My Noggin

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Tue, 2006-01-24 13:55

My Noggin

I had an appointment with the neuropsychologist at St Thomas' today. She gave me lots of tests to see if the stroke/haemorrhage had left any damage and to what extent.

I got a perfect score for the verbal memory (she was quite impressed that I could recite the story verbatim after an hour) and also scored high on vocabulary. Those silly logic puzzles and association were very good. There's the show-off-y bit over.

My spatial awareness is truly messy. I had to put these plastic blocks into patterns and I found it extremely difficult I couldn't visualise how the component blocks would form the overall pattern and had to copy the pattern from the book one block at a time. I don't know if this is a new phenomena because I haven't spent much time before playing with bricks.

Is this brain damamge or is it just because I'm a girl?

My other complaint was that the tests were too easy to measure the damage as I've noticed I can't write poetry as well as I used to. Can't describe it but I can't hear and feel the rhythms and patterns in my head.

I was basically told that I should count my blessings...am I being ungrateful. Okay, I know I am...

Tue, 2006-01-24 14:00

poetjude

...oh and my concentration is very poor but I didn't tell her that it's always been like that. I especially have a tendency to switch off when faced with extremely tedious number puzzles...I can do them but don't enjoy them like I do the word puzzles

Tue, 2006-01-24 14:01

poetjude

...oh...and...as...Rokitnite will find infuriating... since the stroke...my tendency to use...uneccessary ellipses....has worsened...

Tue, 2006-01-24 14:03

poetjude

...and...I ...obviously...can't...spell...

Tue, 2006-01-24 14:46

mississippi

So nothing's changed then ! :-) I'm sure you know that the brain accomodates faults over a period of time by using other areas. You're so bloody youthful you'll be fine.

Tue, 2006-01-24 14:51

poetjude

That's nice George I have to say you're in pretty good shape yourself...and I know its your b'day this week!

Tue, 2006-01-24 14:59

span

No, I don't think you are being ungrateful. My littlest sister was in a car crash over Christmas and is now at home and cosy. She went to see the Neuro surgeon today, and they told her the reason she can't see out of one eye, speak properly, remember much, or walk straight is cos of a fracture at the base of her skull. They missed it at first. Told her she is very lucky, and she is, and she is grateful and we all are lucky for still having her. All those platitudes everyone so loves, cos they dont know what else to say, 'you are lucky, etc', she does not feel very lucky. And Jude, for what it is worth, I am very sorry. Span x Ps. Spelling is over rated. I say, down with it.

Wed, 2006-01-25 19:20

justyn_thyme

Don't worry about the bricks. If you never tried it before, maybe you've always been rubish at bricks. I've never been able to concentrate very well either, unless there is a huge incentive of some kind and even then only for short periods. I think the poetry rhythm thing will come back. You're system's had a big shock. It'll take a while to sort itself out.

Thu, 2006-01-26 13:52

tcook

My Dad had a stroke at quite an advanced age. At first he could only remember a few words, but they came back - it just took time. He also lost the use of his left hand for a while - but that came back too. Just hang loose jude and enjoy it. Easy to say and very difficult to do. Fingers crossed for you - and no, you are not ungrateful!

Thu, 2006-01-26 15:58

#10

archergirl

And why the hell do you need to know how to put together blocks of pattern, anyway, unless you do it for a living...? I think most of us know someone or have had a brain trauma ourselves; the brain is a remarkable organ. Missi's right: It really will rewire itself. Just give it some time. Keep practicing your poetry and word puzzles! Exercise is important not only for the body but for the brain. Keep going! We're rooting for you, jude!

Fri, 2006-01-27 20:55

#11

poetjude

Thanks guys. The funniest one was when she read me a series of numbers ... and I had to repeat them backwards like 3749283 I had to say 3829473 she didn't quite understand why I could do some of the twelve number sequences (which few people can) but got some of the five number sequences wrong. The reason I got the twelves is cos I grouped them into three numbers and memorised that - onethousandthreehundredandtwelve fourthousandsixhundredandthirtythree sixthousandonehundredandtwentyeight and then just read the numbers out backwards... the ones I couldn't do were because I didn't group them then I'd start to daydream about dinosaurs and my friends and what I was going to do at work later and where shall I get lunch... My mind is so unruly it is practically undisciplinable!

Fri, 2006-01-27 22:09

#12

maddan

threaten to make it watch celebrity big brother if it doens't behave, that'll learn it

Sat, 2006-01-28 00:11

#13

mickleinapickle

http://www.freewebs.com/michaeljamestreacy/index.htm Hold on tight, Jude. I always remember the words of Cat Stevens (a few years back)... 'And if I ever lose my eyes, if all my colours all run dry, Yes, if I ever lose my eyes, Oh if I ever lose my eyes, if all my colours all run dry... I won't have to cry no more' Take care, Jude. All sorts of ways to live a life.

Mon, 2006-01-30 19:04

#14

styx

Never Eat Chips Eat Smoked Salmon And Remain Young. That's how I remember how to spell necessary. Is that a Pelmanism? These little tricks are a boon and yes it's important to keep the brain active. I remember when I did the 11 plus, and a large part of it was putting patterns together or unravelling said patterns and shapes, and as I'd never done anything like that before, failed miserably. I was put into a lowly form at the secondary modern, and within a couple of years escaped by a whisker going to grammar school. So just keep working Jude and I'm sure you'll be OK.

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