Your writing skills don't seem to have deteriorated much at all, although it may have taken you longer to write your post. I, too, suffer from the memory lapses which you have described, and I used to be pretty smart myself. A lot of what you feel is probably what a lot of us feel, a fear of the unknown, and maybe a lack of self-cofidence because you are not sure where your mental boundaries are any longer.

I've suffered from some of the other symptoms you describe. My right leg giving out, numbness, balance issues, headaches, itchiness, but I also suffer from chronic pain. It's scary. My illness began seven years ago, and since then I've seen 28 docs and been to 8 hospitals, with no diagnosis. I've even had exploratory surgery. That doesn't mean it will take that long for you, I hope, but it can take time. One of the most important things you can do, especially because of your memory impairment, is to keep a journal and write down your experiences every day. It took me a while to figure that out, and to realize that skipping only one day can throw things out of balance. If you go to a specialist with a written description of your problems, then it gives you more time to think it out as you're writing it. And since most doctor's learn to speed-read anyway, they often see a pattern on paper when they might just be confused by your words. Just remember: shorter is often better and more informative.

I wish you lots of luck, Flyersfan. Whatever you do, don't stop pushing as hard as you can, and do lots of research yourself. Good luck!