Winter mornings here on this North Atlantic island can be slow to come and dark when they finally do. I try to be gentle with myself on these thick, gray mornings. I often take my first cup of coffee in bed with the dogs before trying to make anything happen.
On a recent lazy, weekend morning, I came back into the bedroom after letting out the pack and said to Caryn (my wife), “I’m going to have a cup of toast and a piece of coffee. Would you like some?”
As I said it, I knew that I had obviously meant to say a piece of toast, not a cup, and vice versa for the coffee. So I said it again … the wrong way. Two more times I tried, and two more times dysphasia — more commonly known as aphasia — had the better of me.
So I laughed an uncomfortable chuckle and just assumed that she wanted what I wanted.
Speech Difficulties and Multiple Sclerosis
Speech difficulties are not considered one of the more common symptoms of MS, but there are more than a few of us who know them better than we’d like to.
Even at that, there are some speech problems that are more common than others.
Dysarthria — speech difficulty caused by muscle weakness — is another one that I’ve been experiencing of late. I’ll have to repeat myself, because I’m not speaking as loudly as I think I am. Either from a lack of breath support or a change in how my vocal chords are being controlled, I find I’m having to repeat myself more and more.
Dysarthria is not the same as dysphasia, although you can have both conditions at the same time. Dysphasia, or aphasia, is where you have difficulty understanding words or putting them together in a sentence. I suppose it was aphasia I was experiencing when I asked after that cup of toast.
Swallowing Problems Can Crop Up, Too
Dysphagia, or swallowing problems, can also have a profound impact on our ability to say things. This is because many of the same muscles used in chewing and swallowing — and thus the brain to muscle nerve connections — are also used in forming our words.
The physical problems with speaking properly — dysphagia and dysarthria — can often be lessened with the help of a qualified speech and language therapist.
When the problem is dysphasia or aphasia, a speech-language pathologist can help people learn to effectively communicate, sometimes by improving their language skills, and sometimes by using techniques to work around their problems.
The Need to Speak Clearly
For most of us, speaking is our primary source of communication. It is imperative, therefore, that we do what we can to keep ourselves understandable. I know for me that the thought of not being understood is one of my greatest fears about this disease.
I’m heading off to New York City in a few days’ time to record the audiobook version of my new book, Living Well With Multiple Sclerosis. I’d hate to think that I’d suffer a bout of these embarrassing symptoms in studio, but it’s just another annoying thing about multiple sclerosis (MS). It finds our fears and exploits them.
Wishing you and your family the best of health.
Cheers,
Trevis
