Please help. Can't speak properly and writing. Please send me some hints.
I read a lot about neurology in Scientific American prior to my aneurysm, so when I woke up from surgery, I immediately went psycho on Sudoku and any logic game I could find. I can't tell you what to do specifically for speaking and writing, other than keep doing it and know that it is just temporary. Keep speaking and writing, and put yourself in a mindset of a winner, so you will regain it, just need practice. You are already a winner, because you survived.
<3
I had my rupture 16 years ago . it took about 3 years and lots of practice for my handwriting to be ledgible . my speech didn’t take as long . the brain heals slowly and everyone is different . I would say give it some time keep practicing your writing and maybe get some speech therapy .
Thank You Theashka. I will try. I love logic games. I'm a survived.
It is time. I know that is not a rewarding answer, but for me, at least, it is true. A writer and a lawyer, words once came easy to me. Mere survival and coils are the first key. After my near death surgery, my significant other had to review my emails because I apparently sounded like a lunatic! I hope you will do better each month. Two years later I still forget names, but I generally do well. It did take quite a while. And it is true that I shall never be quite the same. But still here!
Thank you Gary. The information was amazing. 3 years wow. And I wanted this to happening quickly. You have gave me hope.
Hi Amanda,
Do you have a speech therapist? That would be the formal way to get help with these problems. But here are a few things I learned from going through my husband's aneurysm with him:
First, trying singing what you want to say. The area in the brain for singing is in a different place than for speaking. Often people who cannot speak can sing!
Second, you absolutely must try to speak and write no matter how little comes out. It is the only way to get better that I know of. This is because the body starts building new physical pathways when we TRY. Trying sends out signals and lays down tracks, so to speak. I know it sounds weird and it will be frustrating, just expect it to be frustrating for a while. Do it as practice. As much as you can. If you need to do it in a room with no one else around then fine, do that. Perhaps try reading a book out loud so you don't have to also think of what to say.
Third, try this: Quiet yourself [relax] and then Imagine yourself talking or writing. Try imagining a specific sentence. Go over it a couple of times in your mind with your eyes closed. Then try saying it. Several times. This worked really well with my husband for learning to walk again. I don't know how it works with speech.
Do you have someone you can practice with? That really helps because it will be more motivating. Try doing circles with a pencil, try using your other hand, then try doing the alphabet. Try tracing over letters.
Keep asking for help, especially from the people around you. Ask them to make you practice if you find you aren't doing it on your own.
Keep us informed of your progress. It will happen!
Laurie
Thank you Laurie. I live in South Africa and a Speech therapist not in a small town. but my new speech therapist - you hahahaha. Thank you so much for the hints. I will use them.
I started at the beginning and got primers from the library. I went to my childrens elementary school and asked their teachers if I could read to their classes. I started out with a 2nd grade book and kept stopping as I read because I would tear up. Joy for stuttering and reading to children and a complete awareness of my survival. I practiced for weeks before I read outloud. It took 2 years before I could hold a pen properly and began writing my story. My husband had to constantly remind me that the brain does heal, I will heal and I have. I am 5 years on the otherside of a coma and a double brain aneurysm. Jigsaw puzzels helped. Going shopping helped, because of all the decisions you have to make, do I like this? I also worked extensively with speech, physical, and occupational therapists.
Anything to exercise your brain for now. Luminosity has some basic free games you can play.
I tried to do a little more each day. I used a white board to write different things - grocery list, a daily to do list. I would organize different things as it helped with the fine motor skills - I organized my embroidery floss, nail polish etc. I am ten years out and believe I still see little improvements every day. TO help speech I would sing like no one could hear me - I am sure I sounded horrid. Maybe the practice helped? Music makes everyone feel better! I also played the flute, so I tried to start that back up to, to help the fine motor. Be tough - let those limits you set be flexible, nudge them a little bit forward everyday.
Amanda,
Would you mind if I asked you to clarify a few things for me ?
Are you having trouble forming the words with your mouth or are you having trouble finding the word you want to say ?
Is the handwriting itself the problem or is it that you can't find the words to write down ?
thank-you !
Mary
Beautmon...were your speech, physical and occupational therapies provided (prescribed?) by which doctor(s)? And, how soon after treatment? Were you referred to a neurologist?
There are so many issues for us to pull together, particularly on the temporal lobe...the hippocampus (memory) and the limbic system...which are not missed/by-passed during the minimally invasive coiling procedures...and also depending on which artery(ies) has/have to be accessed to reach the aneurysm...
You were blessed to have a doctor who stepped forward with therapies...to help your recovery...
Pat
Beaumont Bacon said:
I started at the beginning and got primers from the library. I went to my childrens elementary school and asked their teachers if I could read to their classes. I started out with a 2nd grade book and kept stopping as I read because I would tear up. Joy for stuttering and reading to children and a complete awareness of my survival. I practiced for weeks before I read outloud. It took 2 years before I could hold a pen properly and began writing my story. My husband had to constantly remind me that the brain does heal, I will heal and I have. I am 5 years on the otherside of a coma and a double brain aneurysm. Jigsaw puzzels helped. Going shopping helped, because of all the decisions you have to make, do I like this? I also worked extensively with speech, physical, and occupational therapists.
Hi Amanda,
My speech therapist in the rehab had me saying words which sound alike-bake, cake, lake, as examples. When I got home, the speech therapist had me do word association, like black-white, night-day. He also said to read out loud.
When I first began to talk, in my mind, I sounded fine. However, I was told that I slurred my words. Having always been a vocal person, I told my one friend-well, that just has to get better, as if anything I talk too much. However, now things are fine. It takes a while for the brain to recover from being traumatized. Give it time and yourself time as well to heal.
My writing was very jagged and large, when I first began. I just kept practicing and after a while improvement came. For long missives, I still use Word on the computer. However, there are people to whom I hand write a letter.
The largest hurdle I had in overcoming was looking at myself and not recognizing nor understanding the changes I saw, many of which I did not like. I found that by developing an attitude that I can indeed make changes, I could do so. The brain is a marvelous organ, and I challenged mine to learn those things that had been forgotten.
Take a deep breath, relax and focus on what you seek to do better today.
Take care.
Amanda - I advocated for myself and got hooked up with a wonderful Speech Therapist, Stacey. I still call her on occasion as she was interested in the process of getting disability, etc. when I came home from hospital, I sounded like a robot, or I stuttered, or both and to try to find the words was exhausting! Stacey was extremely supportive reminding me I had not lost my words, I just needed to find a different route to get them. of the tricks she taught one was breathing, one was singing and as Laurie so eloquently stated - relaxing. I found this way of speaking that helps me with my words. It’s not the voice I had last year, but it’s a way to communicate.
I also remember the first time I had to sign my name, I had forgotten how to make the letters. I think it was the first time I became upset. My partner thought I didn’t know how to spell, but it was forming my name in writing. So I looked away and was able to write it. I allowed muscle memory to take over because I had signed my name thousands od times over the years. I am able to type better than write. It seems I can do these tasks better if I don’t think about it.
The most wonderful gift I was given and would like to pass on was a mandatory training at my job a week or two before my SAH. The brain can keep healing and learning no matter what our age is, it never stops. It is a muscle and as so many have suggested, you need to exercise it!
Keep positive!
I had surgery on the right side-frontal and lumbar area and a stroke in the same area. Math is my weakness. Hearing the written word may take a millisecond longer to register; when I watch TV I use closed caption; it helps when the words slip by and the words make up for that; also it helped me with spelling again.(I have a BS in Psychology and an M Ed). Dragon (words to text) helped me also to talk and write. I had no therapy-a bad memory and a 3 story house, living alone-well- I got things done so maybe just have patience. When you're tired, rest; sleep when you need to. 8 years later, I'm ok especially with skills I had ingrained before the surgery, like driving. It's weird but the Jewel Quest game really helped-of course the computer broke but I'll buy it again and start over and accomplish the levels more quickly I think. Suduoko-couldn't even frustrate myself with that one. Seems like speech is on the left and math on the right?
Above all, count your accomplishments, no matter how small, at bedtime instead of thinking of the things that need to be done but didn't get done. I was sooo tired and some days still am-BUT I'm closer to the point of "normal" every day.
Dear Amanda,
Keep it simple and basic.
Speak out loud. This engages your body and your brain. Say as many rhyming words as you can. Make categories: say as many fruits then animals then trees, capital cities etc as you can. Say them out loud, say them in a sing-song voice or chant them. Who cares ?
Say as many words that begin with ' A' as you can. Continue all the way through the alphabet.
If you remember a poem or a prayer say it. You might cry when you do this, don't worry.
If you remember only a part of the poem or song don't be concerned; just sing / say it.
While you are speaking / chanting/ singing out loud try pairing this memory and vocalization exercise with movement because we (stroke sufferers) need to re- connect the right and left side of our brains and bodies.
You can do any movement that "crosses the midline" of your body. For example, when I first got out of bed, I would stand in one place and simply swing my arms in front of me from side to side. You can trace an infinity sign (the figure 8 on it's side) in the air in front of you, you can do this lying down, sitting or standing. It will make you feel better.
If you can get to a park, swinging on the swing is very good. Singing / chanting while singing is good if you aren't too embarrassed. Maybe take a kid with you, they always want to sing and swing.
Swimming is really good for " crossing the midline" although not much swimming and singing happen at same time. But you need to get stronger anyway.
More word recall....Get a visual encyclopdia and look / say what you see out loud.
Read out loud.
Handwriting:
Get some big writing paper or a white board. Big pens. Write BIG. Write SLOWLY. Try switching hands. Write with the left hand and with the right hand. You won't be so judgmental of you penmanship :) Maybe you will want to switch for good.
Write the same word / sentence over and over.....till you like the way it looks.
Think of your handwriting as a drawing. You are learning to draw. Drawing is fun.
Gradually reduce size of paper and pen as you become better at drawing.
That's all for today Amanda......
My heart is with you,
Mary
Thank you so much. For the hints. I well try’s anything to help myself. Thank you for being so kind.
Amanda,
As you can see from the many responses, YOU are not alone. It is a nice thing to realize that others understand where you are coming from in dealing with an issue and can offer help. Doctors are wonderful in fixing what they can. However, I found that I am the one to whom falls the next steps in recovery.
Just keep in the back of your mind that YOU can do it!! Keep a positive frame of mind. That is so apparent within each of the emails sent to you that the person had this.