My gosh is it a beautiful morning or what? Slight crispness in the air, Carolina blue skies showing through the white and gray clouds which are moving in a southeasterly direction. Did you lay on your back as a child and watch clouds? Wasn’t it fun to see different things in them? I don’t lay on my back in the grass anymore but I do like to still look at clouds. Perhaps I should rake away the white acorn shells and take a try. I might want to wait until it gets in the 70’s and the weeds we call grass has dried. If weather permits, maybe you’d like to join me in a 15-20 minute rest on the grass, I think it would be fun. Name the time and we can all join together! Don’t have to think about aneurysms, don’t have to think about anything, just watch the clouds. Make sure you don’t lay on a fire ant bed!
So here’s my little story before we get to the welcomes…I think y’all know I’ve been having bad brain days some of which apparently was caused by the pinched nerve in my neck (pain meds have taken care of that part). Y’all probably know by now that I have issues driving where there’s a lot of traffic too. What you don’t know is I have a thing for estate sales and old tools, very old tools. I watch for sales on the internet that are close to us. BH likes going with me but we normally separate due to different interests and then join back up.
I really wanted a “SLOW’ sign to put on the gravel drive folks seem to fly down. A delivery driver almost hit Ohana and I lost it, using words I should not have used and had promised Dr. Q-W I wouldn’t. But already having some bad days, my brain didn’t want to be controlled it seemed and folks I was not a kind person in any since of the word. The driver told me he wasn’t going but 15-20 miles an hour. Really? On a gravel drive? That he lost his traction on up at the road because we have a different type of gravel up there instead of crusher run. So he gunned it, instead of slowing down. Got off track, it’s over move on…
We talked about it and decided because there are parts of the area I cannot drive due to the amount of traffic, I would wait until Friday, the second day so BH could go. Plugged the address into maps and because it wasn’t talking again, gave directions. I’m really good at stating directions, I do it in advance, no stutter, just quietly telling the driver which way they will go. But remember bad brain days? I was saying either right or left but it should have been left or right.
Well, they’d sold everything I had really wanted and one thing BH wanted. All was not lost, we found some other things we wanted but we needed the truck and trailer for a couple of pieces of furniture roflol. The very kind ladies asked me about my accent and had never heard of a brain aneurysm or rupture or FAS. I told my story and thanked them for the opportunity to share. The older woman thanked me for “witnessing” to them, although I’m not sure I did but we are in the South.
Here it comes - we went back the next day with truck and trailer. BH can’t back up a trailer to save any of our lives. I’m better, we hauled our horses in trailers, I drove from PA to So Cal except for 12 miles that Mom had two flat tires on with a four horse trailer when I only had a permit. So I drove and it was a beautiful day even if a little sunny. The guys didn’t think I could back it up into the drive, I guess because I’m female, not really sure why. But back it up I did albeit a little crooked, it’s a difficult trailer to back up, tongue is too short. The nice guys loaded it up exactly like I wanted, I just had to explain why I wanted it the way I did. They listened well and was able to understand without giving me my words! A win right? Absolutely.
We also had to pass a store I’d been wanting to go in for a couple of years and a friend wanted us to see the new house he’s working on for someone else. We made arrangements and hoped into the old SUV. House is beautiful by the way, store was decent, picked up an old tractor seat for a shaving horse I want to build. (Remember old tool lover?). Hop back in the SUV and on to the house, but BH has to drive, my brain isn’t doing well. Why is it for those of us who have ruptured or had brain damage, we can tell when it’s a bad day with no pain? BH is discussing the fact that I’m mixing up my directions. BH tells me I don’t have to drive nor tell a driver how to drive when I’m in the passenger seat. I am not happy, I know I’m confusing words and directions. BH is not driving well enough for me and my brain is not sending messages correctly which is why BH is behind the wheel. I thought BH was going to take a slight right off the road we needed to be on. I tell BH stay to the right but of course I meant stay to the left. BH says again about my inability to know my right from my left. I pipe up with at least I know my compass as a retort. BH does not know North from South, East from West, never has and never will despite my effort of 32 years or however long we have known each other. I also tell BH it would have been ok to go the wrong way, I would have gotten us back through the hospital parking lot but of course I would have had to give directions because BH cannot remember how to navigate their Skinner box of a parking lot. In my defense, I have always had a built in compass and can always get back home, just like a barn sour horse! We ended up laughing almost to the house. We get home and pretty sure you know what’s next for me - hydration (already drank the water in the 32 ounce cup we took when we left) protein, more hydration, rest, repeat. What do y’all do on bad brain days, what works and doesn’t work?
Now what we’ve all been waiting for, the new members!
@JessandJody starts us out here in the USA, down in FL Jess shares her husband has survived a rupture in July of this year and was in ICU for 40 days and then 3 weeks in acute care. Was home for a week and had to go to the ER where they found the aneurism reformed and he had a second procedure to block it off. Jess has prayed and is supporting his full recovery. Jess has learned this take time and comes with a few setbacks. We totally get this Jess, we also know how important our caretakers are to us. Please come talk to us by starting a new topic under the General or support tab.
@JoAnneJ is up in Indiana and her mother has a brain aneurysm. JoAnne was advised by her mom’s doctor to get scanned. JoAnne is her 91 year old mother’s caregiver. Caregiving is a tough job, many of us have stepped up to care for our elderly parents. It can be exhausting work and I imagine for you a little fear may have crept in. Please do come talk to us -General tab, click on + sign. Hope you can get scanned.
Ending our week is @Ilsia down in FL. Ilsia is approaching surgery for 3 large aneurysms. Ilsia is a nurse and started working in acute care but couldn’t hear telephone alarms and people talking behind her. Received hearing aides as the ENT said it was just age. Ilsia was struggling with work, thinking, speed and decisions even after changing units. Ilsia went to a different doctor received MRI/A imaging and has 2 large brain aneurysms and 1 small. Ilsia shares they’re scared, single and alone in all this. Neurosurgeon sent Ilsia back to work on light duty until their surgery. Ilsia is wondering if starting disability process now and any advice before the upcoming surgery date. Ilsia, please start a new topic under the General tab and we can answer your questions, you are not alone, we are with you as much as the internet allows. I’m pretty positive we can all share our experiences.
Thank you all for joining us! As many say it’s the group you never want to belong to but you have found us and I think that’s a great step in the right direction! While we can’t be next to you in person, we are here in our internet world.
Before I close for the week, remember we cant help each other if we don’t respond to each other. Please be active! In fact, I need a favor. Please, please go help @WendyFl here Memory issues - big or little - #8 by KrysG. Seems most of us who are responding have ruptured, she and her husband really need to hear from folks who have had procedures and not ruptured. I know you’re out there, five minutes is all I ask. Please and thank you.
That’s all folks, have a great week! What time are we laying on the grass watching clouds?