tdtid
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10276
posted
Is this a lyme brain thing? I find that I ramble and can't seem to get straight to a point when I'm either sending email or even in conversations.
The hard part is that in the early stages, I had no clue I was even doing it until I look back at things like my journal through this illness.
But NOW I catch myself doing it, KNOW I'm doing it, but still keep going. I seem to forget what I may have said in conversation, so I sort of just chalked it up to that. I'm seeing I do it many times out on these boards too.
I'm trying to ask ONE question and will write a novel which makes it hard for anyone to know what my question even was.
If this is related, would it be lyme, bart or babs, since I've tested positive to all. I do know it's worse at some times, like RIGHT NOW, than others.
Infact, I know I'm rambling as I write this and yet I keep going. The reason I wonder if it's related is that I see others doing it as well and can laugh and say, "that sounds like me". But others are still so crisp and to the point.
Any feedback? I honestly don't think it's just a 'bad habit' since I KNOW I wasn't doing this even in my college days. But on and on and on I will go. eeeeeek.
Cathy
-------------------- "To Dream The Impossible Dream" Man of La Mancha Posts: 2638 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2006
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just don
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1129
posted
WELCOME to the on and on club!!!being--just don--
-------------------- just don Posts: 4548 | From Middle of midwest | Registered: May 2001
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Taht's provided I can remember where I was goign in the first place.
Some days, I can almost feeel my thought bubbles popping as I forget.
At least the visuals are fun.
-------------------- If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. - Lewis Carroll Posts: 356 | From Body-PA, Mind-elsewhere | Registered: Dec 2007
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
yes, welcome to the GABBY CLUB!
hubby wants SHORT version; it's my long way or no way! lol
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
Hmmmm. I can begin a conversation, get distracted
By my children....and have no clue what I was talking about.
I just say.....I can't remember what we were talking about.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
I've never heard of anyone who goes on and on and on.
Yes.. it can be a Lyme brain thing. As anyone who has ever read any of my posts knows...
It takes me hours to say one stupid thing. So VERY frustrating for me and for those who must wade through my horribly long message to get to the point.
It comes from one of the cognative things in a section in the brain... where folks basically can't decide what is important and what isn't. Everything has one level of importance now.
To me, for example, I don't know what is more important... eating my breakfast, calling the plumber cause the sink is clogged.. or getting gas in my car when the line says empty.
I no longer have that "automatic" sense of "knowing" those answers or a way to figure them out like most people do.
I can't remember the technical name for it.. but it was discovered in my extensive testing that was done years ago after my brain got fried from undiagnosed and treated TBD's.
I am to the point that I kinda know some things.. like if my house catches fire I may want to get out of it. I know that is true right now... ON PAPER... but not really when it is happening.
But..
If I am doing dishes at the time the house catches fire.. I have to concentrate, bust my brain thinking and eventually "guess" if finishing the dishes is more important than getting out of a burning house.
That isn't normal.
I know that seems like it couldn't be so.. but it is true. And oh how it affects your every day life.. every minute of every day.
Folks who find that they tend to wander through the house not knowing what they should be doing.. or who start 50 projects at a time and don't seem to be able to figure out how to get one thing done at a time also may experience this type of damage... permanent (like mine) or temporary.
Another thing I am glad I know about NOW because this stuff makes life nearly impossible.. is the fact I don't have any concept of time.
Ya know how some doctors ask you what day it is.. or what time... or where you are?
Normal people can answer those questions. If your brain is affected in a certain section.. you can't answer that.. or you have to "compensate" to be able to do it.
When I am asked what day it is... I start immediately trying to see outside. That gives me the approximate time of year if I am where there are seasons.
Then I note if it is day or night by the sun being out ot not.
Then I usually .. with my fairly good photographic memory that I've developed since the brain was damaged... try to picture the calendar at my home. Sometimes, if I have looked at it recently.. I can "see" the month in my mind.
Then I "see" the day I last noted something on it.. like when a doctor asks me these questions I can see the appointment on the calendar where I wrote it.
Often I can't "see" the actual number of the date on it in my mind.. because my vision in real life is so bad, so I glance at it till I really NEED to see it.
But I see the big circle or my writing in a certain spot.. so I can usually guess the day from that "mind picture" I form.
If/when that method fails me.. I try to pull something else out of my memory that would spark a reminder.
NORMALLY I turn on the weather station or a tv station that shows the date first thing each day. Sometimes I can recall that.
But most of the time I can't get the month.. year.. day or time.
But who needs it! HA!
Now.. picture that process needed to just figure out something simple... and multiply it by the thousands of little things we do each day.. and you can see why it is draining to have to live that way.
As for your question.. I THINK.. or at least I associate the rambling writing to that brain malfunction.
tdtid
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10276
posted
Wow....thanks for the feedback. You make me smile Tincup since I can relate SOOO much to all you were saying.
I know when I start forgetting what I was saying or get sidetracked in conversation, I have friends telling me it isn't lyme but "oldzeimers".
So I'm at the point that I don't know if this is lyme and maybe can be reversed or if this is going to go on and on and on forever.
I need to find a way to stay focused, but sadly, I haven't found it yet. Thanks for the feedback and helping me feel that I'm not really as alone as I often feel.
Cathy
-------------------- "To Dream The Impossible Dream" Man of La Mancha Posts: 2638 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2006
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