ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: wendysig on June 06, 2008, 09:29:49 am
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HI everyone,
Is it jsut me or do some of you have trouble typing. I was an executive secretary for over 20 years and never had a problem before. At first, I just thought I was rusty since I'm not working as a secretary anymore and until recently, and by that, I mean the last couple of months, I don't send many e-mails that require a llot of typing. Now I find myself typing letters out of sequence with a fair amount of regularity. I admit that some of my typos are just that, typos but I don't think they all are. I was talking to a friend las night and she said this is common after AN surgery or brain surgery (is it?) but I haven't had surgery yet. Is my brain already fried even before surgery? If so, will I just be a quivering mass of typo-prone jello after surgery? Speaking of jello, that sounds like a good idea for dessert. Talking to you people always inspires me.
Wendy
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Wendy,
As you can clearly see from my posts, I have a lot of typos in there too - and sometimes even words that appear for no reason... I definitely think it's gotten worse since my surgery (I used to be a secretary - albeit not a really good one - for a brief time). I guess I can blame some of it on the surgery, some of it on the fatigue, some of it on the usual distractions around me (kids, dogs, phones), and a lot of it on the fact that I'm probably thinking what I want to type much faster than I can type it. I don't worry too much - I know everyone here understands.
I'm sure you are just distracted and probably have a million things running through your head right now to be too worried about typos. Who knows, maybe you'll be an even better typist after your surgery! And if not, we still know what you mean and we're very forgiving! In the mean time, just remember - "Dyslexics - UNTIE!". (no offense intended to any dyslexics..)
Lori
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Hi Lori -
Thanks for your reply. I see what you mean about dyslexics. I checked my post for spelling and typos (quickly anyway) and totally missed them until I read your post and glanced again at mine. I'm glad you all are a forgiving lot otherwise, I don't know what I'd do.
Debbi - I saw you on Pembo's post and I hope you stop here. I was glad to see you and hope you are feeling well today. I have to get going, but I'll check back with you later to see how your are.
Wendy
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I hear you both. My typing was always poor but now even my proof reading misses a lot of the mistakes. I am glad people are not judging this. I do feel it is progressively worse in recent years. Since I had CK Monday - that time is definitely pre-treatment :)
I also have had shaky hands. I have asked and it isn't supposed to be related to these brainboogers. Anyone else had that?
Mary
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I don't have trouble typing, been doing it at a rapid speed since 2nd year of high school (and let's not forget, I'm no spring chicken) but I do preview everything I type religiously before I post it. Control-freak/overachiever tendencies, I know ::)
Since my surgery I have noticed that I consistently type the word "doing" when I meant to type "going" and "what" when I mean to type "that" and vice versa. My mind also runs ahead of my fingers. I think I've typed entire words and then find during my review that I actually haven't.
Don't really know what that's all about ???
Jan
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I'm sure AN surgery has some effect on typing.
I was hitting a lot of wrong keys for some time following my surgery but, like Jan, I proof-read everything before I hit the 'post' button. I also have an automatic spell-checker operating at all times, which helps - a lot. For me, avoiding typos is more about a sense of order and neatness than anything else. I hate to be sloppy. Still, I never judge any post on how' perfect' it is. That would be shallow and making posting more of a contest (mine is neater than yours!) than a simple way to communicate with other AN patients, which is the real goal of the site and these forums. Besides, the vast majority of messages posted are fairly well written and typo free, so clarity is almost never an issue.
Keep it up folks - and don't sweat the typos. :)
Jim
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Hi Wendy
I haven't had surgery yet but I have been finding it hard to type. For me its looking down at the key board i get dissiness and it effects me focusing on the keys. I am deffintly typing alot slower and having to proof my work.
Lately I find myself forgetting names and phone numbers.
I try not to worry about it I keep telling myself I have a good excuse.
Sam
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Sam,
You do have a good excuse. I don't have any problem with phone numbers, but I do occasionally search for a word and just can't find what I'm trying to say. I've noticed it is happening more frequently lately. Since my doc feels that my AN has grown, I wonder if that has anything to do with it. Good question for the doc! Don't let this worry you too much as I'm sure this too will pass. Thanks for your reply.
Wendy
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Jim -
I do check my messages before I post them but sometimes I just miss the mistakes. This is something I probably would not have done with any regularity before having my AN. As I said in an earlier post, I was an exective secretary for over 20 years before I kind of retired to have my kids. ( Sometimes I feel like I'm living my life in reverse.) Now that one is a teenager and the other is a tween was just starting to look for a job when I discovered my AN. All things considered, this is on hold for now. I feel I have enough to deal with and it would certainly be unfair to a prospective employer to accept a job right now. Anyway, your probably right on both counts -- your posts are neater than mine but typos don't count as long as the posts are coherent.
Thanks,
Wendy
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I began having trouble typing well before my surgery and before finding out about the AN. I also attributed it to "being out of practice". I was in an administrative position at a school, and before that I was a teacher. I became a stay at home mom 2 years ago and always say that it has sucked the intelligence right out of me :D. I now know that it had more to do with the AN. After surgery (4 weeks ago today), I still notice the exact same diffficulty--no better, no worse. I guess I'm just used to it now--but it is frustrating.
By the way, during this post alone, I probably corrected myself 15 times :-[ Oh, well--I still got the message out ;)
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Nicole, I've been a stay at home mom for 5 years now. Trust me - it does suck the intelliigence right out - and those of us who have extra holes in our skulls are more likely to lose that intelligence faster - just flows right outta there for me!
But, I'll bet there aren't many women in corporate America that can name all of the Muppets, sing the theme song for Dora the Explorer and dance right along with the Wiggles! I've got 'em beat there!! ;D
Lori
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Hmmm. We better go update our resumes--those skills will no doubt get us the positions we want when we're ready to go back :P
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Lori:
I understand that being a stay-at-home mom can be exasperating at times because I know more than a few mom's doing it and they have the same complaint, which is perfectly understandable. Allow me to offer another perspective.
My wife and I only had one child (we knew our limitations) but he was raised exclusively by us...no day care We couldn't have afforded it even if we wanted to go that route - which we didn't. We managed this feat by her working a corporate day job (7 AM to 3:30 PM) and I worked nights as a radio broadcaster. Between us, we made a decent living. I had our son (Christopher) in the daytime, she took over when I left for work at 5:30 PM. I still recall watching The Muppets, Danger Mouse, Inspector Gadget, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and the other kiddie TV shows. My wife basically taught our son his letters and numbers and went off to Kindergarten very well prepared...and did well all through his school years. Although those days are long gone now, my wife and I had the pleasure of sharing our son's childhood and we still have a great parent-child relationship to this day.
I realize that having one child (and two involved parents) is a whole lot easier than raising two or three or more (with or without a live-in spouse) so I'm not trying to compare. I just want to assure folks that, for the most part, the daily aggravations and frustrations of child-raising are quickly forgotten as they grow up. I recall thinking that my boy was never going to able to do anything (like eating) without my supervision (he was 4 at the time). Ha! Before I knew it, he was a high school student, then a college student (working 3 part-time jobs to help pay his tuition) then, a college graduate and young adult. Now, our son is pushing 30 , has a responsible job and a life of his own, although we retain a solid relationship based on mutual respect and admiration.
My point is that while being a stay-at-home parent may seem to be - and is - mind-numbing at times, childhood passes quickly and they'll be grown and gone before you know it. That may seem like a wonderful thought right now, but you'll be without them a lot longer than you'll have them and I would hate to see any parent waste those years feeling deprived of intellectual stimulation and, in effect, blaming her children for it. I know you don't, Lori. I recognize that you (and other AN moms) use motherhood as a source for humor (our own Erma Bombecks) but I wanted to use your post as a vehicle for reminding frazzled parents that they have a special gift (children) and even though the kids may seem more like a burden than a gift at times, they'll be gone and living lives apart from you before you know it. Don't let the petty frustrations of child-rearing obscure the good things parenthood offers.
End of sermon. Amen. :)
Jim
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Jim~
Thanks once again for a well thought out and stated post. I try very hard to ALWAYS remember that I won't have them very long in comparison to their life, but it was a very good reminder, none the less. I already have been trying to figure out what I will do next year as ALL three girlies will be in school!! YIKES!!
:o
K
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Jim -
as K said, thanks for the very well written post. It is wonderful that you were such an involved father while your son was growing up and have a good, solid relationship with him today. I commend you for it. My father worked all the time, but still managed to be there for us when he could and I consider him to be a great dad. My mom was a stay at home mom and honestly, I don't know how she raised five kids and still kept her sanity ;D I only have two, and truth be told, there are many, many days when they run circles around me!
While I don't have it easy raising my children single-handed and working a full-time job to pay the bills, I don't think I could handle being at home with my children 24/7. Some days my paying job is like a vacation compared to being a mom ;) I have the utmost respect for women (and men) who can and do choose to stay home and raise their children - and I find myself in awe of them. IMO it is one of the most difficult - but most rewarding - jobs in the world.
You are right, lots of us do use motherhood as a source of humor. I think I speak for everyone when I say we wouldn't trade our children for anything in this world. We realize how truly blessed we are :)
Jan
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Jan, I need some info. for Asha. She is dealing with a spinal fluid leak from the tube removal she had today. Do you know how this works?
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I work from home and have for about 6 yrs now. My work requires a lot of typing. I can honestly say typos have gotten much worse since CK. I always proofread emails and posts several times and sometimes still miss the errors. Of course, I'm in that lovely age bracket where war of the hormones is sapping what brain cells I had left. But I just take it all in stride and attempt to see the humor in it.
My children are now 22 and 16. I worked full time when they were younger, then eventually part-time and now full time from home. Thank goodness it's been flexible in that I've been able to be the taxi service for them and their friends if needed. Thoughout this time, I found the best conversations were in the car. There is nothing to distract them. Now that my younger one will possibly be driving to school in the fall, I know how badly I will miss those special times.
I imagine working from home carries some of the same experiences as stay at home parents. Even though I'm working, it's socially isolating. Now that my children are in many ways independent, it's time for mom to regain a little of what has been on the back burner for years. Yep, we're all passing into another phase of our lives. Hopefully, I'll remain sane through it all - HA!
Sandra
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Jim, that was a very sweet post! Thank you.
I had to work full time when my older 2 were little, didn't have a choice, but when the younger 2 came along, we decided I'd stay home. I wouldn't have it any other way. My older ones went to a good friend of the family for day care - she was and still is like another grandma to them. I couldn't ever hope to be fortunate enough to be in that situation again and if I couldn't be with my kids, she was the next best thing.
Having done it both ways, I can honestly say, it was much easier to go to work every day. At least there they are required by law to let you have a lunch break, in which you normally get to sit down while eating. You can go to the bathroom without everyone joining you, and you you sneak a cookie before dinner without being caught red handed! But the hours of Sesame Street, playing patty-cake until my hands hurt and sitting in the plastic kiddy pool are definitely worth eating cold leftovers while clipping coupons and 10 other things.
When I was in the hospital for my AN surgery and my husband had to hold down the fort, the first thing he said when I got home was "I don't want your job!".
And Sandra, if you figure out a way to stay sane, let me in on the secret!!
Lori
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I wanted to chime in too about the typos; I never had a problem before my surgery. I had translab and really started noticing the typos, words I thought came out as something completley different and then throw in the "dyslexic" typos on top of that. I was such a perfectionist and had a mind like a steel trap, I could remember everything like a filing cabinet in my head and never had to write anything down. Now I'm keeping the post-it people in business. You just have to laugh and move on and make sure your spell-checker is working ;D
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Hi Jlamborn!
I used to have what people referred to as a "photographic memory". I'm pretty sure it's out of film now though! You and I should buy stock in the post-it note company! I have enough of them all over that I could use them as wall paper!
Lori
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I have to agree with Jan about not trading my kids for anything in the world. They are also a wonderful source of humorous stories. I heard my 11 year old telling one of her friends about my upcoming surgery (the girls know about it, but I didn't realize they were listening when I was tallking to my sister, who wanted to know the details). Apparently, she heard more than I would have liked and was filling in her friend but her friend didn't believe her. My daughter then brought her over to me and repeated my conversation with my sister almost word for word, it was a pretty accurate description of the surgery and her friend couldn't even look at me. I felt bad for her, but my daughter said she told her because she thought it sounded to cool. She also told me she thought my surgery would be a good story for Gray's Anatomy. Which is something she's said before. Go figure.
Wendy
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I would gladly let McDreamy be my doctor! ;)
Lori
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Wendy -
although I've never seen Grey's Anatomy, I think your story would be a good one for them. Just remember when you sell them the rights to ask for royalties.
Lori was once a guinea pig for some doctor - I forget the circumstances, but I'm sure she can fill you in - and she failed to asked for royalties. Now she has to resort to letting her husband do surgery in their garage on weekends and working with me on BAHA gift packs just to make ends meet ;)
Jan
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Lori,
I'll take McSteamy, but McDreamy is the neuro guy......and McSteamy is the plastic guy.....so I'm thinking maybe its a win win storyline ::)
Anne Marie
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Oh, good point Anne Marie... I could get everything fixed in one episode!
Jan, I was hoping to be able to get some cash for having my picture in a medical textbook somewhere, but I guess I wasn't photogenic enough... :( Maybe if they change their minds and publish it, I can give James a day off from the garage surgery business. Poor guy - it must get hot in there.
Lori
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Nicole,
Sorry I never responded to your reply. I too attributed my trouble typing to being rusty at first and my mind working faster than my fingers. After a while though skills do come back and since I was an excellent typist 120 words per minute 98% accuracy it seemed clear this was not the problem. It has to be the AN causing problems. During this very short post I corrected my mistakes at least five times, so I know what you meant. Thanks for your reply.
Wendy
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Jan, I was hoping to be able to get some cash for having my picture in a medical textbook somewhere, but I guess I wasn't photogenic enough... :(
Well, if you truly are 116 like your daughter said, I can totally understand why you aren't photogenic enough ;D
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Yes wendysig , I also have the problem. I put my typing on word processor so I can reread and spell check. My brain seems to want to do one thing and I want to do another.
eve
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I can relate to the trouble typing. Can anyone relate to memory loss? I'm a creature of habits, but sometimes I can remember my habit. Its scary. I went shopping on Saturday with my cousin and sister-in-law. Twice I put down my sun glasses, which I normally put in my purse, than while leaving the store I panic because I can't find them. My SIL picked them up both times. Than I put down the gift I bought for my oldest son's girlfriend and a sales girl come running after me as I was leaving with the bag.
What scares me the most is when someone calls me on the phone, we will have a conversation and afterwards my husband will ask who called and I can't remember. I can't even remember the conversation. Its gotten really bad. It has to be the neuroutin I'm on. Shoot it scares me about returning to work, dealing with money, accounts and the banking system. I had a terrible time after my surgery and my bosses were not sympathetic. I had enough sense to go off when I became very manic when I was on the prednisone.
I'm only 48. I had an amazing memory. It has to be the med's and the stress of watching & waiting. That's my story and I sticking to it!!! Sometimes my boys think I've lost it because I get their work schedules confused. Well I have four of them, I think anyone would be confused ::)
Anne Marie
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Anne Marie - if you can at least remember the names of your 4 boys and use them appropriately at least most of the time, I'd say you're doing pretty well. My Dad had 4 daughters and any time he'd call us, he'd wind up going through all of our names and sometimes the dog's name before he finally figured it out. And this was before he had Alzheimer's!
Schedules? Forget it... I wouldn't even attempt that. That's what calendars and post it notes are for! :D
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Yesterday I paid for my food and left with out getting my change, the cashier was waving me down to give my change. Or today turn the water on in the sink for hot soapy water and walk a couple of steps to do something else while the sink fills up and turn around to remember I left the water on. When my son got home from worked this afternoon I asked him the same question 3 different times but I don’t remember him giving me and answer when he did each time. This goes on every day. It isn’t as bad as it was.
eve
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Hi all --I
It's good to know I'm not the only one with typing and absent-miindedness problems. I too have (or had) a really good memory, especially for phone numbers. If I dialed a number once I would remember it foreever. My memory is still pretty good although I find I am more absent-minded. Of course, this could just be stress right now, but I shudder to think it could be permenant and even get worse.I guess if it does, I probably won't remember anyway it won't really be a big deal! Dr.Choe called me today at my request and I made the mistake of not writing my questions down After stuttering and stammering a little, and apologizing, I remembered all but one question I wanted to ask him(is this doctor great or what? He even offered to call me back later in the day to answer any additional questions I might have. I feel like I struck gold with him. In my opinion, he goes way above and beyond the call of duty.)
Wendy
Lori - Exactly what kind of operations is James doing out there in the garage?
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Lori - Exactly what kind of operations is James doing out there in the garage?
Wendy -
Why? What do you need? :D He's got all sorts of power tools. He could probably do just about anything. He even has a sewing machine so he can stitch you back up when he's done! Like I said, it is a little hot out there now. You might want to wait til fall!
Lori
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Lori -
I don't need any other surgery right now thanks, but tell your husband I'll keep hiim in mind for next time. I already promised Dr. Choe he could do my AN surgery and I think he's looking forward to it. I wouldn't want to disappoint him, you know? Somehow I knew I could count on you to make me laugh though!
Wendy
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Wendy -
I think Lori forgot to mention that her husband doesn't use anesthesia. He just gets Lori to tell jokes and the patient laughs so hard, they don't notice the pain ;D
Jan
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Yes, and when I run out of jokes, I get my 5 year old to talk incessantly until you fall asleep anyway. And if that doesn't work, we have an old cast iron skillet... oh, well, never mind, maybe I shouldn't tell you about our back up plan...Forget I mentioned that...
Lori
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Lori -
I sure hope we don't need to resort to the backup plan. More than likely, if you run out of jokes, your five year old will do the trick, or I can just stick with Dr. Choe! Have you checked out the AN Community page? It looks like wherever we go, we're going to need a bigger table.
Jan - I'm not sure about the lack of anesthesia. That might not work for me but maybe he can get some laughing gas. Hope he has steady hands!
Wendy