Learning To Laugh At Your MS
MS Dialect
(Or a lesson in the proper use of “the thingy over there”)
Disclaimer: This is simply meant to be a humorous article and there are no doctors or scientist who are studying the use of the word thingy in a patient with MS. However, I think it might prove amusing. I am also aware the person with MS is not the only type to use the "thingy dialect". You will often find this type of language being used by older persons and frazzled parents. Enjoy!
Scientists are not sure when the word thingy came into use in the world of MS but have been able to discern by study that thingy also knows as, thingamabob, or simply as thing, is any item for which the person with MS cannot remember the proper English name. Doctors have often reported that variations on the thingy dialect can occur when lesions are located in different spots of the brain. This causes some patients to not say “thingy” but “thingamajig” or “whatsit”. Regardless of the studies there has been no cure found for thingy-talking and the progression of the dialect seems to follow the path of the MS.
In the beginning thingy is only used randomly when the patient is tired or stressed. At this point, like a computer low on memory, the brain seems to save energy and space by only allowing access to certain files. The rest of the system is temporarily shut down. Therefore when the patient is looking for the word “Kitchen counter”, they can only come up with a picture of a kitchen counter in their mind, with no corresponding word. This leaves the patient searching frantically for a way to communicate their needs without the ability to use the words: kitchen counter.
While many board games are played by not being allowed to say words, the average human being has a vast store of synonyms, which can be used at any time when a word is eliminated from their vocabulary. Example: If the game calls for a person to say blueberry without using the words blue or berry, they can instantly pull up the words “turquoise” and “small round fruit.” For the patient with MS this synonym file is completely blocked leaving the patient saying, “blue round thingies.”
So in the instance of the kitchen counter, the patient can only rely on color words and random arm movements with which to describe what they need. In this example the MSer would like their partner to retrieve the soda they left on the kitchen counter. (I applaud them for even remembering where the soda was in the first place. That’s a great feat.) Since the proper words have been blocked off and the synonym file is inaccessible the patient is left saying “Dear could you get me the drink I left on the thingy?”
This sadly prompts the spouse to say “What!?” as they are in utter confusion over what the MSer wants.
Realizing that their words have not aptly described what they wish, the MSer attempts to restate their request adding in a directional phrase while pointing: “ It’s on the thingy in the room out there where we put all the stuff.” Now that the spouse is roaming about the house, the MSer becomes more frantic in their attempt to get the point across using an irritated tone because the spouse is unaffiliated by MS and is obviously making this more difficult that it should be. “The soda is on the flat thing out there!” (Remember the MSer is pointing in the general direction of the kitchen.) At this point the spouse locates the soda is always unable to resist educating the MSer. “Oh you meant the counter in the kitchen.” This attempt to remind the MSer of the words they forgot is usually met with the clipped statement “I know!” (Or face making when the spouses back is turned.)
Oftentimes this battle of finding the word or finding the soda, leads the MSer to shout the phrase “I’ll get it myself!” which when the MSer is fatigued is quite a difficult feat and raises the level of stress even higher.
As the disease and fatigue progresses thingy becomes a catchall phrase for many items. “It’s on the thingy in there.” is a favorite term used by fluent MS dialect speakers. As more synonyms become unavailable, directional terms get used more often. Looking back at the kitchen discussion, a fluent speaker will often not be able to use the word “flat” or to even know that it is a “soda” they are requesting. This makes the request even more vague: “Get the thing I left on the thingy in there.” This requires close watch by the spouse of the MSer so that they are able to know at a moment’s notice which “thing” the MSer has misplaced.
In fact, it has been recommend that spouses take the time to observe what the MSer is doing so that they may gather clues as to what the person wishes. Using another example in the kitchen we have a MSer cooking eggs needing the spatula. However the word spatula has slipped their mind for the moment. By noticing that the MSer who has requested “the thing over there” is burning eggs in a frying pan, the spouse may be able to discern that the spatula is needed.
While thingy dialect starts off as a random and brief occurrence in the language of a person with MS, after only a matter of months, it may of progressed to adding in other catch-all phrases and an absence of any proper terms at all. In what has puzzled many doctors and scientists it appears the patient would rather give out longer requests than to take a deep breath and quietly wait for the word to come. However in a day and age where everything is approached in a fast and frantic manner, the person with MS would rather shout out over 20 words and five sentences with full arm waving and finger pointing to get the point across. The latest hypothesis for this strange behavior is that the MSer has entered into a battle with their brain. It is believed that the person thinks if they just keep talking long enough while waving their arms, the word might eventually be forced out.
Although a few patients have tried daily doses of Gingko Biloba and Provigil to increase brainpower and ward off fatigue, there is no medication as of yet which can help with the thingy-dialect. It seems unfortunate that despite all the recent progress in the study of Multiple Sclerosis that this unfortunate cognitive difficulty has not been given more attention. It seems that although many MSers are affected daily by this disorder it is not a significant enough symptom. Most doctors tend to focus on symptoms that interfere with the patient’s life and at this time calling the refrigerator “the cold thingy with food” is not sufficient interference. I would be interested in how the numerous spouses and children, who have been run about the house trying to complete the vague “thingy” quests, feel. I am quite sure that this disastrous form of MS dialect has indeed affected many who are simply waiting for help.
(An excerpt from "Phone In The Fridge" by Lorna J. Moorhead) To purchase a copy of the book click HERE.
Disclaimer: This is simply meant to be a humorous article and there are no doctors or scientist who are studying the use of the word thingy in a patient with MS. However, I think it might prove amusing. I am also aware the person with MS is not the only type to use the "thingy dialect". You will often find this type of language being used by older persons and frazzled parents. Enjoy!
Scientists are not sure when the word thingy came into use in the world of MS but have been able to discern by study that thingy also knows as, thingamabob, or simply as thing, is any item for which the person with MS cannot remember the proper English name. Doctors have often reported that variations on the thingy dialect can occur when lesions are located in different spots of the brain. This causes some patients to not say “thingy” but “thingamajig” or “whatsit”. Regardless of the studies there has been no cure found for thingy-talking and the progression of the dialect seems to follow the path of the MS.
In the beginning thingy is only used randomly when the patient is tired or stressed. At this point, like a computer low on memory, the brain seems to save energy and space by only allowing access to certain files. The rest of the system is temporarily shut down. Therefore when the patient is looking for the word “Kitchen counter”, they can only come up with a picture of a kitchen counter in their mind, with no corresponding word. This leaves the patient searching frantically for a way to communicate their needs without the ability to use the words: kitchen counter.
While many board games are played by not being allowed to say words, the average human being has a vast store of synonyms, which can be used at any time when a word is eliminated from their vocabulary. Example: If the game calls for a person to say blueberry without using the words blue or berry, they can instantly pull up the words “turquoise” and “small round fruit.” For the patient with MS this synonym file is completely blocked leaving the patient saying, “blue round thingies.”
So in the instance of the kitchen counter, the patient can only rely on color words and random arm movements with which to describe what they need. In this example the MSer would like their partner to retrieve the soda they left on the kitchen counter. (I applaud them for even remembering where the soda was in the first place. That’s a great feat.) Since the proper words have been blocked off and the synonym file is inaccessible the patient is left saying “Dear could you get me the drink I left on the thingy?”
This sadly prompts the spouse to say “What!?” as they are in utter confusion over what the MSer wants.
Realizing that their words have not aptly described what they wish, the MSer attempts to restate their request adding in a directional phrase while pointing: “ It’s on the thingy in the room out there where we put all the stuff.” Now that the spouse is roaming about the house, the MSer becomes more frantic in their attempt to get the point across using an irritated tone because the spouse is unaffiliated by MS and is obviously making this more difficult that it should be. “The soda is on the flat thing out there!” (Remember the MSer is pointing in the general direction of the kitchen.) At this point the spouse locates the soda is always unable to resist educating the MSer. “Oh you meant the counter in the kitchen.” This attempt to remind the MSer of the words they forgot is usually met with the clipped statement “I know!” (Or face making when the spouses back is turned.)
Oftentimes this battle of finding the word or finding the soda, leads the MSer to shout the phrase “I’ll get it myself!” which when the MSer is fatigued is quite a difficult feat and raises the level of stress even higher.
As the disease and fatigue progresses thingy becomes a catchall phrase for many items. “It’s on the thingy in there.” is a favorite term used by fluent MS dialect speakers. As more synonyms become unavailable, directional terms get used more often. Looking back at the kitchen discussion, a fluent speaker will often not be able to use the word “flat” or to even know that it is a “soda” they are requesting. This makes the request even more vague: “Get the thing I left on the thingy in there.” This requires close watch by the spouse of the MSer so that they are able to know at a moment’s notice which “thing” the MSer has misplaced.
In fact, it has been recommend that spouses take the time to observe what the MSer is doing so that they may gather clues as to what the person wishes. Using another example in the kitchen we have a MSer cooking eggs needing the spatula. However the word spatula has slipped their mind for the moment. By noticing that the MSer who has requested “the thing over there” is burning eggs in a frying pan, the spouse may be able to discern that the spatula is needed.
While thingy dialect starts off as a random and brief occurrence in the language of a person with MS, after only a matter of months, it may of progressed to adding in other catch-all phrases and an absence of any proper terms at all. In what has puzzled many doctors and scientists it appears the patient would rather give out longer requests than to take a deep breath and quietly wait for the word to come. However in a day and age where everything is approached in a fast and frantic manner, the person with MS would rather shout out over 20 words and five sentences with full arm waving and finger pointing to get the point across. The latest hypothesis for this strange behavior is that the MSer has entered into a battle with their brain. It is believed that the person thinks if they just keep talking long enough while waving their arms, the word might eventually be forced out.
Although a few patients have tried daily doses of Gingko Biloba and Provigil to increase brainpower and ward off fatigue, there is no medication as of yet which can help with the thingy-dialect. It seems unfortunate that despite all the recent progress in the study of Multiple Sclerosis that this unfortunate cognitive difficulty has not been given more attention. It seems that although many MSers are affected daily by this disorder it is not a significant enough symptom. Most doctors tend to focus on symptoms that interfere with the patient’s life and at this time calling the refrigerator “the cold thingy with food” is not sufficient interference. I would be interested in how the numerous spouses and children, who have been run about the house trying to complete the vague “thingy” quests, feel. I am quite sure that this disastrous form of MS dialect has indeed affected many who are simply waiting for help.
(An excerpt from "Phone In The Fridge" by Lorna J. Moorhead) To purchase a copy of the book click HERE.