One frustrating symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) is the cognitive impact. Those of us with MS often struggle with memory, recall, and speech. When words vanish, we get creative in communicating! 

MultipleSclerosis.net posted the following prompt to the community:

“MS can mess with our word recall and speech function, making remembering the names of people, places, and things difficult. If only there was 1 word for it all. We want to know, what would your word be? Example: ‘Can you please hand me the _____ over there?’ Philadelphia natives might throw the word ‘jawn’ in there!”

There was a lot of engagement with this topic!

Word scrambles

Many respondents shared stories of the words they substitute for the 1 they cannot remember. When words disappear, the brain tries to get as close as possible. Sometimes it makes sense, and other times it does not! 

“I rarely use names anymore. I say, ‘the dog’ or ‘the brother,’ etc.”

“When moving firewood from a trailer to a wheelbarrow, I told my daughter to put her load into the washing machine!”

“My favorite so far was pointing out a beautiful cornice over a window and asking my significant other if he saw the beautiful strawberry shortcake on that window. I knew it was wrong right after I said it. I laughed. You have to. Where in the world did that come from?”

“Every business I refer to as a ‘hut:’ taco hut, fish hut, burger hut, etc.”

“I told my daughter when we got caught in a rainstorm, I forgot my water. Meant umbrella.”

“I have called a dustpan a floor shovel. I try to find something adjacent to what I mean, and thankfully my husband and kids speak MS-ian.”

“ ‘Ya know, the thing that goes with that other thing that you use to do that thing with’ is usually how I wind up explaining myself.”

“Yesterday, I insisted on calling the attic the upstairs basement.”

Acting it out

Gesturing toward the object or acting it out were other responses when word recall stalls. Respondents try different ways of communicating. 

“Thingy has always been my go-to. That and wildly gesturing towards the thingy.”

“My son, husband, and I play charades. It’s bad when I’m fatigued.”

“I always say, ‘You know what I’m talking about,’ and then just gesture towards it – ugh.”

A catchall word

Many respondents have a random, catchall word they use when the word they want vanishes. It feels helpful to have something to insert into the pause. 

“A universal word for me would either be whatchamacallit or doohickey.”

“ ‘You know,’ says I. (((Sigh)))”

“Thing-a-ma-jig.”

“Scrumble.”

“Hoogie-whats-it.”

“Mine is thingy or whaddayacallit.”

“Thingamabob.”

“We just say ‘noun’ in our house.”

Tricks to jog memory

A few respondents shared their tricks for jogging memory. Sometimes, when the word seems out of reach, these things can bring it back.

“I go through the alphabet. It usually triggers what I want to say.”

“I do association. The person’s name I cannot remember on a daily basis, but I can remember their mum’s name that then triggers the child’s name, and I remember lol.”

“I have to picture what I’m thinking about to remember the word at times.”

Conversation stalls

One of the most frustrating aspects of cognitive challenges is stalling a conversation in progress. Respondents feel self-conscious and embarrassed. It is even more challenging with those who do not understand.

“I will be having a very in-depth conversation and poof, I lose a word, and then I lose the train of thought, and I forget what we were talking about.”

“I have issues where I completely stop talking in the middle of a sentence, not necessarily because of word recall issues, but I sometimes have trouble getting words out in general.”

“I’ve gotten to where I don’t want to talk to people. I feel so stupid.”

“I often go blank midconversation and can’t get the words out.”

“It’s especially hard now that I’m trying to teach my kid to drive. I can’t get the words out fast enough to tell him what to do!”