The Other Side of Aphasia
Carlota Schoolman's poignant account of the seemingly ordinary accident that left her with profound aphasia ("Finding her Voice," April/May 2016) and how she has emerged from that, reminded me of when I fell on a concrete path in the 1980s, while walking for exercise. Secondary to the skull fracture and concussion I sustained, I lost my sense of smell and was diagnosed with a condition called anosmia. All these years later, I still have no sense of smell. I sometimes experience phantom smells, a rather common associated symptom, and I smell things that are not there. One adjusts, one goes on, one looks forward. - Leslie Robin Kassal, Baltimore, MD
I just read the inspiring article about Carlota Schoolman and her recovery from aphasia. I had a stroke in 2011 at age 32 and have aphasia. I still having difficulty writing and explaining myself. Thanks to Carlota for taking the time to let other people know they can keep improving. - Amanda Lynn Puskas, Medford, NJ
Avoiding Suicide
Regarding neurologic disorders and suicide ("Back from the Brink," April/May 2016), I'd like to offer my perspective as someone with hereditary spastic paraplegia about how I keep thoughts of suicide at bay: I exercise regularly, primarily to keep my leg and back muscles loose, to avoid back pain. I also follow a healthy diet. I make every effort to keep busy so I can't sit and think about my situation. This philosophy is effective, but as the disability continues to progress it becomes more challenging. I believe much can be learned from Viktor E. Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning. "It may well be that an individual's impulse to take his life would have been overcome had he been aware of some meaning and purpose worth living for," he writes. He urges all of us to create, love, and grow. These are not simple solutions, but they are goals to strive for in order to avoid the tragedy of suicide. - Pahl W. Rice, Jewett City, CT
Alzheimer's Trials
I would like to thank Kurt Samson for writing a comprehensive article about Alzheimer's disease trials ("Moving the Dial on Dementia," April/May 2016), Helen DeCoste for sharing her story, and Neurology Now for publishing the article. I also concur with the underlying theme of the article: We need more volunteers of every race and ethnicity to provide their services for this study and future studies to help researchers find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. I am currently participating in the A4 trial in Providence, RI. In fact, I was the first participant to receive an infusion on June 9, 2014. I have a little more than a year to go before I finish the three-year trial. When asked why I wanted to participate, I immediately thought of my two daughters and five grandchildren. If I can prevent them from getting this devastating disease by participating in this study, I feel empowered to help. - Peter Bristol, Wakefield, RI
Miracle Child
I was happy to see a mention of cytomegalovirus in the article "What is Microcephaly" (April/May 2016). I contracted this virus while pregnant and gave birth to a daughter who is now 28. She has cerebral palsy on the left side and a seizure disorder. She is my walking, talking miracle. - Michelle Jericevich, Marietta, GA
Vitamin D and MS
Thank you for your article on vitamin D ("Vitamin D Download," April/May 2016). Prior to reading it, I was afraid my neurologist had prescribed too high a dose. I'm happy to learn 4,000 IU of D3 was right on the money for my multiple sclerosis (MS). I attribute this to my last magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan showing no new lesions. Neurology Now is especially helpful for me as I also have benign tremors and bipolar II disorder. Without your information, a lot of us out here would be significantly more ignorant! - Roxie Carter, Manning, SC
This is just anecdotal, but my husband was diagnosed 18 months ago with MS, and at that time had vitamin D blood levels of less than 20 ng/mL. He has supplemented with vitamin D at 5,000 to 8,000 IU a day. After approximately six months, his vitamin D levels measured 24 ng/mL, another six months later 35, and six months after that 59. Clearly he is able to absorb the vitamin and has the proper receptors to do so, debunking, in his case, a theorized inability to uptake vitamin D. In addition, his MRIs, also performed every six months since, have shown no progression of MS lesions. Just one case illustrative of the benefit of higher vitamin D levels. - Bella Kaye, Spencer, OH
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for sharing your experiences with vitamin D. Despite such anecdotal evidence, experts would advise caution in interpreting the effect of the vitamin on MS or other conditions, which is why they stress the need for better and larger studies.
Prisoners of War
The article on headaches ("Heal Your Headache," April/May 2016) did not mention that two women were captured and held as prisoners of war when their unit was ambushed in 2003: Jessica Lynch and her friend Shoshana Johnson. A third woman, Lori Piestewa, was captured in the same ambush but was mortally wounded. - Ann E. Franklin, Warrenton, NC
CORRECTION: In our Eye on Therapy story about migraines ("Heal Your Headache," April/May 2016, http://bit.ly/NN-HealYourHeadache ), we incorrectly identified Anjan Chatterjee, MD, MBA, MPH, FAAN, as a professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Chatterjee is a board-certified neurologist and psychiatrist in New York City. We regret the error and any inconvenience it may have caused.
