Thank you so much for your wonderful words. I remember your first interaction with me, you gave me some help with a gardening issue and someone (@grow-pro, I think?) replied to you that your username is not accurate, at least not this time or something like that. :)
I'm sorry to hear about your injury. Having your memory reset sounds like that movie "Memento"; I have tons that I forget, but I do retain some from past days. I recall a lot better, events that happened before the first concussion. And a lot worse, events after the second and even more so, since the latest one, seven months ago.
I'm also heading for disability; have been rejected once, and am currently staring at the paperwork for the second which will likely be rejected as well. Then I'll go in front of a board, in person, and then they should grant it. This is what the attorneys tell me -- long-term disability said they'd cut my benefits if I didn't go for a Social Security Disability. Which seems weird, but I guess they've arranged the legislation so that works...
If I might ask, what was your experience getting the disability? My email is [email protected] in case you'd rather not have it on the blockchain, but do want to share.
I love your "adorable puppies" wording. No idea what's going on in a puppy's mind, but it likes a belly rub! :)
I read this comment yesterday. I have a toothache; a filling popped out months ago and I don't really like dentists, the last two tried to scam me. Your "celebrate brushing your teeth" really resonated. I also have sleep issues, and rarely sleep through the night. Last night was similar, got up around 3 am for a few hours, then went back to bed. While I was up, I did some oil pulling -- and today, the tooth doesn't hurt! I need to make it a routine, especially with the currently-exposed parts. I have a sticky note on my laptop but it really took your words to motivate me, and I thank you for them!
One of the guys at the meeting has tics, which we discussed during the meeting; the organizer (who is recovering herself) said that her experience of Somatic Experiencing (from http://traumahealing.org/) tells her that experiencing the tics is a good thing, that it's the body trying to reset itself. He said if he lets them go, they can throw him across the room! That's scary, he said one time he was asleep and ended up five feet away out of bed.
I didn't share this at the meeting, but I feel almost like it's an advantage to have those tics. One look at him, and most people will recognize that something is wrong. I look just fine (apart from my broken eye, from birth), but I tend to explode, randomly. I'm like a walking time bomb.
Another guy said he has "flat effect" which is like not showing emotion, facially. He said (and I didn't probe) that he learned not to explode because he's been locked up, and he doesn't want to be locked up again. Curious as to whether that was before or after his issue. Which wasn't a normal head injury -- he died for a few minutes, his heart stopped, and his brain didn't have enough oxygen -- so the injury was all internal.
Several people expressed that they write journals. I think next meeting I'll share my experiences on Steemit, as it's very similar to journaling, just perhaps a little less structured. This is a long comment, for instance. :)
Others said they use a calendar, and write on it what happened that day, making it easy to look back. And also look forward, by putting upcoming appointments on it. I use my phone's calendar for the latter, but I don't do the former. Perhaps I should.
"I'm amazing." That's weird to type. Like the phrasing for EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique by Gary Craig, at http://emofree.com -- "Even though I 'X', I deeply and completely love and accept myself.", where 'X' is the issue you're trying to resolve. First many times I did EFT, I would choke up while saying that and start crying. Thanks.
Sometimes I love it & it feels like a super power. The world is constantly full of wonder & I'm always a little delighted & surprised.
I often get to meet people over & over.
I forget a lot of the deep hurts & every day feels a little like that Jim Carrey movie about a Spotless Mind.
I see that we & others you've met & I share similar experiences. That's a bit reassuring in its own way.
I really loved your reply & I'll answer more when my brain is a bit higher functioning & I can comprehend it better.
I have the attention span of a gnat right now.
But I think you've really hit to the heart of getting better (or not) by just accepting it. That struggle against reality part is no joke. It reminds me of the Matrix movie sometimes. But, one path leads to things getting better & one path leads to them staying the same or getting worse.
It's worth trying.
You already survived something that could have killed you.
Also that comment about the twitches makes me much more accepting of when my body goes wonky.
Anyways, thanks for the reply even though I haven't actually for reals answered what you discussed yet, lol.
"Meet people over and over" resonates. Saw someone while we were out Friday I hadn't seen in about two years, and vaguely recognized him. Haven't seen that Jim Carrey movie yet.
I think it's really neat that we almost have a "group" in Steemit!
Glad to have helped with your perception of your twitches.
I also think it's neat, that by sharing my pain, I've learned more about those around me. I could have chosen to "keep it to myself" and not ever mention my disability here -- I am glad I didn't. I'm connecting more, even if I later forget some of those connections.
Looking forward to your upcoming response! :)
Sometimes it's a blessing to forget. People have a chance to make better impressions the second or third time around. ;) Also, some people just expect to have been on my mind far more than reality would justify.
I'm glad you didn't keep it to yourself too. It pushed me to also open up a part of my life I've kept hidden. People understand a broken leg, but a broken brain is harder to understand. Sometimes it feels as if people don't think they're real. Which confuses me. But anyways, I love that line about connecting more even if you forget, pricelessly true.
"A broken brain is harder to understand" -- absolutely! I'm certain that I didn't understand it properly, prior to experiencing it. Just had someone unfollow me who I though I was connecting with, @dandesign86, which confused me. It was after I made today's post about neuro feedback. Oh well!
Thanks.