Many of my symptoms have improved. However one that really bothers me is that I often say the wrong words.
For example, I'll have yogurt on my mind. Instead of telling my son to pick up his room, I'll tell him to pick up his yogurt.
I do this all the time and its so annoying! Just wondering if I'm the only one. I sure hope this gets better!
Posted by penguingirl (Member # 28688) on :
I do this too! Or I'll say words in a sentence backwards (not literally but flip-flopped)
Like if I wanted to say, "I'm going for walk today." I'll say "I'm going for today walk."
I sound ridiculous. But luckily it doesn't happen everyday all day long..
And I do the words in my mind thing too.
Maybe others can find us funny and entertaining.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- I call everything a parking meter. Yes, I know it's a vacuum but my mouth can't get that out, I get flustered and it comes out" "please move the parking lot"
The dishwasher, the door - always a parking meter or something like that. Never happens with my silent self talk, though, just when I'm trying to verbally communicate.
Don't worry about it. It's very common with lyme but gets better. I'm way better about this than I used to be but it's still there as I still do have a ways to go.
I hear that, for those who achieve a good remission, this gets MUCH better. So, relax. And just laugh. Communication involves a tremendously complex series of "stuff" is all I can come up with now. Interactions, electrical exchanges, processes, etc. It's a huge job to think AND talk, really. -
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Yes, this has been written about in the lyme literature. Here is a quote for you:
"Ubiquitous among the myriad cognitive flaws are the frequent errors of word selection or pronunciation and the consistent word and number reversals."
When I had lyme, I had word finding problems. I could not remember the names of things (like sponge, cup, etc.) so I called everything "that thing" as in, "Hand me that.. that.. that THING!"
Now that I am rid of lyme and company, I am back to normal.
Posted by lymeboy (Member # 24769) on :
yea... I hate it, its very annoying. Sometimes I can't find the word for something that I'm holding in my hand....
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- I think this is from the same author as TF's excerpt. Notice just a few of the other things he says about concentration, etc. And these really are just a few examples he sites. ----------
. . . Stuttering was reported by several patients to coincide with the onset of their LD and often proved reversible. . . .
. . . impairment of concentration, inattention, easy confusion or disorientation when attempting intellectual tasks. . . .
. . . Lyme patients can be easily irritated by anyone just walking into the same room even though eye contact is never made or words exchanged. . . .
. . . Eye related problems in LD are commonplace . . . .
. . . disorganization, an inability to follow a train of thought . . . .
. . . Others forgot how to spell even simple words, how to read or must re-read with varying degrees of comprehension. . . .
======================
Also to consider, many with lyme have inner/middle ear issues. When the vestibular system is messed up, brain function will suffer, too. Take a look at all the things the ears help with: ------------
VESTIBULAR SYMPTOMS (That also frequently go along with lyme & other tick-borne infections) -
Posted by Tammy N. (Member # 26835) on :
Yes!! This happens to me too!!! And I type/write the wrong words sometimes too. I'm always asking my husband to read my things before I send them out.
Keebler - you made me LAUGH OUT LOUD!! A parking meter. I'm hysterical over this. Ahh, it's good to laugh.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Also to warn you all, if you cuss at all, you never know what might pop out.
I have told two different brothers to "---- off" over nothing much at all. I NEVER tell someone that, NEVER. But, with a drug dealing neighbor shouting that dozens of times a day through my apt walls, I got so used to hearing it that as the slightest drop of a hat, my mouth would turn to that phrase.
I felt so bad - I'd not seen one brother for nearly 10 years and he criticized me for taking a huge bowl of blackberries when no one else said they wanted any ---I'd refused wine they were all drinking and opted for the berries. He joked "no wonder you're sick - that's a lot of berries."
It really hit a nerve as I'd not been able to afford ANY berries for years and, there at my Dad's house, there was such abundance - and then the "oh, THAT's why you're sick" was really just a jovial kidding - not at all meant to be mean but my emotions got the best of me.
I think I had an adrenal melt down and "---- you" just flew out of my mouth. Not in rage but just an adrenal shock of not knowing how else to respond - my poor baby brother's face just sunk, there in front of his teenage son, wife, etc.
I felt so bad. So, be aware. It's really best to not swear at all since if it becomes habit, it's likely to backfire when you really don't mean it. -
Posted by ktkdommer (Member # 29020) on :
I take two words and combine them at least twice a day. Like if I meant to say clean up and then line up to my students, I say cline up. I also have the hardest time with words that are in the same consonant vowel patterns. Like if it is a CVVC patterned word I will substitute another CVVC patterned word. Sometimes I won't remember a word but I will know it is a CVCVC word. It freaks me out. I will also forget a word but know it has 3 syllables. I'm glad that someone posted it goes away. I look forward to that day because it has been a long time with this issue. It was fun reading all the freaky things that happen with our speech and spelling.
Posted by NancyJ2 (Member # 25084) on :
Yes I use wrong words quite often and hesitate because I don't find the words fast enough. Communication is a large part of my job and when I first returned to work I struggled on conference calls and leading meetings. Things have improved but I still have days when words come out in sentences and I have no idea where they came from.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- ktkdommer,
what is CVVC? Oh, I see. consonant vowel, visa versa.
Most often, (when it's not a parking meter) . . . when I substitute words or a 2-word combination, they have the exact number of syllables and even the accent, or infection pattern is the same. The brain is trying to sort but comes up a bit confused, I do think. -
Posted by missy (Member # 694) on :
I too have many word finding problems. One of the most irritating is that if I'm speaking to someone and the tv or radio is on, or if someone else is talking nearby, I will say a word or words that they say rather than what I am meaning to say.
As a HS teacher...the kids "eat you alive" for stuff like this. It really became a problem,
That along with all of the neuro issues, forced me to take a years leave this year.
Thank goodness the family understands and have become good translators! Posted by missy (Member # 694) on :
I too have many word finding problems. One of the most irritating is that if I'm speaking to someone and the tv or radio is on, or if someone else is talking nearby, I will say a word or words that they say rather than what I am meaning to say.
As a HS teacher...the kids "eat you alive" for stuff like this. It really became a problem,
That along with all of the neuro issues, forced me to take a years leave this year.
Thank goodness the family understands and have become good translators! Posted by karenl (Member # 17753) on :
I also had years were I had the " thing" problem and combined words wrong like air-ing instead of air-plane. It is over now, already forgot about it.
Posted by inundatedbyinfo (Member # 28378) on :
I get this. I substitute "thing" for a lot of things, some of which aren't even things. Like the simpsons episode where Homer uses a set of vocabulary builder tapes that boost his knowledge of esoteric words but eliminate his usage of banal ones.
Homer's in the kitchen, a bowl of ice cream in front of him.
Homer: Marge. Can you fetch me that metal dilley, you know... to dig food with?
Marge: A spoon?
Homer: That's the ticket.
Posted by littlebit27 (Member # 24477) on :
Yeah, and it gets annoying...A LOT. Sometimes I catch myself and just say uh uh uh, until usually my husband says...whatever word it is I am looking for.
But he asked me to send a PM for him on his Salt water fish tank forum and I did....he should have known better, lol. My wording was all screwed up.
I have to read and re-read. And when I write a paper for school or a conference I put everything in Word and check it.
Posted by one4islands (Member # 28187) on :
That very symptom is what made me go to a neurologist last year.
I thought I had early Alzheimer's or a brain tumor. This was a year prior to my Lyme diagnosis.
I say the wrong words, but even worse is when I type which I do alot at work.
I have to re-read everything over several times before sending.
I showed my husband one of my Facebook postings with many typos hoping he would understand more about what I go through.
This is the scariest symptom to me.
Posted by txgirl09 (Member # 21612) on :
I guess I'm not the only one. Some of the stories here are funny!
![[lol]](graemlins/lol.gif)
Ahh, it's good to laugh.
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