"Cognitive dysfunction as a symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) may be the one that makes me the saddest. I can get angry at the “MS hug” and frustrated with trembling hands, but being mad at how my own brain and though patterns are misfiring is a little too complicated. It is also the symptom that is the hardest to talk about with people without MS, as it often comes across as a lame-sounding apology for being “ditzy” or is met with people mentioning how forgetful they have also become since they had children or turned 70."


http://ms.about.com/od/signssymptoms..._over.htm?nl=1

I agree...it's not something that is "seen" by others. It is something that was affecting my life for quite a while before I knew what the reason was. It's not easily understood by me, much less others who I've tried to explain it to.

I remember when still working how hard it was to come up with descriptive words that I was looking for. It was so frustrating. I have one good friend who would help me say the word I was looking for. Bless her heart. She was a good friend. We neither one knew the reason for it. She is the one friend I think who is closest to understanding it all.

Bless your heart Kitty... ... This rotten label we've been given!

That nefarious "cog fog" is what sent me to the doctor in the first place. I said to him, "Am I too young to be this tired and this stupid?" He responded, "How tired and stupid are you?"

When described my cognitive dysfunction, he agreed that I was "stupider" than I should be unless something was going on, and the testing began.

When I'm in a resentful mood, I resent that symptom the most. The reason is that the way I walk isn't the essence of who I am. The way I THINK is. And in that sense, I'm not me anymore.

I have been soooo lucky, so far, not to be plagued by Cognative problems, but then I'm getting close to 70..

I haven't checked my MRIs to see what kind of lesions I have, but I guess, by what I read, that the ones that cause CogFog are different.

I'm thinking that the LDN may be helping me with this???

My heart goes out to you suffering from this SX of MS.

The cog fog was my chief symptom at diagnosis, along with ON.

It's terrifying when you start losing your ability to think clearly.

It's even more terrifying when the people you love the most don't understand that the person they purport to love and support is losing their mind suddenly with no warning and they start with the "oh, I have that too"

I just gave up and listened to their stories and thought to myself...

No. You don't.

This symptom is not nice, but it IS 'nice' to be able to talk with those of you who understand!

Before dx, I was getting to where I would have to pull 'all nighters' to meet dead lines that normally would have just taken me a very few hours. Then when I finally finished I could look at what was done and look at the clock and literally be so confused and dumbfounded as to HOW and WHY this took me so long!!!

...just thinking out loud! I think!!!

When I'm in a resentful mood, I resent that symptom the most. The reason is that the way I walk isn't the essence of who I am. The way I THINK is. And in that sense, I'm not me anymore.
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You got it exactly. And much of the time I really don't LIKE the person I am now. I feel like I've lost most of my better qualities. I'm not talking about forgetting words, but a whole new twisted way of processing thoughts and emotions.

This is my most frightening sx! It terrifies me and will ultimately cause me to retire early. I am a legal secretary, and like nurses, etc., I can't really afford to be forgetful. Sure no one's going to get sick or die if I make a mistake or forget to do something, but bad things will happen, I will catch crap for it, I will feel awful, stupid, forgetful, and possibly lose my job.

This is scary and depressing, and when the fog kicks in, like lately (after being quiet for a year), my depression gets worse, which increases the fog, which stresses me more, which increases the forgetfulness, which makes me more depressed, and I just want to go home right now and cry.

My partner and I have separate calendars and I put everything he needs on his. He has no idea what day it is, what month and what date. He's a night worker and forgets everything. He can hire a dvd with no idea he rented it maybe a month earlier. Takes him about 30 minutes to work it out...

Well I used to mock him something terrible for his memory.

Now he helps me out...
I haven't a bloomin' clue what's happening most of the time !! How liberating it is too !!!

I vividly recall setting up a syringe driver for the last night of a patients life and not being able to hold things properly. I commented I had gotten clumsy recently.. and that was the beginning for me. I hate lying to colleagues too and hiding my clumsyness and dropsies.

I have one good friend who would help me say the word I was looking for. Bless her heart. She was a good friend. We neither one knew the reason for it. She is the one friend I think who is closest to understanding it all.

Funny thing is I have 3 kids and I stumble for what I am trying to say. They see that and they help me find the words I am looking for. Sometimes I say stuff totally backwards and they think it is hilarious. Sometimes I laugh at myself because if you have ever said some stuff all wrong it can make for some interesting conversation lol.