I just read your response to my Mayo Connect comment, and, first of all, I am so sorry for what you have been going through. I truly know how rough it can be. Do you feel and believe that you have Dementia? I only ask because of my experiences. They did that memory test that Neuro-Psychologists do, and the first one showed “mild cognitive decline”, but then the next year I appeared worse and my neurologist sent me for another one and I was told that my diagnosis was “Early Dementia”. I have had additional annual testing, which have resulted in the diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Decline, so I don’t put much store in the “Early Dementia” diagnosis, and my neurologist always said, “Mild Cognitive Decline”.

I also saw a Neuro-Ophthalmologist, which was strange, I thought, because he “saw” me over the telephone and never examined me in person and he never really said what he thought I had. I just dismissed the time with him over the phone because I thought that was crazy!

I, too, have the prisms in my distance and reading glasses and I felt, at first, that they didn’t do much, but now I definitely know that the reading glasses help. I am in my second pair and the prescription changed, so maybe the first wasn’t the correct prescription? I think the distance glasses help, but not as much.

I also have what I call, “varying vision”, where my vision changes all the time, especially the reading vision, but I attribute this to my brain aneurysm. I have really studied up on the effects that aneurysms can have. In the beginning, they didn’t think that the aneurysms caused any symptoms, but because of research, the medical community does believe it can. A lot depends on the position and size of the aneurysm and mine is small, and is on the ophthalmic artery, and those are known to cause symptoms with vision, balance and walking, which I also have.

I have annual MRA’s (MRI’s don’t show it) to watch the aneurysm for any changes in growth, etc. I was initially scared of the aneurysm, but I’m not anymore. I know it causes me problems, but it has been years now and it hasn’t ruptured. I think if it does, it will take me immediately and the only pain is a very bad headache, and I think it would be a quick and relatively painless way to go, so I am not scared of it.

I hadn’t known about “the functional tremors” so I looked it up and it appears to be a symptom of Functional Movement Disorder (FMD). I have FND, which is Functional Neurological Disorder, which a disorder that impairs my brain’s communication with my nervous system. It is a major problem for me. It causes a “body sway”, where my body actually moves from side to side, and makes me feel like I am standing in a boat on the water, in waves. I am supposed to use a walker, but I don’t want to become so dependent that I can’t walk without it (eventually that will be the case), so I use a cane instead, unless I am having a really bad day, and I don’t use it around the house if I can help it. I want to fight to walk with the least assistance.

Boy, we surely have many of the same vision problems. It was interesting to me that we have had similar experiences with the vision. You didn’t mention that your neurologist had sent you for the exam by a Neuro-Psychologist, and that is perplexing to me. I believe that is the way that they usually keep track of how the Dementia is affecting you. It essentially tests how your memory is affected by the Dementia, or with me, the Mild Cognitive Decline.

Well, thanks for your response, and if you have any questions, or would just like to stay in touch, please feel free to do so. My contact information is listed below:

Patricia Heathershaw

623-933-1104, landline

I don’t have a smart phone, so I don’t text

pkheathershaw@gmail.com

🌹Pkh

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@pkh3381 I have had the MRI, MRA, PET-scan, EEG quartet playing their mournful songs for me over the last 14 months.
My neurologist was checking my brain for dementia only. He found it unfortunately.
I did see a Neuro-ophthalmologist who said he didn’t know why my eyes were screwy. He referred me to a Neuro-optometrist. She made distance glasses for me with prisms. Then I got reading glasses also with prisms.
First thing everyday, my vision is the worst. I can’t read even when I’m wearing my glasses. A few hours later everything is back to semi-abnormal.

I started driving again because the glasses took away my vision problems. But, I have to stop again the functional tremors are causing my legs to shake.

I’m 75, and at this point all I can do is hang out and smile.