ugh what a battle trying to keep it ship shape! any tips anyone? or comments of course! tc xoxo
one thing is i have a trash bag in the kitchen and in the bedroom for junk mail, the recycling peeps want it, it sure helps! tc xoxo
Ron, it seems I do clutter easily now. I also seem to be easily overwhelmed with where to put the junk. I have been working on getting rid of clothes I no longer need. I’ve been starting one room at a time and going counterclockwise, seems to be easier for me than clockwise, don’t know why. Also I start at the doorway. I have found it helps if everyone else is helping to pick up after themselves. I work in 15-30 minute increments. I wrote a goal down for how many clothes I actually need. We live in an older home built in the 30’s and closet space is practically non existent.
Is this really about Aneurysm's? Really?
Hi Ron. Since my annie I suppose I am blessed that I cannot stand "clutter". If I have to look at it, it boggles my brain.
Moltroub is so right when she says to work in 15-30 minute increments. Any task I need to do requires several "rest" periods. A 10-minute rest every 30 min is critical to my being able to complete what I set out to do. Otherwise the fatigue sets in and I am not going to do a good job at what I had planned to do! That said, don't worry if it takes a little longer than usual.
My mom always likes to go thru each room in her place to give it a "once over" before she goes to bed each night. That way she doesn't wake up in the morning to a coffee cup here, a jacket there! Wish I was more like my mom!
Ron - I'm RIGHT with you. I need to develop a system. I'm the only person in my home who "handles" clutter, and it's a disaster. My annie ruptured 2 years ago, so it's now TWO YEARS that clutter is piling up. I'm so embarrassed! I work from home, and I try to cook for my family, do laundry, so organizing is LAST on my list.
I'll be watching this forum too...perhaps we can team up for "clutter days" where we check in and tell each other how we made progress, and set dates/times to de-clutter.
Anyone up for a clutter buddy?
-Markelle
Great idea Sarge! Count me in!
And to answer Booty64, yes this can be attributed to aneurysms and perhaps more specifically to ruptures. The little buggers can affect cognitive skills and organizational ability is certainly one of those. Think of it as a type of aphasia…although it doesn’t come out in speech, it does exhibit itself in the way our brain is processing. It also may be a sign of hoarding which would be representative of some members wanting to hang on to “stuff” that reminds them of their lives pre rupture. Or depression…
It seems I do thing slower then before.If my family comes over it seem's to help, then i can said if take thing to the trash. That help.
ronk said:
one thing is i have a trash bag in the kitchen and in the bedroom for junk mail, the recycling peeps want it, it sure helps! tc xoxo
Ronk, I had the same problem when I came out of hospital. I found this - it's what you need and, if you receive and follow the free emails, it's ALL you need! I promise. Worked for me: http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/
It's not clutter, I just collect things lol (well' that's what I try to tell the wife PMSL)
She's not convinced I might add. We moved to a place with more sheds, which just gave me room for more stuff, stuff she calls 'crap', but one day I'll find a use for it lol.
She reckons if you haven't used it in 12 months, its useless, get rid of it.
And the day after its thrown you have a need for that very thing. Well, that's my excuse lol
I was like that because I had a stroke with my aneurysms and my brain bleed I had to learn to write again and my speech returned you will get there it just takes time. Margaret Dolin
That fly lady thing looked pretty neat. I glanced over it, is it free?
Clutter isn't a problem for me, clutter drives me nuts so I clean up more than I should. It's getting work done that is hard for me. I have to break the work down into small increments and take many breaks. Large projects are virtually impossible at this point, but if I can break them into smaller jobs I can get there over time.
For background I had an aneurysm burst 11 months ago. They clipped one that did not burst and coiled the one that did burst. I was in the hospital for a full month. 3 months ago they clipped a third one on the other side from the first two, and 2 months ago I had a pipeline stent installed to stop the first one (the one that burst and was coiled) from continuing to fill up.
I haven't been to this forum in a very long time. I was surprised I was even able to log on. it's been 4 years since my unruptured ba was diagnosed and coiled. I had a stroke on the table during the coiling procedure but wasn't left with any physical disabilities. my brain, however, hasn't functioned the same since the initial surgery and stroke. whereas I was clean and organized prior to the surgery, I cannot get it together now. I had a good healthy bit of OCD - in a productive, not destructive, manner. it seems that part of my brain was damaged because I struggle with point a to point b on a daily basis. I have cognitive issues and yes, way too much clutter. I have a 13 year old son and 8 year old boy and girl twins and the amount of paper coming home from school is more than I can handle. I can't offer solutions but I can let you know you're not the only one.
booty64 - yes, it is about BAs. I was a completely different person prior to my BA. cognitive issues are very real after any amount of damage to the brain.
I can't stand clutter either. My biggest problem recently is that I've tried to condense 2 file cabinets into one, without labeling individual files. Now, I can't find the important documents I need to do my taxes.
Junk mail doesn't even make it into the house. My recycling bin is just outside the front door, nicely hidden behind a fairly large statue of the Buddha!
I too am much slower since the aneurysm. I got a shredder to shred everything. I use shred dings in the garden. Gardening and my horse therapy have helped me along. I am dedicated to cleaning out, I have too much junk for my very small house, 2 small closets available. My iPad helped me so much, to regain some sense of the outside world. I don’t like large crowds any more. My computer room is almost done, then I received the huge box of paperwork from my lawyers office. I hope to scan it to disk eventually. Composting and my chickens keep me busy each day. May blessings come upon everyone that has had to live through an aneurysm, a better choice since we are still here! Love to all!
I never made the connection between my clipping surgery and my clutter problem! Now I’ll tell my husband that’s my excuse 
Booty64: Yes, this is related to the wonderful world of aneurysms. Moltroub explained it best so I won't ramble on my thoughts.
Sally: Great FlyLady link :)
Ron: I hear ya! I think my approach to organizing has modeled itself after Sesame Street. Remember those little pictures they'd put on screen and you had to pick which didn't belong with the others? I walk into a room and find a lone sock in the living room and imagine it needing to be with the sock family elsewhere. That's sad huh...my brain has reverted to Sesame Street. :) Small bites. If you look at the whole it's overwhelming. I start in a corner and work my way around with lots of breaks. If I'm tempted to keep something I haven't touched since the prehistoric times I tell myself there's someone out there looking for just this very thing at the second hand store.
Anything that involves the brain, such as decisions, planning, organization, has to do with aneurysms.
Booty64 said:
Is this really about Aneurysm's? Really?
Moltroub, I totally agree, sometimes I get a bit OCD without being OCD if you understand what I mean. It helps to bring some structure to a life that sometimes feels out of control. Like when you said it is easier to work counterclockwise. Structure and balance helps the brain keep things organized. When I cannot keep up with something or I'm doing something in a wacky way at home I just point to my brain and my husband smiles. Carol
Moltroub said:
Great idea Sarge! Count me in!
And to answer Booty64, yes this can be attributed to aneurysms and perhaps more specifically to ruptures. The little buggers can affect cognitive skills and organizational ability is certainly one of those. Think of it as a type of aphasia...although it doesn't come out in speech, it does exhibit itself in the way our brain is processing. It also may be a sign of hoarding which would be representative of some members wanting to hang on to "stuff" that reminds them of their lives pre rupture. Or depression....