NeuroCog testing following surgery (for the mass in my temp lobe)

[dkdean]

I posted this on my CaringBridge site as I don't hide much in this journey into my brain.  I have been struggling with memory and some word pieces and had asked my NS if there was something I could do to help recover those skills.  He referred me to neurocognitive testing. I had it done and here is my post on the results...Honeslty--I had to laugh b/c I am a bit worse off than I'd thought!?!?!?!?!?  Wondering from my CM friends though....as I do need the decompression surgery (the mass in the temporal lobe was an ancillary finding and was removed 4 months ago), I am trying to figure out how long to wait as it's obvious my brain needs some time to heal...but my body--vision, numbness, dizziness, etc--are getting worse each day and I know (think???) it's the brain stem/cerebellum compression.  Meeting with Dr. Prevedello on the 26th to talk through everything but I always appreciate your support too!!!!  Requested a mtg with the psych to go through results in greater detail on Friday to get more info as well..

Well, I received the report from the Neurocognitive testing today...and, as it turns out...I am not imagining my current deficits :)  That's a good thing, right???  

Since I am a teacher, I am well-versed in percentile ranks...and as a student (not trying to brag) was in the top percentiles on standardized tests, graduated from H.S., college, and grad school with honors.  So, you can imagine the bit of shock when I read that my "spatial ability" ranking is in the 7th percentile!!!!!  After a double take, I did start laughing, because really...7th percentile is really low!!!!!!!  This is considered "well below average". (no kidding!?!?!?!)  But, it does get better!! (this is said tongue in cheek) My "auditory working memory" is in the 9th percentile and my "verbal reasoning" is in the 25th percentile.  My "spatial reasoning" (indepdendent of time) was in the 15th percentile.  But, hey--and this should surprise you if you know me--my verbal reasoning was higher than those lower scores (although not as high as I'd like!)--at 53rd percentile.  I am thinking my ability to talk, but the fact I now babble post-surgery might alter this score.  Verbal concept formation is at the low end of average and mildly below expectations based on my age and nonverbal concept formation was normal (no idea what this refers to, but it's gotta be okay, right???).

And, now, my teacher friends--for those who can still recall the IRI about Hamaguchi and his rice fields and details from that story, you will understand how and why I scored well on my "immediate recall of paragraphs"--85th percentile!  All of the IRI's and DRA's I have administered over the last nearly 10 years were helpful with remembering: Joe from San Francisco who was watching television on a Monday evening at 6 o'clock when a weather bulletin popped up saying a storm would be coming in in the next three hours bringing hail...Joe decided to stay home and watch old movie instead.  And, there weren't even any inference questions!!!
"Visual and auditory scanning and attention span" were at the 15th percentile (low end of average) and "visuomotor processing speed" was at the 47th percentile (considered average).

So, there it is.  I told you from the beginning that this is a journey and I hoped you'd want to travel it with me!!!  I am a work in progress and am working on my own coping strategies to work on the memory and writing pieces.  Although, I cannot imagine how much worse I would've done if I hadn't been working on those skills for the last 4 months!!!!!  At least it does give me some data to support what I know--I know that my brain is working differently to process information now (as opposed to before surgery) and I want to keep working on it!!!

Another note that made me laugh: She may find it useful to use a daily planner or organizer to cicumvent her deficits in attention and executive function.  Thanks, Dude!!!  But, my life is a series of organized lists, organized items, etc so that I can work through the day and focus on my kids and not on my deficits!!!

I will follow-up with Dr. B to go through this report in detail (maybe with a "daily planner" beside me) and then will be retested in 6-12months.  His report does say I am well within the period of time during which further recovery can be anticipated :)  And that, my friends, is good news :)

My love to you all!!!

[dkdean]

Thank you, Selma!!!!

[selmaS]

  Hi Kim, thanks for always sharing ur journey with us.

As for knowing there is deff an issue going on, I too was/am aware of mine...I did not have the same surgery or issue u had, but brain surgery regardless is going to result is the same trauma to it...and not having the testing u just had, I do not have that as a reference to pinpoint my weaknesses, but I can deff see improvement as time is going by. Io May 28th I will be at my 2 yr post op Zipperversary and I am constantly seeing improvements.When I look back now, I am surprised at how I have come...at the time, u can not see where u r headed.....but, u r on the road to recovery.

I do know u still have another surgery ahead of u, and know that u do need to be strong to go thru this.....as a chiarian u r strong, we all r......hang in there : )

  "selma"