The Dino-Aspie Ex-Café (for Those 40+... or feeling creaky)

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Happy 800 to all!! !

Please forgive me, I hope my writing this does not cause you alarm. I am not a physician, only a pharmacist, so I may be wrong, and probably am. She needs to have a neurological examination - preferably by a neurologist. It's possible that she has a cerebellar lesion, on the left side. This sounds like ataxia: awkwardness of posture and gait; tendency to fall to the same side as the cerebellar lesion. If it is a cerebellar lesion, she will also move with clumsiness when she is trying to reach for an object (may overshoot an object when she reaches for it with her left hand, for example). Her speech could also be affected due to awkward use of speech muscles on the left side (the words may have irregularly spaced sounds). There could also be decreased tendon reflexes on her left side if she has a cerebellar lesion on the left side. She may also exhibit asthenia (easily tired muscles) on that side. Watch her left hand - when she tries to do something purposeful with it does it have a fine tremor? (Another sign of cerebellar lesion).

This does not sound like a disorder of the basal ganglia (the globus pallidus, putamen, claustrum, caudate nucleus, or amygdala) where you see meaningless unintentional movements of the body arms, hands and legs that occur unexpectedly (such as flailing).

One thing you could check: ask her to tap her right fingers on a table. Then ask her to tap her left fingers on a table. Then ask her to rapidly alternate finger tapping with her left and right fingers. Does she have trouble moving her left hand either time or both times (alone or alternating, as compared with the right hand alone)? Dysdiadochokinesia (inability to perform rapidly alternating movements) is a positive sign for cerebellar lesion.

If her awkwardness is below the left arm, and only involves the left leg, she may have a lesion in the spinal cord below the arm on the right side of the spinal cord.

Either way, it would be a good idea to have her evaluated by a neurologist. I hope this helps.
(Oh, and her lifelong sensitivity to bright lights and loud noises - autism perhaps?)
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As for yourself, continue your diligent exercise (good for you!! ! ), practice improving your coordination by dancing, doing martial arts, yoga, tai chi, moving your body through water, standing on unstable surfaces such as sand, etc. Lift weights while standing only on one foot, or while standing on a rolled up towel. Juggle. Try to develop skill in drawing with both hands - or writing with both hands. Change your body position several times a day - including a head hanging down posture (if only off the edge of a bed). The human body was built for climbing and functions best when it is subjected to lots of movement and frequent body position changes. The lymph in your legs only drain well when they are in a position above the level of your heart. If you have to get up to pee a gallon of urine an hour after lying down, it's because your legs were not allowed to drain all day. Raise the legs above the level of your heart at least 3 times a day for 5 to 10 minutes, and you'll have less end-of-day feet/ankle/calf swelling, and less "tired legs". All of this will assist delivery of fresh oxygenated nutrient-transporting blood to all parts of your body, including your nerves and brain, and assist the removal of wastes. Never forget - you are an animal - not a plant!! ! ***GROWL!!*** Move and act like one!

Try to do activities that develop neural speed - such as playing video games. Rapid math equation solving. Batting around dead mice.

Eat omega-3's (5 or six almonds a day, cold-water fish at least twice a week). Get antioxidants daily through berries - blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries. Include red grapes, red peppers, broccoli/cauliflower, (and spinach - at least once a week, as it contains a chemical not found elsewhere[as yet] that prevents Alzheimer's).

De-stress. Spend time doing things that you enjoy doing. Laugh a lot. Sleep well. Eat healthy food and drink water. (At, least, as much as is possible, within your own time constraints and life situation). Take time out for yourself.

Take care!
(Says Chuck, who feels spring approaching, and cannot sleep... )

Last edited by Chuck on 26 Feb 2008, 11:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Hi, Hartz. Sending peaceful, serene thoughts your way. Take special care of yourself.

AHA!! CHUCK!! !! I thought of you when I saw this video. I think you'll get a kick out of it. The moose sure seems to be.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa_0-O8WSOU[/youtube]

Hey Lauri! Hey Hartz! Hey Lau!

The only point in being a genius is that it's fun.
- life as lived by Lau

Last edited by Chuck on 26 Feb 2008, 11:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Thank you, Lauri. The thing about CFIDS, is that I don't have much choice in the matter of taking care of myself, ironically. If I try to do anything, my body refuses to cooperate. Thanks for the thoughts.

The point of mooseball seems to be to score by kicking, nosing, or antlering (or any combination the the above) the ball into a shrubbery, followed by several "victory dances" and "strutting of stuff". Better than any other sport I've seen, I must admit. Except Australia rules football, which makes no sense to me at all.

I know, that's how it is with Crohn's disease, as well. I have no control over when or how it's going to hit. Be gentle with yourself was more what I meant to say, there's not much else we can do when we have no control over our bodies. Let all of the other worries be on hold for a day or two.

hello Joan!
Welcome to us! You did the right thing by coming out and asking, and we love to ramble on about what we think is going on based on our expeience and courage. Just the other day I somewhat suddenly realized why other people say "Oh! are you OK??" when I stumble or lurch into something ( and I just recover and run on like nothing happened) is because THEY DON'T stumble often and they are not used to having it just be a part of life . . like breathing!

I have a friend that had poliomylitis as a child. He 'grew out' of it as a young adult and adult but as he aged ( into his 50's and 60's) he started dragging around that side of him that had been affected by the polio and into his late 60's uses a brace and a cane.
Perhaps it is age? I know all the bumps and hard knocks I have put a hitch in my get-along.

Merle

i want to be on page 800 too ...

Missed p 800

Oh no I didn't!

I love this! "I am not a mouse potato! I am an animal!"

You know you're alive when there is a cracker of a thunderstorm going on, you are drenched from head to toe with water that started off as ice up in the stratosphere, and you're up to the elbows clearing leaves out of a storm drain to avert yet another flood in your garage. Damn but I love this country! "Drought"? Ya coulda fooled me!

Did I make the 800th page? (later) Aw, nuts, I just missed it...

The attitudes expressed here sound amusingly familiar...

801 pages of pure delight topic

But Deaconblues, you were the 12000th poster here!

Maintenant, c'est un fait accompli, non?

Magnifique!

Thanks for sharing The Onion...it made me cry(because I was laughing so hard)