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Yes and if you are working and having any issues completing your work you need to demand one from your MS specialist neurologist (if you are lucky enough to have one of those). If you are needing to-do lists or stickies everywhere, consistently having to work longer than your coworkers, forgetting what you were doing after any interruptions, stress freaking you out, anxiety building hourly, only working and no other activities, being grumpy and mad with quickly lowering self esteem as you try to hide what's happening from yourself. These are all signs that your brain is being affected. It accumulates and can hit you hard if you are in denial that it's your MS that is affecting your brain. Remember these time sucking ways are not something that any of your coworkers deal with. Thats why it takes you so much longer to complete tasks, geeze even to try to win playing games that require brain speed. You say to yourself oh I have been tired or sick. Nope your brain is being affected by something they call Smoldering Neuroinflamation. Get the assessment and don't let it make you feel stupid. My MS neuro told me he can't even finish the test with a passing grade. If you are working you need that baseline in case you get fired for not being able to do your job in the required time frame. Let them fire you and go on your companies short and long term disability or Social Security Disability. Please don't do what I did. I worked 27 years in pharmaceutical research and was in total denial of my MS for the last 11 years because I only dealt with the physical issues not really knowing about the brain accumulating inflamation and shrinking. Stress and body pain, double vision, not being able to lift my arms to type, would make my brain shut down and I would get vertigo, my computer screen would spin, start to vomit violently and fall asleep for 4 or 5 hours. That was how my career ended. For 27 years I had full insurance, short and long term disability but due to my denial and embarrassment (yeah embarrassed that I have a disease that took my ability to even talk to my colleagues, some that I had known for over 20 years. Is that ridiculous or what???) please dont let it happen to you. Talk to your doctor and if you have short and long term disability start talking about it with your doctor and work with them to see if you need to consider leaving the workforce. Be in control instead of a scared mess that couldnt even explain whats wrong cuz there is so much to report and my short term memory is non exitent. One final really important thing...MS gereally does not affect a persons intelligence. Its your brain speed, word recall and stuff like that. My long term memories are locked in. Don't be scared, be in control. Afterall you are the bad ass Warrior in your story 🧡🧡🧡
@A MyMSTeam Member Thank You So much for your posted info! I'm sorry that happened for you, but sharing it is Great for others still working! Healing Hugs for you my friend!
ALL Warriors still working Need to Read Clare5's post above!!
Early in my MS history l had trouble coping with symptoms. I was tested and my intelligence remaick out Dned good but l was experiencing disorganized thinking, remembering words and confusion. It didn't last long and everything cleared up. I learned to take notes to keep me track, it was a suggestion by my neurologist. Check out YouTube for other tips and trips by Dr. Alan Boster, a neurologist out of Ohio. Take care
@A MyMSTeam Member My testing results are influenced by my biorhythms.
Over the summer, I had the great fortune of working with a brilliant UK brain injury therapist in a group course with other BI survivors. As well as receiving a bit of one-to-one support while simultaneously participating in a vestibular device study.
During that time, I learned that those with a brain injury don't experience a fully recharged battery upon waking. Which tracks for me as I function more harmoniously once I've had a couple of hours to slow integrate towards/welcome in the day.
I also learned of the many pathways to brain injury. A good deal of which I was already aware of, having had them more clearly identified to me over the last decade... and plenty of others that I'd had little or no clue of the connections to.
As I gained the tools to more effectively identify, track, and support my patterns, I began to recognize a repetitive experience of what I've come to refer to as sundowner's takes effect between 3 and 7.
As my brain is just absolute mush by then.
When increased struggles with focus, critical thinking, discernment, tactfulness, boundaries, et al. start to present.
A pattern which has been quietly growing stronger in the background, over the last couple of years.
Amidst these experiences, I am also aware of how much short term information I am now capable of forgetting. Huge swaths of the day. At times, just minutes and hours after the fact.
Yet I also deal with long term memory dropouts. Big chunks suddenly go missing and I have to accept that they may or might not return.
What's interesting is that the more I learn to allow these sweet parts of self to ebb and flow... and just focus my energy on doing my loving best to show up to these moments with presence, care, and non-judgment... what feels forever-lost to time, circles back around when I truly need it.
I know my cognitive skills are at lowest at waking and until 1 or 2 hours after waking. Language is deteriorating if need to be in conversation. Early evening my fluency returns to baseline. My writing skills do not wane and I am writing this shortly after waking. Warming up for tasks was something I discussed with my first neurologist, 30 years ago. I rely on his wisdom/knowledge every day.
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