1. < Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Baby steps: How do you measure your recovery progress?

Posted by hevykevy @hevykevy, Nov 12, 2019

One of the things that has helped me greatly is paying attention to benchmarks in progress that I have made. Like the first time I could open the bag in a box of cereal with just my hands, no scissors. I knew I was slowly regaining strength in my left hand. When my dizzy spells finally went away, very encouraging! Although they returned twice, but only for a few days each time. When I got my mouth un-wired, and then about 3 months later could finally get my mouth open wide enough to eat a hamburger. Seriously, it took nearly an hour, but I did it.< r />Anyone else noticing little things that were huge indicators of progress?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Support Group.

mugglemary | @mugglemary | Aug 29, 2020
In reply to @hevykevy "I can say with a great deal of confidence, stress is not your best friend, and..." + (show)
@hevykevy

I can say with a great deal of confidence, stress is not your best friend, and it sounds like you are up to your ears in it. I just replaced a patio door in our house and what should have been an afternoon project took 3 days. I just couldn't get it to square up properly. My dizziness returned for the duration of that project. Not a good thing when you are on your knees then up a ladder. It's gone now, the door is done with the exception of some paint touchup.
If I have any advice it would be trim down your to-do list to the necessities for the time being. Get done what you can so you can cross them off. Make sure you are taking care of yourself!!! Get plenty of rest and do something regularly that brings you joy.

Jump to this post

Thanks for the advice, hevykevy. I try to do what you suggest every day. I think I get tunnel vision, and convince myself I need to finish things in one go, then beat myself up ( which is tiring in itself as I’m a pretty poor fighter) when I can’t. However, I can at times catch myself before that happens. Got a new iPhone and was struggling with a couple of problems at one time. Thank gods and goddesses that I opted for the assistance program. Was chatting with a tech and (he/she) was very patient and helped me a great deal. I was weary after getting one problem solved, so my ticket was left open for 48 hours. I talked to someone yesterday who was very impatient and brusque with me. I panicked after I thought I understood what they were saying and left the chat.
On a lighter note, I got myself a paint by numbers set depicting Frida Kahlo and I get to paint outside the lines! My hands twitch unexpectedly. Also got a book with a ton of puzzles in it and have enjoyed using that.

REPLY
1 reply
hevykevy | @hevykevy | Aug 29, 2020
In reply to @mugglemary "Thanks for the advice, hevykevy. I try to do what you suggest every day. I think..." + (show)
@mugglemary

Thanks for the advice, hevykevy. I try to do what you suggest every day. I think I get tunnel vision, and convince myself I need to finish things in one go, then beat myself up ( which is tiring in itself as I’m a pretty poor fighter) when I can’t. However, I can at times catch myself before that happens. Got a new iPhone and was struggling with a couple of problems at one time. Thank gods and goddesses that I opted for the assistance program. Was chatting with a tech and (he/she) was very patient and helped me a great deal. I was weary after getting one problem solved, so my ticket was left open for 48 hours. I talked to someone yesterday who was very impatient and brusque with me. I panicked after I thought I understood what they were saying and left the chat.
On a lighter note, I got myself a paint by numbers set depicting Frida Kahlo and I get to paint outside the lines! My hands twitch unexpectedly. Also got a book with a ton of puzzles in it and have enjoyed using that.

Jump to this post

Technology gives a lot of people "heartburn." Things change so fast. Good to see you are doing things that give you a break. We can destroy ourselves from within if we don't recognize our limitations and stay within them. Always growing if we can but not forcing ourselves to our own harm.

REPLY
1 reply
mugglemary | @mugglemary | Aug 30, 2020
In reply to @hevykevy "Technology gives a lot of people "heartburn." Things change so fast. Good to see you are..." + (show)
@hevykevy

Technology gives a lot of people "heartburn." Things change so fast. Good to see you are doing things that give you a break. We can destroy ourselves from within if we don't recognize our limitations and stay within them. Always growing if we can but not forcing ourselves to our own harm.

Jump to this post

And yesterday my three cats fought each other and 2 were put in time out in carriers. I’m very happy that they didn’t hurt Severus, as they caused a $600 trip to the Emergency Vet last year. As the fight happened, I dropped my new iPhone through the gaps between boards and had to call my friend and her handy dandy hubby to take some of my deck apart to retrieve it.
I read an article on Slate about what a disaster last week was across the board and I am oddly comforted.

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.