Do any E folks here have any idea what this means?

[Harper1]

Hello everyone,

This is a minor thing, but I’m curious if any of you would care to speculate as to what this might mean:

I was re-teaching my young son (in recovery) how to trace a “7” a few days ago, and he repeatedly drew it backwards, starting at the bottom, going up, then making the top line to the left, instead of the opposite way, which is how most people would draw a 7, and how he learned to do it before he got encephalitis. He seemed unable to print it out the standard way, though he was trying his best.

Did other E patients out there have trouble writing/printing again during recovery? Did your signature and characteristic writing style change because you had to re-learn this skill?

I wish I had more insight into the changes in his brain so I could better help him. A rewiring is clearly happening…

[Hertshubby]

Have you tried getting him to use a mirror while he’s writing. My husband could make more sense of things if he looked in the mirror while doing things

[Harper1 in reply to Hertshubby]

No, I haven’t. Good idea. I will give it a try!

[Hertshubby in reply to Harper1]

Let us know if it works

[kitnkaboodle]

Hey, Harper. I don’t know exactly what that means neurologically (it probably has to do with which parts of his brain were inflamed and injured). But I do know that I did that for a while as a kid (without E) and figured it out eventually. I even went on to get a master’s degree haha

I also couldn’t write (well) out of hospital for months. Even now, my writing and signature are a bit different and very quickly regress to be nearly illegible when I’m fatigued. I still make spelling errors that I never would have made pre-E; my brain is convinced that “vacuum” is spelled with two ‘c’s.

You can ask your son’s neurologist, but I really wouldn’t worry. You can also rest assured that you’re doing everything you can to support your son’s recovery, and that his brain just needs lots of time and will probably set it all right in the end. You’re a great mom to be so diligent and caring about all this. Maybe you can cozy up with him and read to him (for as long as he will stay still). Reading has helped my cognitive recovery more than OT ever did.

Take care,

Kit

[Harper1]

Hi Kit. 🙂

That is all very interesting. I really appreciate hearing from adults with E on this board, who can articulate their recovery experiences in a way my 6 yr old can’t.

It seems that the fatigue factor is just huge for patients with ABI. Most people can muddle through with tasks when they’re tired, but not the brain-injured. I’m learning it’s really best to just stop for the day when my son is mentally fatigued.

We do a lot of reading! Back in the Before-Times (pre-Covid, and pre-encephalitis), I used to be a college English instructor. Reading is possibly my favorite part of parenting. (Toilet-training, not so much.)

[kitnkaboodle in reply to Harper1]

Happy to help, Harper1 !

Yes, fatigue absolutely masks any true brain damage or cognitive deficits. A few months out of hospital (probably when my brain was still a bit inflamed), I failed neuropsychology testing--all of it. It's difficult to answer those questions when one's head is on the table and eyes are closed haha!

Aww that is awesome you two read together! 🤓 Take everything slowly, and you'll see the progress over the months and years. He (and your fam) will be okay 💙

Take care,

Kit

[Paula-38]

Hi Harper1,

No I haven't experienced pre encephalitis I'm afraid because it was the day after my 1st birthday when I had it , so fortunately I never had to re-learn anything.

However I feel so sorry to hear about your poor son and others who have experienced this as an after effect. I'm left handed so I draw my lines to the left like hyphens, cross my 't's but I never put the cross on 7's though I draw them the correct way but there again not everyone does. I wonder if your so isn left handed or not? I take after my mum and she didn't cross her' 7's either. I just put my hand on the line below so I don't smudge what I have written, this is why I'm no good at drawing/painting.

[Harper1 in reply to Paula-38]

No, he’s not left handed.

[Paula-38 in reply to Harper1]

Ok. Try to be patient with him and I hope with time he will slowly improve. Keep trying different ways of writing until he finds a method that works for him and it feels comfortable. I second what kitnkaboodle says try looking in the mirror while he is writing! it's awesome that you both read together! You could both try writing together, I wonder if that would help? When I was at school, a girl there had cerebral palsy she couldn't hold a pen/ write like any of the rest of us because her coordination was really bad so when she was old enough her parents bought her a typewriter that she used for her schoolwork, it was much bigger than our writing difficult to comprehend what she wrote. Mind you she was in a special needs school who catered for these similar problems to what your son may or may not be experiencing. I have mixed with so many people with allsorts of disabilities even though I wasn't referred to as disabled. What type of school does your son attend?

Paula-38

[Harper1 in reply to Paula-38]

Apologies for the late reply. We're packing here for a big cross-country move, and I'm a bit distracted. My son is not in school now, but will be attending kindergarten in September. This will be his second time attempting kindergarten--he was only in a few weeks last year before he was hospitalized with E, then on a loooong medical leave. I'm anxious about how it will go, and assume he will need some modifications, and might end up in Special Ed. We're going to play it by ear. He's definitely not at kindergarten level yet, unfortunately, though he's recovered A LOT this year (we're on about Month 10 of recovery).

[Paula-38 in reply to Harper1]

I can definitely relate to changing schools a couple of times when I was 5, in fact I went to a mainstream first, then because I fell off a climbing frame and banged my head I was knocked unconscious the school blamed my epilepsy but it was only if I had a fever or I picked something up that would trigger them off. However I was fine when I went into school because my Mum wouldn't have sent me in if I was ill.

Consesequently I was hospitalized, for a fortnight and the paediatrician said I shouldn't have been there and informed my parents to take me away from there and suggested special needs, so they took me away from there but while I was waiting for special education I went to another mainstream school. I loved both of them I was quite capable of doing the mainstream work and the other kids were better to get on with than the third school which was special needs all within the same year (I was 5 and I was four years post encephalitis) so I was in kindergarten three times. The other children I ended up mixing with had bad behavioural problems resulted in daily bullying for me. I sincerely hope that if your son does start special education in September, that he doesn't mix with the type of children I had been mixing with, but I suppose that's a catch-22. They gave me the same work as the others who had allsorts of learning disabilities I felt like I was in kindergarten till I was about 10 I couldn't wait to get away from there. Although your son may be able to do the work they give everyone who is in special needs. I hope the schooling system has changed since then and I'm wishing your son the best of luck!

Paula -38

[Gandalf2 in reply to Paula-38]

When I was a Technology teacher a member of the school management tried to bully me into taking a girl who suffered epilepsy into the workshops where she would be using industrial machinery and surrounded by hard objects and unfamiliar sounds (with no extra training for me of course). When I refused I was frowned upon and found my subject finances reduced. The bullying worked at several levels. I just tried to act in her best interests - I hope she survived being a mascot of 'integration' that was all she really was.

[Gandalf2]

I have heard of something similar where a patient drew a clock face in reverse. A surgical procedure reconnected the two halves of the brain in reverse and the problem was solved. I don't have the story but you could try a search. I'm not a neurologist and may be confusing this effect with another. Good Luck.

All sorts of odd effects occur with me - like rhyming parts of sentences - something which often entrances young ladies at dances. Unfortunately it doesn't improve my chances, nor do my attempts at prances.

[Harper1 in reply to Gandalf2]

Again, excuse the late reply, Gandalf--I've been sidetracked by our upcoming move! I know Susannah Cahalan, the author of the memoir Brain on Fire, drew a clock face with numbers 1-12 all smushed together on one half of the clock, which somehow helped her doctor discover that her issues were neurological, eventually leading to her AE diagnosis.

Ha, if only my son was speaking in rhyme. I'd be happy to see any greater speaking fluency on his part, period. His speech is much better than it was 9 months ago, but still pretty primitive for a 6 year old. At least there's progress.

[Gandalf2]

He may have a gift you don't know about yet. Try all sorts of stimuli. Sound may work.

[Gandalf2]

What happens when he tries to draw a backward 7? Does it turn out the right way?

[Harper1 in reply to Gandalf2]

Yes. More or less.

[Wygella]

I’m late to this party. Sorry. Like you lots going on. When I first came out of hospital I was writing (badly) left handed en though I’m right handed. That went after about a month but my writing has definitely changed although it’s fine again now but I do have to concentrate more. Mind you as someone said maybe your son has discovered a new gift.

I hope you’re settling down now after moving. That’s definitely not easy!