MBP loses MM then won't turn on

I open the cover to wake the computer, MM that is still turned on and was working previously won't work. Shows as still connected in menu and in preferences. Sometimes turning it off and on works. When it doesn't, I try shutting off BT from the menu bar icon. Get the spinning wheel for a while, sometimes it will shut off after a minute or so. When it does, it won't turn back on from either drop down menu on menu bar or BT preferences pane unless I restart. Preferences takes almost a minute to open up. Ideas? PS I read here about a "fix" to the mouse involving bending something around the off/on switch with a butter knife. Couldn't make out what that meant.