Visual Enlargement

Yesterday, I joined the memory people group on facebook. I have read a few stories about people who have some form of memory problems including Alzheimers, Dementia and other problems i can't remember at this time. I feel that i can relate to most of the stories.

I came across this group through Daily Strength where i found Barry Pankhurst who had Memory people on his website, so i applied and am most pleased that i did.

This afternoon i hav been feeling unwell which i wrote about in the previous entry. Also, i've had visual enlargement where everything seems to be right in my face although they are further away. I'm not sure if this is a symptom of Arnold Chiari Malformation or not now as i've read about this symptom on a website connected to Barry Pankhurst's.

http://www.simplesite.com/BarrysAlzheimers

The person who wrote about visual enlargement has got Alzheimers himself, his name is Ken and his link is on Barry's side bar. 

I really need to find out about this as i get this happen to me often and many other symptoms that i came a cross on Memory people group.

Home visit From Memory Clinic

I'm not sure how i'm feeling today really.
Yesterday, i had a home visit from the memory clinic service. I was tested with silly questions all of which i answered correctly, then i was told a name and address and was tested on that several times for memory during the session and maths which i'm very bad at so i told them i'm useless at maths so they by passed that question.The address i got right except for part of it once. I had to write a sentence which was ok except for my writting which told them had deteriorated over time, once neat and tidy, now all over the place well, tidier and a few other tests i got right. Some more questions were asked of me and they wrote down  the answers i gave them ect... Some of the answers i gave i feel un-easy about which might go against me for some reason...i think! but this is all about being truthful about myself which i was.
My daughter thinks i might have Alzheimers as shes worked with people with this condition at Age Concern and told me to give the memory team her phone no. which i feel uneasy about incase something is wrong in that way and they might put me away somewhere or drug me up.
I can still run my own household, dress and clothe myself (with discomfort and difficulty at times, sometimes more than others though, but i can do this task) I'm always trying to work things, but i do find myself checking everything several times before i'm sure. I do feel like theres something missing and find myself thinking hard and looking for what i don't know. I always feel i've forgotten something.
When i cook i feel that it is'nt up to scratch like it used to be which i've been told about or i can't remember how to do this or that occasionally, so i don't cook as often as i used too. And other things other than cooking have changed too that i can't think of at this time.

I have remembered a few things since yesterday that i should have told them which i do think is relevant, but feel worried about telling them, some are things that my daughter mentioned to me last night.

The times i've been shouted at because i can't remember things and told i can when i can't. I have always associated this with Chiari, never even thought of Alzheimers untill my daughter mentioned it to me last year. Some of the things that has happened to me does worry me as i've never mentioned them on here which i've only told my daughter about thats why she believes i have Alzheimers. I have written about something that happened to me in my other blog http://astras-thoughts-and-feelings.blogspot.com/
But saying all that i do know something is wrong and it comes on in bouts. Is it Alzheimers or is it Chiari??? I suppose only time will tell.

Foggy and Confused

My daughter "SH" will be round tomorrow. She will be having her driving lesson from my address as she don't want her neighbors twitching their curtains with their beady eyes watching her.

I don't know what the youngsters are doing out the street, but its so noisy around here lately, shouting and screaming and footballs being kicked about. Its more noticable because i've got my side window open as its quite warm this evening.

"SH" took "Z" to look around her new school earlier as shes going up to secondary school in September.

This morning I wrote an entry and tried to save it, but unfortunately it did'nt and i can't remember what i wrote about either, still never mind.

I can't think of anything to write right now as my mind feels foggy and confused. I think of something to say, then in an instant its gone...blank and confused, i believe this is CHIARI...Astra!

Astra's Chiari

I like to spend time on my own so i can think. Sometimes i find it difficult to think, probably due to a rare brain condition that i suffer from called Arnold Chiari Malformation. My main symptom is pressure headaches which i have daily and are so severe at times. I also have visual problems blured vision, waving eye movement side to side and visual enlargement,dizziness,stuttering and difficulty getting my words out even though i know what i want to say,cramps in my hands and feet and my fingers and toes twist spastic like,shaking,stiffness when i walk and difficulty putting one foot in front of the other and is very painful and i feel like i've got a broom stuck up my back.
There are many more symptoms assoicated with ACM. I had no idea what this ACM was, so i looked it up on the internet and found all my symptoms that i am suffering and other peoples blogs. ACM can be a lonely condition. Myself i hav'nt come a cross anyone to speak too about it who knows of the condition, not even medical staff knows anything about it. There is only 1 in 1000 people who suffer from ACM. It seems to me it is more rare here in the UK than it is in America. All the information i have is from America.

I was diagnosed with ACM about four years ago now when i was sent for an MRI scan by my neurologist. Untill i got my results from the hospital i thought i was going crazy because in the beginning my GP kept telling me there was nothing wrong with me and he got a bit short tempered with me at the time and thought i was a hypochondriac. Now that i know whats wrong i can move forward and deal with my situation and know what to expect in the future and hopefully i won't have to have surgery at a later date.