BEEN MEANING 2 WRITE 2 U 4EVER & RESPOND 2 YOUR LAST EMAIL. JUST BEEN CRAZY, BECAUUSE I’M ON THE COMP. A WHOLE LOT LESS NOW…IT’S A GOOD THING, JUST HARDER 2 DO WHAT I SET OUT 2 DO IN A DAY, SINCE I MAY NOT HAVE A CHANCE 2 RESPOND 2 EMAILS, ETC. DOESN’T HELP 2 BE SOOO SLOW!

I’VE HIT A NEW PHASE IN MY RECOVERY: I CRAVE FAMILY TIME. & W/THE KIDS GETTING BIGGER, NOT ONLY CAN I SIGN MORE, & BE UNDERSTOOD, 2 A DEGREE, BY MY ENTIRE FAM., BUT THE KIDS R MORE ABLE 2 HELP ME W/THE SIMPLE TASKS THAT MY CAREGIVER USUALLY DOES, MAKING FAMILY TIME US MORE POSS. 4 ME.

BUT, MY PREVIOUS STAGE WAS ISOLATION, SO I BUILT UP HOW I DO THINGS & RESPOND VIA EMAIL, ETC. I HAD A ROUTINE. IT’S TOUGH 2 FIND A NEW BALANCE, & I’M STILL TRYING 2 MAKE UP FOR 2 LOST YRS. AFTER MY STROKE. BUT I’VE TRIED 2 SIMPLIFY, 2 WHAT MATTERS MOST, SO I CAN AFFORD FAMILY TIMES & TRIPS. THE TRICK IS 2 LEAVE APPROPRIATE TIME 4 MYSELF (IE. AN HOUR ALONE SEEMS GOOD, BUT JUST GIVES ME TIME 2 READ EMAILS SENT 2 ME—THE EQUIVALENT OF ANY1 ELSE GETTING THE MESSAGES OFF THEIR ANSWERING MACHINE…BUT, IT OFTEN DOESN’T GIVE ME TIME 2 ANSWER THOSE EMAILS/CALLS. IT CAN MAKE ME VERY HARD 2 GET A HOLD OF, I CAN PLAN LESS 4 THINGS, ETC. BUT WITHOUT TIME 4 ME, I RISK DEPRESSION.

IT HELPS THAT I CUT MY HAIR (I HANDLE OUTSIDE BETTER–IT GAVE ME MORE FEEDOM) & THAT I CAN SIGN MORE (EVEN FIA GETS SMALL WORDS, & SHORT SENTENCES). IT HELPS TONS 2 HAVE LESS 2 TYPE.

I START MY DAY OFFICIALLY AT ABOUT 8/9 AM, ON THE AVERAGE (NOT COUNTING GETTING READY, ETC.). I CONSIDER MY TYPING DAY DONE AT 3 PM (2DAY IT WAS UNTIL 1 PM, SINCE I HAD THERAPY), 2 BE THE KID’S MOM. NOT THAT I WASN’T B4, BUT I’M MORE INVOLVED. SOME DAYS, I GET EXTRA TIME AFTER 5 PM, BUT IT’S A BONUS IF I TYPE AFTER 3. IT’S VERY DECEPTIVE, THOUGH, BECAUSE I TYPE 2 DISCIPLINE, TYPE STORIES THAT FIA DICTATES, INSTANT MESSAGE OR EMAIL THEM, ETC. IT’S OBVIOUS IF I HELP THEM CLEAN, READ W/THEM, OR PLAY OUTSIDE. BUT, I NEVER KNOW WHEN I’LL NEED 2 PUT ASIDE MY TYPING, IN ORDER 2 RESOLVE A SIBLING ARGUEMENT, OR SPEND TIME AS A FAM., SO MY EMAILS R VERY SPORADIC & IT MAKES ME VERY BUSY!

U MAY ENJOY THIS: I DO “GRUNT” ON COMMAND A LOT, 2 GET HELP OR ATTENTION OR TO HAVE THE KIDS CLEAN. UNFORTUNATELY, IF I NEED 2 COMPETE W/ANY OTHER NOISE, IN ORDER 2 BE LOUD ENOUGH 4 OTHERS 2 HEAR, & 2 GET THE AIR I NEED, I HAVE 2 MAKE MYSELF CRY! BUT, THERE REALLY ISN’T TONE, SO THEY ALL SOUND PRETTY SIMILAR…

YET, MY YOUNGEST MAY NEED RE-DIRECTIN, WHILE CLEANING. IF SHE DOES, I GRUNT & POINT 2 THE MESS. KNOW WHAT SHE SAYS? “I KNOW MOM! STOP YELLING AT ME & SAYING (SHE IMATATES MY GRUNT).” SHE SOMEHOW KNOWS MY GRUNTS, THOUGH THEY SOUND VERY FAMILIAR!