Can anyone remember where I left my hippopotamus?

[Soraya_PMR]

Except I don’t mean my hippopotamus (word finding difficulties anyone?) I mean my hippocampus. It appears to be saturated with pred, and steroid dementia is to the fore! Not a nice term, but there we are.

Last evening at my language lesson my ‘hippopotamus’ was really misbehaving. Word recall was appalling, then I got frustrated with myself, and half way through the 2 hours I could have sat and wept. (Frustration? PMR tiredness? Steroid lability?) whatever it is it ticks me off. So at the end of the lesson I tried to explain to my teacher how difficult I find things, how irritated I get, and how PMR and pred affect my cognitive function. But of course the words and sensible explanation eluded me. She asked if there is anything she can do to help, and I don’t think there is, it’s just me and my 2 ‘pals’.

I can lose my thread in English, concentration is poor, I lose words in the mists of my grey matter; I can lose the thread mid sentence; I am easily distracted and start to do something only to find that I’ve abandoned that and moved on to something unrelated. So in a foreign language these problems are doubled, and because that foreign language is Polish, it must be at least tripled!!! OMG is it a difficult tongue-twisting language!

Last night as I fought my tears down, I was on the edge of declaring. I can’t do this any more! But the cold light of day brings me back to the fact that I WANT to do it. It is interesting, and must be a good work out for my pathetic brain. So I have concluded that I MUST TRY HARDER.

Hints and tips anyone? General ‘get your brain to work’ ideas. I’m going to review my diet, and increase my fresh air and exercise.

I can find links to explanations about pred affecting cognitive function, but am at a loss for anything scientific (not anecdotal) for PMR ‘brain fog’. Anyone have any links? Then I can send these to my teacher, as I’m sure she thought I was quite bonkers with my attempted explanations last night.

Cheers lovely people.

[yogabonnie]

I loved this question. Written SO beautifully no indication of prednisone brain at all!!! Alas...I have no tips... I'm learning Swedish and am in the same prednisone brain boat. I think you answered your own question.. keep on keeping on! work! enjoy! I'm sure someone on this forum will have something more scientific. I admire you for even telling your teacher what you have. I hesitate to tell anyone since I have a terrible time explaining. I wish it were a quick explanation..but it seems to drag on and on and if I mention spoons.... well. hahahahaha

[Soraya_PMR in reply to yogabonnie]

Tack Bonnie! (With thanks to google translate! LOL)

Hearing that you are learning Swedish gives me hope! I was beginning to think I was asking too much of myself, but no, if YB can do it so can I

My teacher is lovely. She knows I have difficulty moving sometimes, knows I can’t always see the whiteboard, she adjusts for my porridge brain. Actually I now view her as a friend, and there is a two-way street of mutual confidences.

There’s another student in the class, an elderly gent, I’m guessing he must be nearly 80 and he has the manners of a previous generation, always stands to greet ladies. Anyway, he was a biochemist, spent his working life developing cardiac drugs. His dissertation (in the 50’s) was on these new fangled drugs...steroids! As he and I are always to the class early (unlike the youngsters arriving just in time!) we sit and have interesting conversations, he is quite surprised at all the side effects of steroids. He gets equally frustrated with his brain as he’s aged......and I can’t remember where I was going.....something about the silver linings of PMR?

[Hidden]

Soraya_PMR, I cannot even imagine what it must be like trying to learn a new language, especially now when, my hippopotamus is constantly misbehaving!!! I am in awe of YOU Soraya_PMR! (You too yogabonnie!) I can so relate to the being easily distracted, frustrated and the tears. Ohhh, the tears! Hang in there! You are doing GREAT! yogabonnie is right, your post was beautiful and eloquent, and your message came through loud and clear! Your hippopotamus must be in her teenage years... no worries, she'll mature! xxx

[Soraya_PMR in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. Your encouragement is welcomed.

My post was drafted 24 hours before, proofed and reproofed! I can do brilliant ‘double-dutch’. Understandable communication takes a bit more effort.

If my hippopotamus is a teenager, she needs to quit the all night parties, lay off the alcohol, and put her nose to the grindstone! (If we knew then what we know now.......we’d make all the same mistakes!!!)

[Hidden in reply to Soraya_PMR]

YES, we would indeed!!!!

[Estellemac in reply to Soraya_PMR]

My hippopotamus has gone on walkabout to find a purpose as certainly is not serving me at the moment. Biggest fear for me is senility. Parker doesn’t realise it’s the Pred just thinks it the change from working full time to idleitis. But some things are best left unsaid. We know it will pass it’s just the WHEN!!!

[Soraya_PMR in reply to Estellemac]

Somewhere in a boggy field is a group of hippopotamuses (hippopotami?) all looking for their brains.

Which leads to a google: “Hippos have numerous collective nouns, and a group of hippos is often referred to as a crash, bloat, herd, pod or dale.”... What wonderful given-names do they make for PMR hippos? Crash and Bloat were sploshing through the rivers of Africa...

Senility, yes, put it out of your mind. This is pred that has us muddled. I cared for FiL and MiL, both with Alz or dementia. There are differences, subtle but functional differences. I was reading an account yesterday of an elderly chap on steroids (can’t remember why, may have been PMR) anyway his cognition deteriorated severely, he was admitted to a locked ward, and given a dementia diagnosis. When his steroids ended his cognition returned (mostly) to the surprise of his doctors! I’ll see if I can refind the link.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Soraya_PMR]

I'll take money back...

It is known that steroids can cause mental changes similar to mania and dementia. So blowed if I know why they were surprised...

[Estellemac in reply to Soraya_PMR]

My Hippo is called Gordon. He didn’t liked being grouped with Crash or Bloat. Gave him a negative mind on body image. We need more tips such as what a swarm of hippos is called to keep the grey matter ticking over.

[SheffieldJane in reply to Estellemac]

If you are going to call your hippo Gordon then mine is Alan 😉

[Estellemac in reply to SheffieldJane]

Awww just remembered about Alan and Gordon being Besties. I must have had his name in my head (not much else obviously) when I replied. I am pleased your Hippo is Alan I bet he's looking for Gordon now in the big boggy field where all Hippocampussys go. They wander aimlessly thinking about how the dishwasher fills up with pots and puts them away whilst ignoring other beings in their vicinity.

.

[Soraya_PMR in reply to Soraya_PMR]

Found it

m.steroids-australia.net/st...

[SheffieldJane in reply to Soraya_PMR]

Gosh! I could get away with so much more!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Soraya_PMR]

I've seen that before - why on earth would anyone CHOOSE to take 100mg/day for up to 3 months??????????????????????????????????????????

[Soraya_PMR in reply to PMRpro]

I can only assume that he had steroid confusion? And he lacked capacity at that time.

But did his Dr really prescribe/issue 9 GRAMS of steroid? (Unless this ‘intelligent, cultured’ man had private access....Doctor???)

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Soraya_PMR]

Apparently you can just buy it in Mexico...

[Soraya_PMR in reply to PMRpro]

More about Mr K, who loved the effects (euphoria) of steroids!

n.neurology.org/content/64/...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Soraya_PMR]

I'll pass - too mean to pay...

[Soraya_PMR in reply to PMRpro]

Well blow me down with a feather! I just read the entire article and didn’t pay a bean. Now can’t get it back. Have closed window so can’t C&P.

He was something in the clothing trade, business man, his own company. Lived in NY. Was hospitalised initially on a visit to Paris, where he was very grandiose and blew loads of money on art. He was accompanied back to NY where he got the dementia/Alz/Lewy body differential diagnoses. His pred was reduced to 10, then 3, then they d/c him but with an increase in pred (not explained) and within 6 weeks he was in a locked unit having attacked his wife. Upon discontinuation of pred (a year later) he returned to almost normal cognition, with some hippocampus associated losses. I think it was 11 months post pred that retesting showed he was basically back to normal.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Soraya_PMR]

How bizarre!

[Rose54]

Hi

I have my own foreign language every day

my son who is dyslexic is the only one that can read between the lines of what i say and what i meant to say.

We have a good laugh about it on our own but it is embarrassing when at work

I was referring a client to Gingerbread yesterday when it was meant to be Jigsaw can only think it was due to associating children with Christmas .Gingerbread and Xmas .

Did realize what i said but it was too late by then

[Soraya_PMR]

I love the Gingerbread/Jigsaw mix up, and so understandable. It’s one of those ‘almost but not quite’ irritations. I’m so glad I’m no longer working, I think I’d be a liability.

Interesting re the dyslexia. My OH and oldest son have a type of dyslexia. OH also should be left handed but was forced into right handedness as a child. I think this compounded his issues, and he can talk utter backwards garbage. After 35 years I understand his nonsense. Such as ‘plank as two short thicks’ and ‘par cark’.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

As a bilingual person since my children were small I can tell you that classes are absolutely the hardest way to learn a language. They are good for learning the basic rules - but for actually speaking it, hopeless. I did Italian classes for ages - got nowhere fast (and although I probably had PMR I wasn't on pred!). Here makes it relativly easy to understand - most things are in both German (fluent) and Italian (far from it). I can understand loads to read and hear - but speaking is a nightmare, even when I have planned the sentence in advance and spontaneous responses are so frustrating especially when the moment is past and suddenly all the words are there.

Is there Polish TV available on satellite? Do you know any local Poles? In Germany we had the German TV on and listened, especially to the news where you can get a fair idea of what is being spoken about from the background pictures (doesn't work for Italian, their TV is almost all bunga-bunga style with tits and bums). That sort of immersion is good. Just regularly sitting and listening gets a sort of ambience in your brain. After 4 or 5 months living in Germany and doing VERY basic classes 2x weekly, shopping and watching TV I could have a bilingual converstaion - they spoke German, I spoke English. two months later I out together a whole German sentence that made sense. It isn't as bad as Polish but the grammar is something else too! I didn't have a great deal of contact with German-speakers so it was a bit like you have now with Polish. Suddenly you turn a corner and it makes sense...

[Soraya_PMR in reply to PMRpro]

You are right of course. Immersion is the best way.

Polish TV, it’s a thought I had a while back, then forgot! Thanks for reminder, will see what I can do.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Soraya_PMR]

And of course - these days, all you need is decent internet. We get UK terrestrial via FilmOn.

[karools16]

I agree classes are the hardest way to learn a language. In my early 20's, I was an au pair, to an American family, in France. Everyday, I went to the Alliance Francaise, for 2 hours French. I wanted to learn things like, 'where's the Metro?', or,' I want a loaf of bread,' etc. Instead, Madame taught us that the sky is blue. That has stuck with me, all these years.

I have wanted to learn Polish, as there's a big Polish community in Norfolk.

With an English Father and Afrikaans Mother, we were bilingual from the cradle.