Does anyone have Ataxia as a result of the rupture? I do and need some tips. It’s very hard to write and I can’t carry things such as plates, cups, etc. It’s a real problem because it’s my dominant hand. Any suggestions would help.
Chris, do you belong to our ataxia community? There is a link to it in the communities list in the right hand column. I think you could pick up a lot of tips there, though I hope members here will also have some for you. South Padre Island -- is it lovely? I always wanted to go, and I had a birding trip scheduled there once, but had to cancel because of extreme morning sickness. 16 years later, and I still haven't made it there yet.
Yes. Many of the people from that group have Fredricks Ataxia but this is acquired from the surgery. I was hoping to hear from people who have aquired it from the surgery.
My son who is now 28 does. Beside medications which are limited, we use larger writing pencils or gripped pens. Putting a weight around your wrist will help control the shaking.
I had some symptoms after my SAH 4-1/2 years ago, and although they still crop up here and there (if I'm tired, etc), my work-arounds are mostly effective. I had a very hard time slowing down my hand when writing, and I couldn't keep from pushing down really hard on the pen; sounds kinda silly, but that's what it was like. I'd have to use ALL my mental power if I wanted anything to be legible. I found that if I could get myself to go slowly enough to form each letter one at a time - thinking about the letters as opposed to the entire word - my pen would no longer push down so hard, and I eventually regained some fluidity in my penmanship (unless I'm stressed...). So today, after practicing to slow down until it felt normal, it's more natural for me to write slower, and hence, more legibly. The even bigger work-around has been using electronic devices/keyboards :-D
Another symptom I had more strongly at the beginning was dropping things, or running into walls and doorways when I was carrying things in both hands. It seems as if when each hand has it's own task, there's no room in my brain's processor to address the need to get through a doorway. Often, if I'd successfully navigated the house with different objects in each hand, I would screw up the part where you put the objects down - I'd let go of a glass, for example, before I got close enough to the table, or set it on the edge of the table so it fell when I let go, or command my left hand to let go and the right one does it. Crazy stupid stuff that others can manage subconsciously. So whenever I'm confronted with a choice between risking carrying too much or making multiple trips, I consciously think of what considerations need to be taken into account, to determine if I can pull it off. For example, I can carry a glass of water in one hand, and a stack of mail in the other, and traverse from the living room to the kitchen, but I might have to think twice about using the stairs. Using stairs requires more concentration for me, I guess because it requires horizontal motion simultaneously with vertical. Quite a few of my work-around rules involve the stairs, like "do not try to do anything with clothing while using the stairs - no pulling a sweater over my head, tugging on anything, no pulling on my pants at the top of the stairs, etc."
It can be emotionally upsetting to find yourself literally retarded in some of the simplest functions you took for granted before, and I found that can sometimes make me lonely. I don't know how long it's been for you, but my experience is you get accustomed to the new way of being, your work-arounds become a normal part of your life, and by recognizing your weaknesses, you can forgive yourself more easily when you find yourself doing something "stupid".
Hope this is helpful!
Sometimes I list when I walk. It is getting better and is much better if I am not overtired. I usually go to the right. My SAH was on the left. Luckily my Neurosurgeon understood my choice of words “listing” as she had been in the Navy. Most others don’t, and I can’t think of another word. I also had problems with writing for about 8 months. I’ve been doing Zentangle, Pyrography, wood carving, and practicing signing my name, writing lists, anything for the fine motor coordination to improve. Sometimes depending on fatigue, I have to keep both hands on an object to hold it, but end up running into a doorway. When I’m out and about, I keep someone I trust to my right. That way if I bump into them, they nudge me back or grab my arm or hold hands which all seem to help. Doesn’t help that I’ve lost some vision in the right eye so I can’t see things next to me up to a certain angle. Lol. Stairs are difficult for me as well, I think it’s going down that is more difficult. So I hold on to the rail. I have to watch my feet and give my brain time to adjust to the step. I can fake it better now than I used to. Our dog will stay just in my line of sight so it helps me to know when the next step is coming. I don’t know what it is, but she seems to know where she is needed. I tend to treat my brain as a muscle, and try to do something each day to work it with my fine motor skills.
Yes, going down stairs is much more challenging than going up. I can't tell if there's a difference in depth perception (I don't trust mine), or if the consequences of falling just matter so much more going down than going up :-)
Moltroub said:
Sometimes I list when I walk. It is getting better and is much better if I am not overtired. I usually go to the right. My SAH was on the left. Luckily my Neurosurgeon understood my choice of words "listing" as she had been in the Navy. Most others don't, and I can't think of another word. I also had problems with writing for about 8 months. I've been doing Zentangle, Pyrography, wood carving, and practicing signing my name, writing lists, anything for the fine motor coordination to improve. Sometimes depending on fatigue, I have to keep both hands on an object to hold it, but end up running into a doorway. When I'm out and about, I keep someone I trust to my right. That way if I bump into them, they nudge me back or grab my arm or hold hands which all seem to help. Doesn't help that I've lost some vision in the right eye so I can't see things next to me up to a certain angle. Lol. Stairs are difficult for me as well, I think it's going down that is more difficult. So I hold on to the rail. I have to watch my feet and give my brain time to adjust to the step. I can fake it better now than I used to. Our dog will stay just in my line of sight so it helps me to know when the next step is coming. I don't know what it is, but she seems to know where she is needed. I tend to treat my brain as a muscle, and try to do something each day to work it with my fine motor skills.
I will try all your suggestions, thanks. I guess it will never stop I just have to figure out work rounds?
That’s it Chris, we all just have to look at these things as a puzzle. And it is far easier to go around than try to plow through!
Anna v. You are so right! It’s the depth perception, throws me for a loop! Ended up with several stitches in my right arm when I collided with a nail that had worked out of the metal door flashing about 1/8". I was studying so hard on carrying an object, I just rammed my arm right into it! I learned to stay well to the left so it gives me more leeway to list to the right. Oh and I went around this old house and drove all the nails home. Things are not always where my eyes see them. lol