picked up quite a bit of the terminology and don't even realize it any more. I don't mix up my words like the examples you gave, just a few at a time. Most of the sentence is clear, but a noun or adjective may be incorrect or I just go blank in the middle of a thought. I get headaches in my right temple area and sometimes just before that I might smell something like cigarette smoke though no one smokes around here. I've had 2 MRI's in the last 8 years that were clear and just had a third one last week but won't know the results until Wednesday. It was going to be Dec 1, but I called this morning and asked to have appt moved up because of light seizure activity concerns. I have had short term memory problems for years and learned to keep cheat sheets and lists but never knew what the causes were until just last month. Since my neurologist put me on the Zonogran about 4 wks ago, it seems to be getting a bit better so I hope the meds are working.

Thanks for the advice and the info. It's nice to see you've picked up a little southern lingo while you've been using the forums.

Thanks again,
Cindy

[ziggidypoo]

.... or it could be a mild anomic aphasia. The mildest form , which we all suffer from at a certain age is " Dear , hand me that thingy".

THINGY - WHO YOU BEEN TALKIN' TO ABOUT ME???

I say that for everything. I call all females "honey" because I forget their names - and if I get stuck on a work will substitute for a descriptive phrase as for toothbrush if I got stuck on it, I'd stop and point to the bathroom and make the handmotions. I do handmotions, almost like a 101 of sign language to talk.

Am sometime to have an extensive memory testing done.

Sigh?

I KNOW this is happening so I know it is not regular demensia.

Early Alzheimers or Apoxia from sleep apnea??

It's more than age (52). I know that.

[walksalot]

Hi Doctor. I'm so glad you're here. I hope you open a practice in driving distance so my husband can get me to your office. About cognitive problems, does epilepsy cause the complete loss of words? There are many words that I end up referring to as "those things" or "that thing" because I just can't for the life of me remember the word for them at the time. Sometimes I never do. I tell the person I'm talking to "You know what I mean".

[brain]

The mildest form , which we all suffer from at a certain age is " Dear , hand me that thingy". If the problem is really affecting you and you have major trouble communicating , see your neurologist pronto. you may need an MRI and some other investigations.

THINGY - WHO YOU BEEN TALKIN' TO ABOUT ME???

I'd stop and point to the bathroom and make the handmotions. I do handmotions, almost like a 101 of sign language to talk.

I have to imply the Doc's right, I've had scans performed
and it is revealing clearly, so the "flare ups" do happen
and it is part of the Epilepsy / Temporal Lobe region itself.

As I've posted below in the Original Post, of where I've
been stuck ... I was in the same position several times
when I was at CCF (Cleveland Clinic Florida) when the
Neurologist asked me some questions and I was at a
point blank, and was like what Ziggy was doing - going
through hand motions, signing, but she wanted me to
say it - and my mind was like this:

(_______________________)


Noticed there is nothing there. I struggled to remember,
but it was completely wiped out of my mind! It was like
someone had erased it all out; I knew what it was, for
I had typed / posted / discussed and even researched
on it - but come in person ....

(_______________________)

A complete B-L-A-N-K!

It had always been a problematic issue, it comes and
goes - whether or not I am on meds, and it drives me
and others batty; however, sometimes it will cause me
after that "blank episode" (it may have very well been
a seizure, I don't know) to reverting to repeating myself
where I had just said it earlier but I have no memory of
having ever state it. My mother was there to comment
about that. It's annoying as heck to everyone, but the
main problem is, I don't remember ever having said it
the first time around ...

My ex-husband used to call me "Echo" because of that!



SO IT IS STRONGLY ADVISED TO FOLLOW UP WITH
THE DOCTOR - and especially with MRI/MRA/CT Scans,
sometimes they can be revealing "hot spots" and other
problematic issues there as it is in my case.

[darkmarkshark]

During my last doctors visit, I left my pencil in the waiting room. This meant I couldn't check off the things i meant to ask her about. I know I repeated myself alot because she kept cutting me off and telling me the same thing she had just told me a few moments before and why she came to that conclusion.

i also stopped midsentence a few times when I lost my train of thought.

That hasn't happened while speaking with her before but I imagine that she is used to it with other patients

[ziggidypoo]

I have to imply the Doc's right, I've had scans performed
and it is revealing clearly, so the "flare ups" do happen
and it is part of the Epilepsy / Temporal Lobe region itself.

I'm too big for scans now and EEGS I am told only show lots of "b waves" showing sleepiness or use of certain medications.

what do you do when scans and EEGS are normal but you aren't?

[drarvindr]

Brain-

when the
Neurologist asked me some questions and I was at a
point blank, and was like what Ziggy was doing - going
through hand motions, signing, but she wanted me to
say it - and my mind was like this:

(_______________________)

Happened to me once during an EEG. The tech noticed some seizure activity and suddenly asked me "What's your name?" . My mind was (_______________) too. It took a full five minutes before i could say "Arvind". So yes , seizures and the epilepsy in itself can cause you to blank out ( may also be an absence seizure).

Ziggidypoo-
Very few tests are 100% specific ( diagnostic). Unfortunately , EEgs and scans are not very specific. If your scans come back normal , it is assumed that there is a pathology underlying your symptoms and you get treated anyway using a presumptive diagnosis based on your symptoms and clinical manifestations, hoping that further testing at a later date will reveal the problem.

Walksalot-
Happens to a lot of people( My dad's barely 60 and he forgets our phone number which has stayed the same for 10 years). But i don't think complete loss of specific words at a point of time is pathological , just maybe signs of memory loss. The important thing is , if, say , you don't remember right now what the word is for "kettle" , do you call it a thingy all the time , and are you confused if someone says the word "kettle"? . What i mean is , try imagining yourself making tea. Can you visualise a kettle and know what to call it? or do you have trouble even visualising yourself with a kettle? . If you're able to recall words , names etc. later , then either
a) It's a minor age-related memory impairment
b) It's due to your epilepsy( if you're not old enough to have age related memory impairment i.e. <45-50yrs) , or
c) could be a pathology in your temporal lobe.

If you are never able to recall simple words ( if you ALWAYS call the kettle a thingy) then it could be signs of damage to your temporal lobe and you may need an fMRI and other investigations.

I don't want any of you guys to freak out too much about "thingies". My grandpa didn't recall my name when i was a kid so he called me by the names of all his kids until he hit upon mine " Jai... Sriram....nandu.....Arvind!". It didn't seem to bother him much and he lived to the ripe old age of 84.RIP.

Here's a good one on a related subject:
A guy is invited over to his neighbor's house. As he sits down to chat at the coffee table , the neighbor says " Dear , can you get us some coffee?". Later on he says "Sweetheart, can you get some cookies?". Still later "Honey , how about a nightcap for the young man from next door?". The young neighbor is impressed at the profound love the man has for his wife . He asks " How have you guys managed to stay so close after all these years ?What's the secret to still call her dear and sweetheart after so many years?..." . The old man checks that his wife isn't listening and says " I forgot her name seven years ago."

[walksalot]

Dr. Arvindr, you just gave me "good news, bad news" thing. Although, I'll probably nevew know the word for "thing" in this instance.

l. Good news (if you call it that) I have epilepsy

2. I am getting OLD

I do what your Grandpa did, I go through the list of grandchildren's names, too.

[brain]

i also stopped midsentence a few times when I lost my train of thought.

I do this repetitiously, and often repeat myself, but
having no recollection of whatsoever of ever having
said it the first time around. Like one Epileptologist
called it "Bizarre!" And my (ex) hubby used to tease
me and called me "Echo" or remark in a snide manner
and say, "Is there an 'echo in here'?"

I loose my train of thought many times. I get mad at
people a lot when I'm in the middle of something, I
do not like to be interrupted, because my focus is on
that specific matter - such as, for example:

I have a general rule here:

WHEN I AM PAYING THE BILLS - DO NOT EVER BOTHER
ME! This is not because I am being cruel, mean, obnoxious,
unruly, hostile, or ornery - it is because once I start on it
I cannot be interrupted, I have my mind set on it and I
cannot loose my train of thought or otherwise, everything
is BLOWN! (I've actually had to borrow money because I
was interrupted and my train of thought and all that was
within ... GONE! Even though I have everything in orderly
fashion, all lined up accordingly - I cannot be interrupted,
PERIOD!)

I have made it an exceptional rule, do not interrupt me
unless the house is on fire or if it is a life-threatening
emergency ... Interrupting me of "What's for dinner tomorrow
night is NOT an emergency!"

*sigh*

Then all that I have put into stock what I was doing has
now gone .....

(_________________)

Not only have I become upset and angry, and they wonder
why I am in a bad mood?

D'oh! Sufficient is it enough that I am struggling as is,
I often wonder WHERE THEIR BRAINS ARE! For such things
can wait until AFTER I am done ...

So the rudeness of people and inconsideration persists
without any compassionate or thought whatsoever of
the person with Epilepsy with a KNOWN PROBLEM!

Does not matter if it is a family member, medical personnel,
or Whoopie-dah-do-dah ... such people belong in the
"PET PEEVE" Department!

So I feel your pain - I've been there, through it all,
and it's annoying as heck, and just trying to regather
something that you're not able to regather is a major
mountain to accomplish when you're not able to do
so when all things have been wiped out completely!

Even if, like for above example - all my bills are lying
before me, and I pay them all online - but trying to
gather them and sort them out, my brain doesn't
grasp or comprehend anything, and it often leaves me
into tears, waiting for the next day, it still does not
register - it's gone, whatever I was doing!

People "SAY" --- OH that's easy, just retrace your
steps where you've left off ...

Excuse me? They have never had Epilepsy; while it
might be easy for them - but for me (and I don't know
about others) - it's like walking around blind-folded,
how does one retrace one's steps blind-folded when
you have absolutely no memory, no idea, no knowledge
of where you are or were?

Just a big thought and perspective there ... bringing it
out to a total new realm!

(I hope a lot of Medical Doctors reads this post and really put a lot of thought into this!)

[rudy]

its my loss of memory and I get corrected when I say that an episode happened 2 months ago when in reality it occurred 3 weeks ago.