Agraphia and Anomia Resulting from Epilepsy

@12271997 I appreciate your providing a personal example of the benefits of singing! Teresa

I went to the speech pathologist on July 3rd 2018. I did ok with the screening- naming objects, basic math, grouping. I categorized objects by type and location when I was told to name as many foods as I could in a grocery store. I was told about tactus therapy and there are language therapy tutorials on You Tube

Hello @12271997

I appreciate your posting about your appointment with the speech pathologist! I was not aware that there were language therapy tutorials on You Tube. I did find several about Tactus Therapy that you mentioned, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN5YMjLT5oo as well as recovery from strokes,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiwGVkUk37k. Thank you for letting us know about these. There are many more.

Teresa

Have you come across anything free? You pay for tactus therapy. I believe $19.99 monthly but it's probably worth it.

You're welcome

I have been approved for 6 1 hr therapies with the speech pathologist. I have cigna insurance. I won't be able to start until sometime in Aug so we'll see how it goes

yes I have this condition I try to speak and sometimes I cannot think of the right word, when I speak I am thinking of the right word and the wrong word comes out. When I am typing I can correct the words online. sometimes I use a different word since I cannot speak the word in the right manner. I would like to speak about Nero Feed Back the doctor gave me a prescription for it in order to help my psycho systematic Seizures maybe that will help with my Aphasia and agraphia these conditions are very frustrating just like not remembering what you just did. I am 60 although I look like I am in my 40's so I am going to bring this up to my doctor. I have found at UC Davis if we see a Nero Surgeon they just want to present surgery or pills this doctor didn't give me a chance to speak about these conditions we are focusing on today

Hi, @12271997 - thinking of you today and wondering how your therapy sessions with the speech pathologist went?

I go through the same. I’m 44 and for as long as I can remember I’ve had a small problem with word recovery at times verbally and written. Anxiety makes it much worse and some days I just just have horrible days altogether. It’s been like this for the past 5 years, increasingly worse and rapidly as time progresses.

Good Morning Everybody,
First time I came across this post, very interesting. Thank you so much for sharing those enriching experiences!
I do have temporal lobe epilepsy on the left side with a small lesion on my hippocampus due to an accident I had when I was 5 years old (I am 52 years old today). I was, however, diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 48 years when my epilepsy evolved due to burnout. I do also have a light degree of agraphia and anomia nowadays. How have I been dealing with it?
First, accepting this condition was essential to start improving and to find ways to better deal with that. When I noticed those conditions at first, I got very anxious and insecure, which only worsened the state. I have worked much my fears and insecurities with my neuropsychologist. Accepting my epilepsy was key!
Second, I have started to practice hatha yoga and the practices as well as the yoga philosophy have also helped me greatly to deal better with my anxiety and fears.
Practically, I do also use much spell check, helping me with correct writing. My problems with wording might occur in my mother language (Portuguese) but not in others (English, German) or vice-versa. When talking to people that are fluent in English, I speak it out in English and when this happens while writing, I check for the correspondent world in Google Translate. As to memory difficulties, everything I believe is important to me (so as my studies), I write it down on my computer so as to retrieve it whenever I need.
This week, I went to see my epileptologist and mentioned again those difficulties to him. According to his opinion and based on my neuroevaluation exam, it is my executive function that has mostly suffered a downgrade and is mostly responsible for those difficulties. My cognitive function, though I have a lesion on my hippocampus is quite OK. The neuroevalution exam has helped me much understand my current difficulties. I believe it is interesting to perform it! My doctor has recommended executive function rehabilitation this time.
I do very much agree with what @jakedduck1 has shared. Many of the AED medications I have tried have worsened my memory and brought more difficulties with writing and speaking as well as with my memory. I do nowadays take medical cannabis (100% CBD) and also control my seizures with a gluten-free diet. I feel much better this way!
As to Alzheimer's, I have been studying much about it as my mother does have this condition. Alzheimer's also affects the hippocampus but for different reasons than epilepsy. This past week, I participated in an online event "Brain Health Breakthroughs" much related to Alzheimer's. Much has been spoken about diet and a healthy lifestyle. Studies of Dr. Dale Bredesen with his Recode program on Alzheimer's patients have had good results, helping those people to improve their cognitive function. For those interested, here is the link: https://brainhealthbreakthroughs.com/. I do much believe in the benefits of certain diets to our brain health. Just by taking out gluten from my diet, my seizures this year have reduced by 60% up to now.
I wish you all a nice and positive day!
Santosha