Recovery

CHANGES

AS TIME GOES BY, I REALIZE I’M STILL RECOVERING, IN WAYS THAT CAN’T BE SEEN: SURE, THERE’S NOTICABLE JUMPS, LIKE WALKING, FEEDING MYSELF, OR TYPING LONGER POSTS. THERE’S SMALLER JUMPS, LIKE GETTING MORE TONE IN MY FACE, & SUCH, SO I CAN C GLIMMERS OF ME PRE-STROKE, & OTHERS MIGHT RECOGNIZE ME IN A PIC. OR VIDEO.

BUT U CAN’T C THAT VERY SLOWLY, PARTS OF MY PERSONALITY IS RETURNING.

4 EX: I LOVE KIDS. AS TIME GOES BY, I FIND WAYS 2 INTERACT &/OR PLAY W/THEM AGAIN. I HAD FUN W/A 7 MO. OLD NEPHEW…HE WAS IN A WALKER, FOLLOWING ME WHEEL AROUND. AFTER ALL, WE’RE THE COOL KIDS ON SEATS W/WHEELS! EVERY FEW FEET, I TURNED & STUCK OUT MY TONGUE (WHICH I COULDN’T DO B4, & TRIED IN SPEECH THERAPY SEVERAL YRS. AGO. BUT HAVE LEARNED, 2 FIA’S DELIGHT). BUT THE BEST PART WAS THAT HE WOULD DO IT BACK!

OTHER STUFF I DO 2 INTERACT &/OR PLAY W/KIDS AGAIN:
• SOOTHE A CRYING INFANT, IN A BABY CARRIER
• RETURN A CHILD’S JABBER-TALK, W/MY OWN JABBER-TALK (FIA ESP. LOVES THIS)
• SING (“EIEIO” IS A FAV.)
• HIDE N SEEK
• RED ROVER
• BASEBALL
• LISTEN 2 STORIES
• ETC—YES, THERE’S MORE!

ANOTHER EX: MUSIC IS A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE, & IT’S COMING BACK. I’VE SHYED AWAY FROM IT, AS IT EVOKES 2 MANY FEELINGS, & CAN MAKE MY PBA UNCONTROLLABLE…BUT ABOUT A YR. AGO, I WENT THROUGH A PHASE & TOOK CHARGE OF LIKE 20-30 FAV. CDS, SO I HAD THE POWER 2 LISTEN WHEN I WANTED 2. I TOOK UP GUITAR—SOMETHING I’VE ALWAYS WANTED 2 LEARN. I HAD RE-NEWED ENERGY 2 LEARN PIANO, 1-HANDED…I RECALL A DAY WHEN I WELCOMED BACK THE MUSICAL PART OF ME.

ANOTHER EX: I USED 2 TEACH TRADITIONAL SCRAPBOOK. HOW I FEARED THAT RETURNING, 4 FEAR OF PRIDE LOST, BECAUSE IT’D BEEN SO LONG. BUT THE TEACHER IN ME (EL. ED. MAJOR) & SCRAPBOOKER CAME CHARGING BACK, & FELT SO GOOD. I THRIVE TEACHING OTHERS 2 DIGITAL SCRAP., & RECENTLY TAUGHT MY GIRLS TRADITIONAL SCRAP.

YET 1 LAST EX: I LOVE 2 TEASE. FIGURE, IF I HAVE 2 SPELL, SO I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE FUN DOING IT! INSTEAD OF SAYING “AFRAID OF SPIDERS,” 2 THOSE WHO R VERY CONFIDENT OF THEIR “JENNY-ESE,” I MIGHT SPELL THAT”I HAVE “ARACNAPHOBIA”– BUT IT’S RARE 2 C MY HUMOR, BECAUSE I THINK FUNNY STUFF MORE THAN I SIGN IT! HENCE, I MAY “THINK SOMETHING HUNNY IN MY HEAD,” & LAUGH ALONE, OUT OF THE BLUE.

MY NEWEST PHASE IS SPENDING TIME W/FAM. & OTHERS (SO NO APOLOGIES W/MY TYPING).

I AM SOMEE1 WHO NEEDS ALONE TIME, BUT I HATE ISOLATION, THOUGH IT OFTEN, UNDERSTANDABLY, COMES W/THE TERRITORY. SEEMS I DID FINE W/LESS COMP. TIME A FEW YRS. AGO…

DESPITE THAT I TYPE W/1 FINGER, & I ALSO TALK W/IT, & TRY 2 DO SOME THINGS THE SAME AS B4 (& I WAS ALWAYS A BUSY MOM B4!). SO SEEMS I SHOULD BE OK W/LESS COMP. TIME NOW, IF A DAY WORKS OUT THAT WAY. I’VE FOUND I BENEFIT, AT TIMES, 2 TEAR MYSELF AWAY & ENJOY “QUALITY TIME.”

MY IDENTITY IS COMING BACK. I CUT & HIGHLIGHTED MY HAIR. PHYSICALLY, THERE’S A CHANGE—I’M BLONDER & HAVE SHORTER HAIR. BUT THERE’S CHANGES JUST AS BIG, GOING ON INSIDE OF ME.

CLASS

BEEN TYPING A TON, JUST NOT HERE. A LOT GOING ON W/FAMILY, CHURCH, ETC.

TRYING 2 PREP 2 SOON TEACH THE GIRLS IN A SCRAP. CLASS—JESS ALREADY DABBLES (IT’S SO CUTE), BUT FIA ASKED 4 A SCRAPBOOK CLASS (SHE SHARES MY EXTREME LOVE 4 STICKERS, WHICH STARTED ME SCRAPBOOKING, & LOVES 2 LOOK AT ANY SCRAPBOOK ALBUM I MAKE, SO IT’S IN HER BLOOD 2!)

HAD FUN THIS AM. TURNED ON “THE LITTLE MERMAID” SOUNDTRACK, ATE GOLDFISH (I CAN FEED MYSELF, BUT IT GETS HARDER AS TIME GOES ON), & TALKED 2 THE GIRLS. WELL, MORE LISTENED REALLY, AS SONGS SPARKED MEMORIES FROM BACKSTAGE, ON THEIR RECENT NY TRIP.

NEAT THAT THEY SIGN WELL ENOUGGH THAT I CAN JUST SIT W/THEM (MY 5-YR OLD, FIA, KNOWS “JENNY-ESE,” BUT IF MK SHOWS HER TRUE ASL, SHE CAN BE CLUELESS! LOL)…I DID NO COMP. OR TV 4 AT LEAST AN HR. STRAIGHT!

THEN, AFTER THE MUSIC ENDED, WE PLAYED A GAME! I’M EXCITED NOW, 2 DO R SCRAPBOOK CLASS! IF I GET A HANCE, I’LL POST THE PG. I MADE 4 R CLASS, 2 LEARN FROM…THE GIRLS HAVE ALL THE PIECES, WHICH WE’LL IDENTIFY, LEARN HOW 2 USE, & CREATE A SIMILAR PG., B4 MAKING THEIR OWN PREPARED ALBUMS, USING WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED…

Carlsbad Caverns

VISION

THERE’S OFTEN QUES. ABOUT MY SIGHT…IT’S ACTUALLY A LOADED QUES., INVOLVING MANY FACTORS, & CONSTANTLY CHANGINGAS I ADAPT 2 IT, BUT, ESSENTIALLY, YES, I C U. I C ALARMINGLY WELL. NOT AT ALL “NORMAL,” BUT I C W/DOUBLE VISION. I DON’T C 2 OF U, MY PUPILS JUST DON’T LINE UP. I TEND 2 C THINGS DISTORTED…IF I’M TIRED, SICK, WEAKER, ETC., MY EYE MUSCLES R WEAKER, & IT’S TOUGHER 2 C, BUT I STILL C U.

I C AS IF I’M ON A CRUISE SHIP ALL DAY: MY EYES BOUNCE…MY LEFT EYE SEES BETTER, BUT IS WAY MORE LIGHT SENSITIVE (DAYLIGHT MAKES IT CLOSE) & REALLY WIGGLES. MY RT. EYE WIGGLES 2, BUT I TRY 2 WAIT 4 THE SPLIT SEC. THEY WIGGLE 2GETHER, OR MAKE THE IMAGE THAT I C W/MY RT. EYE, BE THE MORE DOMINANT IMAGE, SINCE IT’S STEADIER—WHICH ONLY WORKS, IF I LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD.

I DON’T HAVE MUCH HORIZONTAL EYE MOVT. (VERY LITTLE IN MY RT. EYE), & MY HEAD CAN’T TURN VERY FAR 2 THE RT., SO, OFTEN, I IDENTIFY PEOPLE BY THE SOUND OF THEIR VOICE, CLOTHES I KNOW U R WEARING, OR BY HAIR (JESS WANTS SHORT HAIR, BUT HAS OPTED 2 KEEP IT LONG, SO I CAN EASILY FIND HER–THOUGH I’VE TOLD HER THAT SHE & ZACH STAND OUT, REGARDLESS OF HAIR LENGTH, SINCE THEIR HAIR IS SO LIGHT).

ANYWAY, IT’S NOT THAT I CAN’T READ SMALL FONT, IT’S THAT IT’S EXTREMELY HARDER (ESP. IF IT’S LONG) & TAKES TONS LONGER, BECAUSE MY EYES JUMP ALL OVER, SO I HAVE 2 KEEP FINDING MY PLACE…W/A LARGER LETTER, MY EYES JUMP, & I STAY SORTA’ IN PLACE. AFTER READING A FEW LETTERS, I GUESS THE WORD (AS MOST DO WHEN I FINGERSPELL, I GUESS THE WORD I’M READING).

TYPING CAN BE ROUGH, AS I’VE NEEDED 2 MEMORIZE THE KEYBOARD SOMEWHAT, & REALLY CONCENTRATE ON THE KEYS, SINCE I CAN’T GLANCE AT A KEY.

HOWEVER, UNLESS IT IS LARGE&/OR CLOSE, OFTEN I CAN’T C FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, UNLESS I KNOW U WELL ENOUGH 4 MY VISUAL MEMORY 2 “FILL IN” A GUESSED FACIAL EXPRESSION. IF I’M AT THE LAST PEW, IN THE CHAPEL AT CHURCH, I CAN C MY PEW. FARTHER AHEAD, THE PULPIT, I C SOME1 IS THERE. IF I KNOW THEM, CHANCES R THAT I CAN IDENTIFY THEM BY THEIR VOICE, CLOTHES, &/OR HAIR. THEN, AMAZING THINGS CAN HAPPEN…MY VISUAL MEMORY RECALLS THEM, & I CAN BE “TRICKED” 2 C THEM!

OBVIOUSLY, THIS VISUAL MEMORY HELPS ME ALSO READ, NAVIGATE THE INTERNET, & FILL IN ANY GAPS W/THINGS THAT I C UP CLOSE. THIS MAKES FAMILY FASTER 2 C, BECAUSE OF VISUAL MEMORY…ALSO EXPLAINS WHY I COULD C SOMETHING A MILLION TIMES IN A CROWD, BUT HAVE NO CLUE IT’S THERE, IF I HAVEN’T SEEN IT CLOSE, & MADE A VISUAL MEMORY OF IT.

THE ONLY TIME I”M UNSURE WHAT I C, DEPENDS ON LIGHTING…LIKE A CAMERA, IF LIGHT IS BEHIND U, U GET DARK. MORE LIGHT, MAKES U DARKER. I C U THERE–U R JUST DARK!

IT’S ME!

HAD INTERNET TROUBLE FOR 3 WEEKS, & ABSOLUTELY NO INTERNET FOR ALMOST 2 WEEKS…SEEMS SOMEWHAT BETTER NOW, BUT AM SLOWLY ANSWERING ALMOST 200 MESSAGES! GOT RID OF THE EASY 1’S, & AM PROUD 2 BE AT ABOUT 100 NOW! FROM HERE ON OUT, IT’S A SLOW PROCESS, AS I TYPE W/1 FINGER.

I’M TAKING MUSIC THERAPY THOUGH, & WOULD U BELIEVE THAT AS I PLAY PIANO FASTER (MY TEMPO STARTED AROUND 55, & IS NOW 72), IT TRANSLATES 2 TYPING FASTER?!?

MEANWHILE, I’D USE THE COMP. SET UP 4 ME, AT MY PARENTS HOUSE, 2 GET INTERNET, ON OCCASSION…BUT EVEN THAT’S BEEN IF-Y, SINCE MOM’S ALSO HAVING INTERNET TROUBLE!

BEEN NICE IN WAYS—RECONNECTING W/FAM., & CAN’T BEGIN 2 MENTION HOW STRESSED I FEEL, BY MY HALF-WRITTEN, SAVED, UNSENT EMAI’S. I GOT STRESSED JUST SORTING THEM! BUT, IN SOME WAYS I WANT 2 DRASTICALLY CHANGE. THERE WERE TIMES I WAS ACTUALLY HAPPIER. SO, BEAR W/ME, AS I ATTEMPT 2 CHANNEL THINGS DIFF.

BUT, IT STANK 2 HAVE NO “PHONE” & WAY 2 CONTACT OTHERS (I HAD TIMES WHEN I JUST NEEDED 2 TALK 2 A FRIEND, BUT WAS COMPLETELY ISOLATED—IT WAS SO PAINFUL 2 HAVE NO WAY 2 REACH OUT 2 ANY1).

IF I NEEDED 2, I WROTE AN EMAIL AT HOME ON A WORD DOCUMENT, ALSO LISTING THE EMAIL ADDRESS & SUBJECT, BURNED IT 2 A CD, WHICH MY MOM OR I COULD COPY & PASTE, 2 SEND AN EMAIL.

NOW, MK BUILT ME A NEW COMP., WHICH ARRIVED THURSDAY…NOT SURE WHEN I I’LL BE AVAILABLE 4 ANYTHING RT. NOW!

SO, SOME FOOD 4 THOUGHT:

• “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It
ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as
patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. All that we suffer and all that we
endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our
characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and
charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God. . . .and it
is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the
education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like
our Father and Mother in heaven. . . “–Orson F. Whitney in Faith Proceeds the Miracle by Spencer W. Kimball.L,
p. 98.
• WE SHOULD NOT COMPARE R SUFFERINGS W/THE SUFFERINGS OF ANOTHER.—MY YAHOO STROKE GROUP
• Focus on your abilities, not your disability. When I am so self absorbed and worried about me, my life falls apart, but when I am focusing on helping another I don’t have time to worry about me. .—MY YAHOO STROKE GROUP

MOM

I WAS RT. ABOUT GETTING SICK—I WAS “OUT OF COMMISION” THE NEXT DAY. & AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, I THINK I’M BETTER, ONLY 2 HAVE THE FEVER RETURN & FEEL AWFUL. MY KIDS HAVE ALL HAD IT, & FELT BETTER & WENT 2 SCHOOL A FEW DAYS, ONLY TO GET ANOTHER FEVER & STAY HOME. THIS CYCLE LASTS ABOUT 2 WEEKS. I HIT 2 WEEKS ON WED. I’M EXPECTING 2+ WEEKS OF “FUN.” (IF U CAN’T TELL, I’M BEING SARCASTIC.)

I RECENTLY HAD A FRUSTRATING DAY. LUCKILY, I WAS REMINDED HOW MUCH I WAS LOVED BY MY GIRLS…TWICE, OUT OF NO WHERE, FIA JUST NEEDED HUGS FROM ME, & SEVERAL TIMES, SHE THOUGHT OF WAYS 2 JUST SIT IN MY LAP & CUDDLE. (IT OFTEN INVOLVES FOOD! SHE LOVES 2 EAT!) JESS LOVES 2 TELL ME STUFF, & BOTH GIRLS 2GETHER, MADE A “WE LOVE MOM” PIC & MOTHER’S DAY STUFF 4 ME. HOW AM I SO LUCKY? I CAN’T BE YOUR ” NORMAL MOM.” THERE’S TONS I CAN’T DO. BUT, APPARENTLY, WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT I WILL & CAN DO! (LIKE, AS I WROTE THIS POST, & DIDN’T WANT TO INTERRUPT MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT, I SET IT ASIDE ANYWAY, 4 AN HOUR, 2 DEAL W/A SIBLING ARGUMENT! & WOULD U BELIEVE THAT THE DAY I WAS GETTING SICK, I PLAYED SOFTBALL W/JESS: SHE HIT & RETRIVED THE BALL, WHICH SHE PLACED IN MY LAP, & WE RAN THE BASES…MY GOAL WAS 2 TAG HER, B4 SHE MADE IT HOME.) WHAT WAS NEAT WAS THAT I COULD DO THIS, EVEN W/STARTING 2 FEEL SICK, & A HURT FOOT, THAT WOULD/VE MADE ME LIMP…BUT, IT WAS WARM OUTSIDE, & SINCE I EXPEND THE SAME ENERGY 2 SIT IN MY W/C INSIDE OR OUTSIDE, IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE WHERE I WAS ROLLING!

IN THE FOREIGN FILM, “THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY” (ABOUT A MAN WHO WAS LOCKED-IN, & I DON’T NECESSARILY RECOMMEND IT, AS SOME1 WHO’S SUPER MODEST & THERE IS NUDITY 3X’S, UNESSECERILY, I THINK, BUT IT WAS “CENSORED” 4 ME, SO I KNEW WHEN 2 CLOSE MY EYES & WAS DUBBED IN ENGLISH, SINCE I CAN’T READ SUBTITLES), HE MENTIONS HOW THOUGH HE HAD LOST THE RIGHT 2 TOUSSLE HIS KIDS’ HAIR & SUCH, THE KIDS WERE HAPPY 2 HAVE ANY INKLING THAT THEIR PARENT WAS THERE. HOW TRUE THAT IS…WHEN EVERYTHING IS TAKEN AWAY, KIDS R JUST SATISFIED 2 BE W/U, SPENDING TIME W/THEM!