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can't do math or see upclose anymore.....

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Posted 5/30/2006 5:20 AM (GMT 0)
Any ideas? I'm not sure if I should be worried....I know my liver was acting up a few weeks ago, still is, but not as bad....I'm closing in on 36....I'm 2 months into my job working with computers ....here's the deal  - these things all started about the time or soon after my liver really acted up:

I suddenly cannot see up close. It's been a few weeks. I just saw an opthamologist in February and was fine, didn't need reading glasses, but now I have the hardest time seeing up close - I have to pull everything away to read. I had to pull out old reading glasses (I USED to wear them, but "grew out of it" a few years ago - go figure) just to play Operation with my kids! Is it because I'm on the computer more often?

Suddenly, I can't do math, simple addition. I have had the hardest time balancing my checkbook this month and have made NUMEROS mistakes...stupid ones and the same mistake when I re-check my work. I couldn't calculate a few simple prices at the grocery store this weekend. It's actually kind of scary.

So, is 35 not too young to start loosing your reading vision? Can your liver affect your eyesight? I know it gives me massive brain fog, but my sight? Is that why I suddenly am a total dolt when it comes to simple addition?  Or could it just be my eyes are tired from working now and my brain is too focused on getting back on the career thing (which doesn't include math?) and I'm too stupid to concentrate on more than one thing? Alzheimer's runs in the family and since I've been the freak in the family to get all sorts of illnesses early that don't run in the family (like rhuematism as a child) I just wonder if this is some warning sign from my body....or even just from my liver.....

What do you think?

-one totally confused mama

Posted 5/30/2006 1:51 PM (GMT 0)
CaMama,
I'm the lyme disease forum moderator and I just happened to notice your post on the forums home page. I really don't know much about arthritis, so your symptoms could all be related to something I don't know about, but they do sound an awful lot like lyme disease too. Have you ever considered that? Besides physical problems, it can cause vision problems and major cognitive problems (trouble concentrating, lowered ability to focus or figure things out, "brain fog," etc.). Just a thought... If this sounds at all feasible, you might want to check out the lyme forum.
I hope you figure out an answer soon!
Posted 5/30/2006 1:57 PM (GMT 0)

Hi camama,  I had typed in a response to your post earlier, but it apparently didn't go through.

I am nearsighted, but have been having difficulty reading up close for about 3 years now.  I'm 38, so my problems also started at 35.  I went to an opthamologist on Friday because of the plaquenil my rheumy just started me on, and I remember being very excited that the magazines in the waiting room were all in large print!  I thought to myself, jeez, I must be getting old to get so excited about that :) 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are currently taking plaquenil, aren't you?  If this is a recent problem, be sure to follow up with your opthamologist (if you haven't already) just to rule out any effects the plaquenil may have caused. 

Don't know about the brain fog thing, but I can certainly empathize with you as I've had issues with that in the past.  It appears that I'm much sharper and on top of things since I've been on the enbrel, so perhaps my brain fog thing related more to fatigue than anything else.  Keep an eye on it, and make sure you talk to you rheumy about it.

Elcamino

Posted 5/30/2006 3:15 PM (GMT 0)

Mama:

I am 36 years old (almost 37) Had dementia two years ago.  They gave me two years to live because they thought it was Alzheimer's and my kids were taken away.  Needless to say, it wasn't Alzheimer's.  I have been having transient ischemic attacks (TIAs).  Lost 80% of my memory (brain damage to my left temporal lobe and subcortical regions). I couldn't do math and had problems speaking. Confusion, migraines and dizzy like symptoms preceded the onset also.  Anyway, a year and a half later I kept losing my vision for a second or two.  I went to an eye doctor and was told I lost my peripherial vision and that I had a blood clot.  Eventually, they figured out that I was having mini-strokes or TIAs. I am not saying this is the case for you, however, you may want to have this possibility checked out.  After this diagnosis, the found out I had Lupus and finally seriously tested me for this.  I have had problems with my other organs prior to this and since this diagnosis.  Even now, they still aren't sure if this is the correct connective tissue diagnosis because I now have skin and joint involvement that may correspond more to a mixed tissue or overlap disease.

How severe is your liver?  Mine just swells and is sore.  Same with the spleen.  But thankfully nothing major yet.  The liver inflammation was one of the first symptoms but no one ever attributed my mental fog, etc. to the liver.  Have you talked to the rheumy?  You may request that you follow-up with a neurologist or a neuropsychologist.  These are the two who helped me with this issue.  Best of luck - Kris

Posted 5/31/2006 1:52 AM (GMT 0)
hi CA Mama, i am no doctor but i am a COTA who works with the visually impaired. nearsightedness really has no age boundries just tends to appear with our aging and changing bodies. usually it is all about the shape of our eyes and how light refracts for us to see near or far. with that said i am however also concerned about the math issues. CNSKris was corect is questioning TIA's, which are often mini and offer little attention until the simple things get difficult. i would let my doctor know about the math issues for certain. as far as the liver part goes i am not familiar with that to advise.
i wish you luck in finding out what is going on. keep u my prayers ~*yalinda
Posted 5/31/2006 1:59 AM (GMT 0)

Thanks everyone for replying, though some of this sounds so scary!

I did go to the opthamologist in Feb for Plaquenil. I think I will call him tomorrow and see what he says - I'm not supposed to return until October, I think. The bummer is, I have to pay $25 co pay to see him when I have a free vision care visit still coming to me this year, but I have to see an optomitrist for that...I wonder if I could see him for starters....probably not smart, I guess. My opthamologist said he has never seen a patient w/probs from plaquenil - but I have (unfortunately) surprised and stumped doctors before.

My last check for Lyme's was definitely 4 years ago and I may have been checked as recently in the last 2 years.  I guess I can have them check again. I finally made the switch to the clinic near my home and see the new rhuemy next Tuesday. I wll talk to him then about these issues and my Lupus concerns. Since my last rhuemy "tossed my file" (i haven't seen him since then, I think) I don't know if the new guy will have all my recent lab results (same practice, differnt clinic.)

Kris, what a horrible story - I'm intrigued to hear more. How did you get demetia? How did you get through it? Did you get your kids back? Is your memory back?  My liver and spleen have not been the same since an acute case of Mono/EBV 3 years ago (I was taking methotrexate at the time which didn't help.) It flares, enzymes go high, I have painful reactions and get very foggy in the brain, so tired I feel like I have mono again, constant naseua (I can't spell that word), etc. It affects my sugar now as well. I've put on a LOT of weight and that compounds the problem. Loosing weight is extremely difficult because with all that has happened, my metabolism is messed up - the doc wants me to start a super strict plan, and I think the writing on the wall is telling me to get on it NOW before I regret it even more. sad

**

Posted 5/31/2006 3:46 AM (GMT 0)
WHat is COTA?

What, if anything, causes TIA's? Can they be prevented? Are there other things I should look for? Is there something that triggers it?

***

Posted 5/31/2006 4:25 PM (GMT 0)
hi ca mama basically cota is certified occupational therapy assistant which is my past degree or better know in the world as OT verses PT i do not practice OT any longer but work as a rehab teacher for the visually impaired now.
transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) is a sudden, focal neurologic deficit that lasts for less than 24 hours, is presumed to be of vascular origin, and is confined to an area of the brain or eye perfused by a specific artery. Typical symptoms include hemiparesis, hemiparesthesia, dysarthria, dysphasia, diplopia, circumoral numbness, imbalance, and monocular blindness. TIAs are often referred to as ministrokes, but with that said i am not implying that is what you have. i would talk to your doctor about what is happening to you. i amnot familiar with the meds you are on and side effects so my advice would be to ask rather then ignore the changes you are experienceing. i do not know ifthe math is cognitive or focal mistakes. if you are adding wrong due to vision? or cognition? either way check it out and i hope for the best which would be joining me in bi focals of american mid age for reading ugh club!
Posted 5/31/2006 6:03 PM (GMT 0)

CaMama: 

 Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.  I just wanted to make sure you relay all your symptoms to your doctor.  For 8 years prior to having the dementia, I had symptoms of hemipeligia, hemiparestesia and imbalance along with severe migraines.  The dementia, doctors believe, was caused from a small stroke.  Got through it like everything else - kept active, kept challanging myself and took everything one day at a time.  I am naturally like that so even though I didn't know much about what was going on around me, my true personality pushed me through.  I did get my daughter back, however, my son still lives with his father.  Almost all of my memory came back, some of my math skills and word recall came back and my speech is good now.  It took two years to recover, but I consider myself lucky.  I have EBV at a very high level also.  It has been that way for years.  I don't think it has much to do with what I am going through.  Just another odd bloodwork result.  My daughter had EBV in her blood since age 2 and she is just starting to show signs of Lupus.  Maybe coincidental, maybe not.  Again, some of these things we go through are creepy but hopefully the ideas you get here will help prevent you from suffering more.  Remember they are just thoughts or ideas, everyone is individual.  But it is sometimes worth the look.  Take care and I hope you get your answers soon. - Kris 

Posted 6/3/2006 5:54 AM (GMT 0)
Over the phone, the opthamologist felt this was not a plaquenil related issue and the new job is most likely the culprit. However, I'm not due for another refraction(??) until NEXT year even though I see him for a plaquenil check in August. So, it was recommended if I feel my glasses needs a tuning, my best bet might be to go to an optomitrist as they couldn't guaruntee the insurance will pay for another eye exam for my glasses early even if I am having problems.

I see the new rhuemy on Tuesday and my list of questions and complaints is getting so long that I have a feeling I'll be lucky to get a few out.

The math issue.....I just don't know....I know how bad I get with my liver acting up....I think there is a good chance it is releated maybe compounded by the eye fatigue?  I don't know...I'm just so worried about getting sick again! I think I'm in the "let's ignore it for now" stage.  I don't want to loose yet another job, I'm just getting in to the groove of things there and if I have to leave this job due to health, I think I'll be blackballed here for good. I really like it there.....I've been dreaming for a job like this for a very very long time.

Thanks for everyone's info, help, support, and ear! :-)

***

Posted 6/3/2006 10:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hey CaMama... what a pickle you are in huh? I wish I had some words of advice for you, but unfortunately, I do not.. have you tried emailing Erin, she may be able to shed some light on some of this... Sending you big HUGS... let us know how you are doing.. Duck
Posted 6/4/2006 1:52 AM (GMT 0)

Well, I haven't had to do any math in a week or so! tongue   I'm trying to rest my eyes as much as I can and I started taking some allergy medicine (just to see if that is a factor in sight.) So, we'll see.  Though there is slight (I mean slight) improvement on the up close, I still can't focus very well and need to pull things much farther back than I'm used to.

I think I might just go to the drug store and try on some reading glasses. I think they are just a couple of bucks and may be the cheapest and easiest route for now if I find something that seems helpful.

Overall, knock on wood, I'm not doing too bad. I have some pains and complaints, but I'm taking it easy  (and dealing with the build up mess in the house when it gets bad, though hubby hates it as do I), trying to not stress, and just taking life one day at a time. My job is going well so far, I'm still able to stay stress free - not sure how much longer that will last. It's been a long time coming to get to this point, so I need all the prayers, wishes, good thoughts I can get that maybe I can finally FINALLY start (albeit slowly) move forward with my life and enjoy those around me rather than being engulfed in extreme pain, bedridden by acute illnesses, and therefore wallowing in self-absorbed depression. It's been more than 10 years and I've had enough. I'm so scared to look forward and be happy about the job (I've had to leave the last 3 due to illness) and think about planning life with the assumtion I'll be healthy - but I know negative thoughts and fears are not good and I can't live my life in fear any more. I need to stay positive, be smart about my actions, and pray that I've done my time and have learned what I needed to learn and can move forward after such a long time.  I've felt like I was so close to recovery before and was shot down by ill health before I barely finished the happy thought, that it's hard to be anything but nervous and scared about anything.

Okay, enough sad thoughts...I am going to finish up here and go back to my family and hug my kids. :-)

Posted 6/6/2006 1:52 PM (GMT 0)

Camama:

Being positive, thinking smart and praying are the best remedies to see you through this.  Keep up the good attitude.  The worries will always be there.  No sense in worrying about things until they happen - waste of time, effort and precious energy.  All things you need to recover with.  Don't use up your resources if you can help it.  I tell myself... whether the job is there or not, I can and will deal with it.  The only thing worrying is going to do is help me to lose my job faster.  Definitely not the goal.  I know what you mean though.  I finally found a job I love and feel blessed every day for it.  Just say thank you and carry on.  You have today.  Head up, eyes forward, is what I say.  Have a good day! - Kris

Posted 6/8/2006 4:20 AM (GMT 0)

Thanks a million, everyone...so far, I'm taking it extra easy on my eyes....doing my best to follow suggestions from eye doctor, getting rest (breaks at work), trying various tacticts....and most of all trying not to STRESS about anything. Just keep reminding myself....life is good if you dont' stress or worry.....My daughter loves me to help her meditate now before bed (she's 6, but very high strung!), so we are trying to do that at least a few nights a week and I think that helps me just as much as it does her!

If these issues continue to get worse or persist, I WILL call my PCP and get in. My new rhuemy put an order for a comprehensive metabolic panel on my lab slip, so that will let me know how much (if any) of a part my liver has to do with this all.

I hope you all are feeling good!

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