does any one have this happen

[bairdy]

hi guys
here is a question for you all.....
for the last twelve months or so iv noticed that i need subtitles when watching tv trying to foolow stories is so hard without them .
its like nothing sinks in and i have to keep rewinding programs to catch whats been said.
its worse when there is a lot of background noise.
is it just me??
regards bairdy

[bairdy]

hi folks
cant believe how many of you can relate to my problem!!!
its nice to know im not alone going mad lol. i will tell my neuro when i next see him
thanks for all your replys
regards bairdy

[JSSL]

Hi Bairdy - I have this issue as well at times, and I did have an abnormal BAER. My MRI's do not show any lesions in the Brainstem, but apparently they are there somewhere since the disturbance was with the 5th wave!!

Back ground noise always makes this worse. Good luck to you!!

JSSL

[JemmAus]

I've had this issue for about 3 years now. I never thought to connect it to my MS!

There are only a very few shows I can watch on telly that I can follow without turning on subtitles. Big Bang Theory I can cope with.

I have to say that if I get a DVD and it DOESNT have subtitles as an option, I get a sinking feeling in my tummy, an "Oh noooooooo", because I know I will have to concentrate really hard to understand what is going on.

Speaking of such things, does anyone else get daft mental blocks when typing on here (or elsewhere) ? I was always a good writer, good speller, but lately sometimes I will be writing a word and maybe get two letters out then go blank. The rest of the word eventually arrives in my brain USUALLY, but sometimes I have to google it because I completely forget how to spell. I have attributed this to the MS, though I don't know if I should. I just know it's occured since my MS became active..

[twopack]

Sorry for messing up on your name  Bairdy.  Don't know what kind of brain deficit is expressing itself there.  My apologies.

Mary

[Sailorsong]

I sure wish turning on captions would help me. :( I have developed trouble reading things so I have to say each word as I read to myself. I can only get part way through a caption before the next one comes up as a result. For me I just keep hitting the rewind several times in order to find out what of the dialog I have missed.

I have also noticed lately that when listening to something that is being said my mind hears different words than were actually said. I discovered this by using the rewind on my DVR.

Dennis

[twopack]

I remember from a few years back that I enjoyed watching TV more when I had the captions on.  I couldn't put my finger on the reason why.  It made no sense.  I didn't have any problems with my hearing.  I even remember getting mad at myself sometimes for missing pieces of the on-screen action because I was so busy READING.  Still, it somehow felt better to watch with captions.

On the other hand, my hard-of-hearing husband complained that it was distracting to him.  Since I couldn't explain why I liked reading along and he was irritated into a constant whine (that in turn irritated me) I turned the captions off and left them off.

A couple of years later I'm diagnosed with MS and realize I have more and more problems processing information.  For almost four decades I've struggled to co-exist with a house full of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) people I didn't understand.  Now my MS brain is showing me what ADD feels like.  I can't multi-task anymore and I start something new without a thought for the three (or more) tasks I've already started and abandoned in a day.

When I read your question Brady, I flashed back and finally realized how those captions helped me.  Reading on-screen dialogue must have kept my attention focused on the story line.  Without it, I concentrated on the action while losing parts of the dialogue.  My brain was having trouble doing both things at once.

This helps explain how I could watch endless reruns of Law & Order.  The story always seemed (looked) familiar but I seldom remembered how it ended.  I always told myself, "Well, I must have fallen asleep before this one was over."  I had a feeling I hadn't zzzzzz'ed through ALL those shows!

So thanks for asking this question!!  It helps me see that the MS has indeed been doing its thing for a long time.  I suspect we have all found ways to compensate for and deny deficits for years before any symptom got bad enough to complain about.

Hope this helps you in some way.  It sure helped me.
Mary

[Ojibajo]

I also have trouble watching TV and on the phone. I was going to ask about having my hearing checked, but perhaps the BAER test that you mentioned would be more appropriate.

[rendean]

You  two are not alone. I also have days when my brain cannot process all the sensory input at one time. Something easy to another person, such as shopping in a busy grocery store,is difficult due to too many sights , sounds, smell,etc.  That is why my neuro told me no more expressway driving ..EVER..too much input.

Ren

[bairdy]

thanks for the fantastic answer i will ask my neuro when i see him soon
regards abairdy

[bairdy]

hi
thanks for your quick response
no i havent had a BAER what is that ???
regards bairdy

[Guitar_grrrl]

I often have a difficult time processing what I'm hearing.  My hearing is fine, I have perfect pitch in the music department, but every now and then I'll go through a few days where I'll ask someone to repeat themselves (especially on the phone), not because I don't hear them, but because I don't understand what they're saying.  Sometimes I blame the digital phone system, mostly I blame the lesions on my brainstem and cerebellum.

I haven't had a BAER, yet, have you?