Hi Ray,
It's funny I was always told I had not brains and was the black sheep of the family. Started out as a watch and instrument maker which took me to USA for 6 years where I discovered I was more than good in my field. When I returned to NZ I took on a job of designing and building scientific instruments for the NZ government, during this time I discovered I had skills that where there all along, unrecognised. I ended up leaving that with RSI in both arms returning to the watchmaking bench 11 years later. The abilities never left me and eventually opened my own shop. Twelve years ago I was stuck down with a severe bout of Campylobacta which we are now finding gave me Autonomic polyneuropathy and damaged kidneys as they shutdown for 18 hours at the time. I'm pretty much self taught in my fields and formally designed and built top class RC yachts. Now I find all the skills I had to teach myself are still there, mathimatics survives the ANS as does my ability to drive really well. Many years of motor racing and it has become automatic responce with driving. It is the autonomic features that are causing me troubles, the things that the brain does through habitual practice remain as sharp as ever only let down by the motor skill randomly corrupting the instructions to do as instructed. It also has a firm hold of my bowels, bladder and digestive system permanently interfering with the functions and loves to play havoc with my lungs, blood pressure, stability, memory and brain. Being someone with precision skills it is desastrous to not have those function when I command them.
I now spend my days playing with CNC machines I have built, which keeps the brain occupied and stops the hybernation I would gravitate to otherwise.
Cheers