Chronic Pain

In a flash..

concussedmom

IT all happened without me even realizing it was happening.  I had just dropped my girls off at daycare, and I was sitting at a cross intersestion, waiting to make a left turn my school. I was watching the traffic pattern- trying to anticipate when it would be my turn to edge ahead.  There was a pick up truck directly in front of me.  He had his turn signal on- as I did- we were both turning left.

And then, the flash happened.  I didn’t see it coming, nor did a I realize, at first, how significant that moment would be in my life.  In a flash, my and my familiy’s life changed.

A distracted driver ran right jnto the back of my minivan- causing my full travel mug  to be tossed across my front seat.  Likewise, it caused my head and neck to be tossed forward and back, two times over.  My brain bounced within my skull and my neck was strained beyond its capacity, and with these injuries, my life was forever changed.

It can happen to anyone- and it can happen in a flash- so embrace each moment for all that it is worth- you never know if it could be the end of the old, and the start of your new life.

Be aware, and don’t believe The Myth of Mild Concussion.

 

Chronic Pain

Rare Disease Day and What a Hero Looks Like

concussedmom

Today is Rare Disease Day, 2019. It is a day set aside to draw attention to conditions that may not get as much press, but can be just as deadly.

I had written a longer post today about my mom’s experience living with Scleroderma and Pulmonary Hypertension, but the truth is, I didn’t feel like I did a good enough job on it- so I will write a condensed version.

You see, this day is an important one to my sister and I. Our mom died 3.5 years ago at the too-young age of 66, from a combination of both diseases. Our mom’s final courageous act of kindness, though, was to agree to donate her heart and lungs for research.

She was a fighter her ENTIRE life- and she died a warrior. We pray that one day, her donation leads to finding a cure for these two, rare diseases. ❤️

THIS is what a hero looks like.

Chronic Pain

Worth mentioning..

concussedmom

I just became aware of this program- people, adults or children, who have a physical or mental disability, are entitled to a “free” pass to all US National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands.

When on disability, every penny counts–ESPECIALLY with the medical costs that mount up for each and every one of us.

Here’s the necessary instructions:

https://lifehacker.com/people-with-disabilities-are-entitled-to-a-free-lifetim-1832699399

Chronic Pain

Lady Gaga- Chronic Pain Warrior

concussedmom

While I did not watch most of last night’s Oscars, I DID make sure to see Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s performance of “Shallow” from “A Star is Born,” and all I can say is “Wow!”

I must admit, I wasn’t a huge Gaga fan when she first hit the scene. I was too distracted by the sometimes odd nature of her performances to really focus on her songs. I did, however, always appreciate how she went out of her way to make her fans, especially the marginalized and sometimes ostracized, feel loved and accepted.

I began to pay more attention to Gaga when news of her Fibromyalgia diagnosis became news. Always looking for inspirational stories, I made sure to watch her documentary, Lady Gaga, Five Foot Two when it was released. I found it VERY real, and unfortunately, relatable. The will to push herself past her limits, and then the boomerang effect that would have her curled in the fetal position, longing for relief- all of that resonated with me, as I am sure it would with many chronic pain sufferers. While Gaga’s life is obviously very privileged- she can afford full time assistance to help her manage pain and everyday life- it still struck a chord within me to see her raw pain. I feel like I can understand the very real place that she is coming from when she performs- both on stage and in the movies. This understanding of Lady Gaga’s life made watching A Star is Born even more emotional for me- and I don’t think many of the Oscar watchers will soon forget her performance of In The Shallows anytime soon. So if you have an hour or two to spare, take the time to see watch Ms. Gaga’s story and you will see how a real star is born.

#concussion, #pcs

When the words won’t come…

concussedmom
So many words…

The irony of how often I have to communicate my misunderstandings, or shortcomings from my brain injury, is not lost on me. With brain injuries, a lot of people, myself included can suffer from aphasia. The best way I can explain aphasiato those who don’t know, is to imagine you had to step back into a library in the 1980’s. Now imagine that you have a school assignment to complete. You will have to find five facts from three different resources. And you may only use the materials available at this 1980’s library, and you will be utilizing the card catalog and working with the Dewy Decimal System.

Now imagine at the same time, your friend has been given the same assignment, but they are allowed to use their iPhone, iPad, and school computer to do their research.

How much sooner would the answers be found with the streamlined technology? Almost as quickly as they typed in a question, they would receive answers.

However, you would be at the mercy of sifting through the card catalog- then having to find and vet sources. While both methods may eventually, lead to success- I think it is clear that the streamlined- digital method for finding information could be MUCH faster.

My brain, once, was the streamlined, tech-savy expert on words and the thoughts that I wanted to express. And then one day, my brain became the equivalent of a kindly, old librarian who lives in my head and has access to all of the files of information I have. Now, each time I so much as want to say a word- the librarian gets scooting along- as fast as possible- in order for me to be able to say each sentence. And sometimes, when I just can’t complete my thoughts- the librarian came up short. Often times, the more that is going on around me, the slower that librarian can work – leading to more incomplete thoughts and un-found words- and DEFINITELY more frustration on my part.

That is what it is like to live with a #tbi and #aphasia. So if you see me and I have very few words for you- you can blame it on my librarian. She’s working her hardest.