Thursday, January 30, 2014

It's Greek to Me

My aphasia is mild now. I can have a conversation. I can write short emails without too much trouble. And of course, I can write a blog.

But the aphasia is still there. Even the people I'm closest to sometimes don't realize that I'm struggling in certain ways.

For instance, I still have some auditory processing problems, especially with numbers. Last April, my mother and I were watching the Boston Marathon on TV (this was before the bombs went off, when finishing times still mattered). We were enjoying hearing about Joan Benoit Samuelson, a fellow New Englander who had won 30 years ago. In the commercial break, my mother and I had a conversation that went something like this:

Mom: Wow, 2:ΣΨ:ΠΏ. They had said that she wanted to finish the marathon in under 2:ΣΔ:ΓΦ.

Me (looking blankly at my mom): uhhh…

My mom probably decided that I couldn't hear her.

Mom (in a louder voice): I said, she wanted to  finish the marathon in under 2:ΣΔ:ΓΦ, and Benoit’s time was 2:ΣΨ:ΠΏ.

Me (still looking confused): uhhh...

Mom(in a loud voice, again): it was two minutes under the other time.

Me (in a loud and agitated voice): Mom, don't you know that I can’t understand numbers?

It was my mother’s turn to look blank. We had a short conversation about how my brain can't handle numbers in certain situations, and then we went back to watching TV.

Sometimes I think that recovering from a brain injury is like peeling an onion: there's always another layer to peel. Each layer gets thinner and harder to see, but I know it's there.

(Fortunately, I can usually understand written numbers. Samuelson's time was 2:50:37, better than her goal of under 2:52:43. Go Joan!)

10 comments:

  1. Grace,
    I totally understand. My aphasia is mild when I'm well rested or not under stress. If I'm tired or under a mountain all progress goes out the window. Addition is great so long as it doesn't go past single digits. What's subtraction, multiplication and division again? This from a former math student who has taken every math and science class under the sun. It's maddening. Still writing a blog takes two days for me. But I can jot comments with little thought so long as my mind is quiet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fortunately my kids (8 and 11) want help with their math homework sometimes. I "help" them--but it's mostly for my benefit ;)

      Delete
  2. I'm glad it's better for you. I have some problems with numbers too. It's so weird to me addition and multiplication are ok, but subtraction and division get tricky or lost completely. Frustrating for a former math wiz. Math was my thing. I dread the day my kids need help with homework and they have to see me struggle with elementary work....ugh!!! I am so not the parent I thought I would be.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure your math will improve... when you're not taking care of a newborn (and a pre-schooler). Also, kids push my recovery along, even when I don't realize it.

      Delete
  3. I love your analogy of peeling an onion. This is exactly how my recovery feels like too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Parfaits! Parfaits are delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Which things have done to help you with your aphasia? My husband stroke was almost 3 years ago and his speech is really poor, he as done some math exercises, addition, subtraction and multiplication, one or two digits. He can read but not to good at writing.
    Yadira

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have you tried the National Aphasia Association? They have a list of conversation groups/support groups by state. If you're near a university, many speech pathology departments have free or low-cost services.

      Delete
    2. No I haven't but sure I will check, thank you.
      Yadira

      Delete
  6. The onion layers is a great way of explaining how it works.

    Nurmeracy was hard hit with me too. I am okay doing math now but really have trouble with remembering number sequences like even room numbers at college or an address number or bill amount..

    In class today there was a fictitious case study where the person had lost number and symbol recognition and therefore we should not plan on them playing cards in the normal way. Such an understatement of the impact!

    ReplyDelete