| Boy, do I feel stupid today! I submitted an | | | | faces but sometimes the name just doesn't |
| article yesterday to an ezine and I forgot to | | | | come out! Most people are OK with that but |
| put my website in the resource box. How will | | | | some people seem to be upset that I don't |
| anyone buy my products or signup for my | | | | remember their name. I'm also always losing |
| newsletter without my website address? How | | | | things. I can be reading a piece of paper, |
| stupid could I be but that leads me into | | | | set it down and when I come back 5 minutes |
| today's article, cognitive problems with | | | | later I can't find the piece of paper. My |
| multiple sclerosis. | | | | office looks like an atomic bomb hit it. I |
| | | | tell myself to pick things up but it never |
| First of all, I'm not mentally handicapped | | | | seems to get done. I have about 75 post-it |
| although at times I can be mentally slower. | | | | notes on two separate desks in my office and |
| It's just my MS reminding me that I have some | | | | I just keep piling them on. |
| cognitive problems. I have two college | | | | |
| degrees and I've owned several small | | | | I've had this problem since I don't know |
| businesses in the past 23 years which have | | | | when. I've never been good at directions. |
| done very well. What I am is a man with | | | | If I'm being told directions I write them |
| multiple sclerosis which affects my cognitive | | | | down. If someone say north and south or east |
| thinking at times. In the case yesterday I | | | | and west I always say. Is that a right or |
| was unfamiliar with the term resource box and | | | | left? I've lived in my little town for 4 |
| didn't bother to look it up. I could have | | | | years now and I still couldn't tell you if |
| looked at other submitted articles to see | | | | I'm on the north side of the tracks. When I |
| what it was but I didn't. That's my loss and | | | | had my carpet cleaning business from '88 to |
| why I'm writing this article so close to the | | | | '93 I would be driving down the highway |
| first one! | | | | looking for an exit. When the exit came up I |
| | | | would have a flash of panic because I |
| In 2001 I was working in Minneapolis at a | | | | couldn't remember which direction to go. I |
| company that sold cell phones. I started in | | | | knew where I wanted to go but I couldn't |
| April of 2001 and quit in October of 2002. | | | | remember how to get there. Figure eight |
| Part of the reason why I quit was because the | | | | exits would drive me bonkers. I'm like that |
| cell phones were becoming too complicated for | | | | with a lot of things these days. I get the |
| me. We sold all the major brands of phones. | | | | big picture of what I want to accomplish but |
| I remember going to meetings that the cell | | | | I can't seem to figure out how to get from |
| phone companies would have once in a while. | | | | point A to point B. It can be frustrating to |
| I would sit in the meetings and after about | | | | say the least! |
| 20 minutes my mind would start wandering. | | | | |
| Dick was a friend of mine at the company. | | | | There's an old saying that I say every once |
| I'd think to myself, I wonder where Dick | | | | in a while. I'll use a substitute word for |
| wants to eat lunch today or I'd wonder if | | | | the profanity. People of my generation say, |
| Doug wants to come with us. On real | | | | throw that crap against the wall and see what |
| important points that I missed I would say to | | | | sticks. That's exactly how my brain seems to |
| myself, I'll ask Doug about that later | | | | work nowadays. Nothing seems to stick. If |
| knowing full well I probably wouldn't | | | | I'm with 3 or 4 people and everyone is |
| remember what I'd missed. | | | | talking I will hear everything being said but |
| | | | nothing stays in my head. You might as well |
| Another cognitive problem I have is short | | | | be talking to a chair or wall because I won't |
| term memory loss. This is doctor documented | | | | retain anything the next day unless it was |
| and is a common symptom for people with MS. | | | | earth shattering news. That can get very |
| My neurologist sent me to a psychologist one | | | | frustrating not only for me but also the |
| day who was to test my memory. I used to be | | | | people I'm talking to. I've learned to never |
| very good at remembering the names of people. | | | | leave home without a piece of paper and a pen |
| Now, unless I repeat their name a few times | | | | so I can make notes. These are just a few of |
| while I'm talking to them I just don't | | | | the cognitive problems that I have but there |
| remember their names. I'll remember their | | | | are more. |