Brain fog. That
vague feeling of ineptitude. You’ve got the ideas. You’ve got the thoughts. And
you know the words are in there somewhere. But you just can’t get your ducks in
a row. You can’t string your thoughts together. You have the words on the tip
of your tongue, but they are falling off the precipice of that mental block you’ve
hit.
Brain fog
is, clearly, a very real condition. Everyone experiences this cognitive hiccup
from time to time. However, it’s a particularly prevalent symptom of those
living with MS. In fact, more than half of all people with MS develop problems
with this and other cognitive functions. Difficulties include…
- · Information processing (dealing with information gathered)
- · Memory (acquiring, retaining and retrieving new information)
- · Attention and concentration (particularly divided attention)
- · Executive functions (planning and prioritizing)
- · Visuospatial functions (visual perception and constructional abilities)
- · Verbal fluency (word finding)
Yesterday I had my weekly physical therapy session at HealthSouth. I just started back again after a two-year hiatus, way too long to be living with MS without professional input. My PT (physical therapist) is a rock star! She’s super knowledgeable about MS and employs the latest methods to keep her patients fighting strong.
During therapy, I lay on a therapy mat while my PT
moves my limbs in order for the brain-body connection to occur. My job is to
think through the motions as she does them manually. The hope is that my legs
and brain will partner together to allow independent movement. I really have to
concentrate. If I don’t, no relationship is established between the brain and
the body.
I was having a brain fog day, so I had to work
especially hard to not have my attention divided. Did you read my “Decisions?…”
post the other day? Yeah, so you see how my brain works and how I can be easily
distracted.
She put my leg up on her shoulder to stretch it. While
doing so, she purposely said, “I’m putting your leg up on my shoulder to
stretch it.” My job is to hear the words and see the action in my mind, “willing”
my leg to do it independently. But my neurons began to wander and I’m
distracted by my thoughts…
“Whoa! She’s really stretching that leg. I bet this is
how a rubber band feels when it gets stretched. Rubber bands. I like the little
red ones. They remind me of SpaghettiOs. Tasty, too! I should know. I had my
stomach pumped when I was 3 after eating a whole bag of them…”
“So, how does that stretch feel, Angela?”
Whoops! My attention snaps back to the moment. I’m
supposed to be concentrating on making a brain body connection, aren’t I?
“It’s okay. Not too bad.” No, really. It wasn’t bad at
all.
Next, she
asked me to lie on my side in a relaxed fetal position. “Now, take your free arm
and punch it forward, then pull your elbow back.” Right! Arm forward. Elbow
back. Got it!
I laid there
motionless for a second. Processing, processing, processing…
“You okay?,”
she asked quietly. Perhaps she thought I’d fallen asleep.
And then it happened.
Connection made! I punched my fist in front of me like I was pushing a door
open. Then I pulled my fist back like I was closing the door, pulling my elbow behind
me. Success!
Now she asks me the $64 million question…
Now she asks me the $64 million question…
“Tell me,
what muscles do you feel yourself using when you do that?”
Oh, c’mon!
Now I’ve got to use my “word finding” skills, too? Okay, you can do this. Think, Angela.
Think!
“My abs!,” I
said resolutely. “My abs.”
A moment of
silence.
“Yes! That’s
right!,” my PT exclaimed. “You’re using your abs to balance yourself on your
side and to move your arm back and forth.
Good job!”
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