Have a strange question for you all...

[specedteacher]

Does anybody know of a connection between iritis and Dyspraxia?

Thanks,

Brian

[Mike Bartolatz]

I don't know, here is a link to this topic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_dyspraxia

[mtbargeman]

I do not know if there is a proven link between dyspraxia and Uveitis, but I do find myself having a hard time accomplishing certain things. I can't figure out how to get the tupperware back in its places under the counter anymore. I have trouble working certain sizes or shapes of buttons, and I find that I can be rather ham-handed. It took me most of the day last week to learn how to cast a spinning rod. Once I finally figured out how to do it my own way, all was well, but I can't do it the "prper" way to save my butt. I xan't tie shoes the regular way. I have to do it my way. That basically explains what dyspraxia is, doesn't it?? Is that a form of dyslexia??? Please excuse my ignorance here, but if I am surmising correctly the meaning of the term,, then there may very well be a link, or the two could possibly go hand in hand , co-existing for some people, and then getting worse as vision worsens, or when there is a flare of Uveitis.

I am going to look into this a bit myself and see what I come up with. My curiosity is piqued now.

Mary

[mtbargeman]

I looked up dyspraxia and what it is. In answer to your question, the only link I see to Dyspraxia and Uveitis is that having reduced vision due to either a flare of Uveitis or from long term effects of ANY OID from under or no treatment could definitely make dyspraxia to be markedly worse.

Mary

[specedteacher]

Mike and Mary,

Thanks for the info. I'm reading the same things you did. What caught my attention was a mention of the dyspraxia causing difficulties in dealing with stress. I've heard here and other places that stress can be a trigger for a flare up. I was thinking that if a person had dyspraxia (as some early childhood neurological tests I had indicated I did- and I never new it) that one would have greater trouble with stress and hence be more likely to "trigger" off the iritis flare ups.

Do you think I'm totally barking up the wrong tree here?

Thanks again,

Brian

[Mike Bartolatz]

everything regarding 'stress' as a trigger for renewed inflammation is anecdotal becauseit is almost impossible to do a controlled study on the topic. how would you double blind the test? get enough patients with uveitis to do the test?
stress 'chemicals' that the body produces can trigger inflammation so that is why we say 'stress can trigger' uveitis in us.
I always tell our members to get depression and anxiety under control as well as stress because in my own experience they ''seem to' trigger my own uveitis. many of our members have the same experiences. I don't think you are barking up a wrong tree with your experience but have you seen where youir own experience has mirrored others?

the photophobia note in the article that I posted a link to was interesting as well. usually photophobia is caused by inflammation of the cornea or from uveitis or optic neuritis which are all inflammatory conditions not something going on with the brain.
I didn't come up with anything whey I used the term Dyspraxia and uveitis together in search so you might be the first one or no one ever reported this occurance before.

Wish you the best,
Mike

[mtbargeman]

I agree with Mike. I also see how Dyspraxia could cause a lot of stress. Seems to me it would sometimes make a person want to scream and smash things. Especially whatever it may be that confused you at the time. Grrr.

I wonder why you were never told you had dyspraxia?? Stress is a known trigger for many things, due to the chemicals it produces, but no studies have been done. I would suppose because different things stress out different people. Some people also have a much higher tolerance for stress than others, rather like a pain threshold. Mine is very high, I am told, where most folks have a much lower pain tolerance/pain threshold. I reckon stress is the same way.

I certainly don't believe you are barking up the WRONG tree, neccesarily, but you certainly may be barking up a Sycamore instead of an Oak because that may be your tree instead of mine. I don't know how else to explain that one. Don't feel you can't come here to ask questions or vent just because you are the first person we've heard of with these conditions co-existing. Everyone is different, and everyone is beautiful in their own way, and you are welcome here.

Mary

[specedteacher]

Mike and Mary,

Thanks for the kind words and advice. This always has been a welcoming place.

Mary, the notes on my neurology screening those many years ago, use the label minimal brain damage. This is also mentioned on the wikpedia site. The name dyapraxia came along much later. I'm guessing Mom never told me because she didn't want me to think there was something wrong with my brain. So I did have OT, speech, and stuff but never knew of the label. I'm going to talk with my GP just to get his thoughts on the whole thing.

I'm still lacking in coordination/clumsy...darn near fell down when trying to get to my seats at the Diamondback's game on Sunday. My sense of balance is lousy... I also get very sea sick/ sick on roller coasters....they probably go together. I also have the temper thing mentioned and the left/right thing. Reading that information after I saw the initial news story was very strange. I was looking for possible issues I would have to deal with in the classroom with my students, and instead found myself.

Thanks for your kind words and for having a place where even the most unusual questions can be asked.

BTW so far so good on the tapering of the meds. My fingers and toes are crossed.

Brian

BTW Mary and Mike, if you are ever in Phoenix, I would be happy to take you for a nice pizza dinner...Ruth Chris is out of the budget.

[mtbargeman]

I yjimk you must be a very special teacher. Trying to relate our own experiences and using everything at our disposal to help others is a very good thing. It takes a special person to be a teacher, and I for one believe you are very special to these kids and their parents. One day, you may see yourself on the Acknowlegement pages of a book, or come up in a graduation speech. Maybe not, but but you will always be remembered for trying so hard to get thru to these very special, precious children. What grade do you teach??

I never learned until I was in my late 20's that I would eventually be deaf. My mom kept that from me, and treated me like a "normal" kid. Dad did the same, though he never, ever went easier on me because I was a girl, the way a lot of Dads do. In fact, I think he was a bit rougher on me than my brother in some ways. I believe he felt he had to make me tough, so I would be able to survive in the world and not just go home crying. I'm GLAD they did, or I'd be really screwed right now. So perhaps it was her way of making sure you knew you were just as good as everybody else, and not"damaged goods" that she was stuck with. Kids have a way of figuring out that everything is their fault, even when it had NOTHING to do with them.

If I ever make it out your way, I'll take you up on that pizza, but You'll have to feed my family, too

MAry

[Mike Bartolatz]

Brian,
do you have lesions on your brain? is this what the 'damage of the brain' means?

there are other conditions that could explain some of this that are directly linked to uveitis. sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between these conditons in some people until Uveitis presents itself. although unusual, some of these things can occur in children.
did you have Valley fever as a child? Lyme disease? other things like Multiple Sclerosis, sarcoidosis, systemic lupus Erythematosus and Sjogren's syndrome all can have a connection to Uveitis, have lesions on the brain, cause problems with Gait etc,
another condition that has optic neuritis and transverse myelitis is neuro myelitis optica. have you been tested for ANA, ACE, ANTI NMO, ANTI Ro, ANTI LA, HLA DR2 and B15?

Wish you the very best,
Mike

[specedteacher]

MIke,

No lesions that I know of. Never had a brain scan. He just did a workup that I remember very vaguely. However a big YES on the valley fever. I had a very bad case (almost enough to get me to the hospital) when I was around 10 or 11. The doctor can still see those little white spots (nodes?) on my lungs when I get chest x-rays for bronchitis. Even 30 years later I remember how sick I was.

The "minimal brain damage label", I think, is due to the Doctors not having a better name for it 30 years ago. Sort of how MR kids were called the "slow" kids back in the 50's and 60's. That is made mention of on the wikipedia article.

Mary,

Thanks for the kind words. They are appreciated. With the high level of stress, however, I am considering a career change. The steroid drops also make it a little difficult as far as patience is concerned.

Mom's reasoning was probably the same as your parents. She would do that.

As far as the pizza, I'll just make it an extra-large

Brian

[Mike Bartolatz]

Have your doctors been made aware of your past experience with Valley Fever?
since it is a fungus, and you have 'nodules on your lungs' can this be a significant finding? can the nodules reactivate and cause uveitis? these are questions for which I have no answers but might impact your health and be the trigger for uveitis. is there an expert at the University that might have answers to these questions there in Arizona?
can your new doctor order MRI of the Brain to see if you have lesions that could explain some of your problems?
to me it sounds like you need some consideration that hasn't been done in your past to try to answer stuff. I'm not a doctor but am inquisitive as you know and you need some relief if at all possible from not only your uveitis but also your other systemic problems.
this might be a red herring so to speak but it seems that everything is being attributed to some supposed thing rather than explore options that are related directly to uveitis which can sometimes take decades to appear.

I truly wish you the very best,
Mike

[mtbargeman]

Brian-

Pred drops don't do much for ANYBODY'S patience, tolerance, complexion, or general good feeling about themselves. My aunt is a schoolteacher, and she tried to change careers, but found that she truly missed it, and so went back. I had the impression that it is like Nursing and Food Service- it gets under your skin and into your system in such a way that giving it up is very painful and upsetting. If being a teacher is what you truly love ( I suspect it is, or you wouldn't try so hard to walk a mile in their shoes), then give it a bit of time, and see if you can find a way to make yourcondition co-exist with your calling in life. Just because WE have OID, does NOT mean OID has US.

I haven't been able to work for a few years now, but I am going to speak with my caseworker at Dept. For the Blind and Vision Impaired here in the Old Dominion and see what sorts of rehab and Vocational training they can come up with to get me back to some kind of work that is worth doing. I'm only 32- I'll be 33 the 8th of Sept- And I have two young kids to raise. I feel like I have a responsibility to them to not ever give up and keep trying to do better, be better, make something more worthwhile with my life than being a short order cook, housekeeper and bottle-washer. For me to continue to sit here, waiting on SSD benefits, feels like giving up. I wasn't raised that way. Now I have my health, if not proper vision, I owe it to my kids to keep trying. I think you owe it to yourself to look deep inside and see what YOU want, and to carry on with that as best you can, for as long as you can. You owe to those shining little faces who depend on you to keep trying for a bit longer, too. They need you, and I believe you will find that you need them as well.

Keep Your Head UP,

Mary