Just finished changes on the second edition of debut book. Now to reread (sometime)…..

Neuroplasticity:

Questions I have:

I. Define
II. History and how you got started
III. Improvements permanent?
IV. Carry ball for the rest of your life?
V. Will client ever regress or will spasticity return?
VI. Cost? Irrelevant

VII. Tenets
A. New neural pathways created between the brain and the arm
B. Got to want it, fight hard for it, it’s a long process
C. “Like walking from FL to NY”
D. Brain injury: if I don’t keep up with everything you teach me every day of my life. . .got to keep at it every day.
E. Keep stretching your hand and moving your fingers
F. Retrain your brain
G. Processing cognitively
H. Brain games, find correct correlation
I. End result: “Wow, I can control my fingers”
J. One day, be able to build your own filters and things will be less distracting
K. Hardest journey you’ve ever taken
L. But would take (his) current self any day of the year over who (he) was five minutes before (his) (motorcycle) wreck

Excited to get some of my passwords reset tonight: GoDaddy, lettucewrite.com website/blog, etc. Happy tonight to have figured out, with Dana’s help, how to begin the process of editing the second edition of TDDUP. Excited for a meeting tomorrow with my first peer counselee with the hospital. Thankful for all the reading and research I’ve been able to get done recently. Appreciate befriending the gal the other night at Panda Express, whom I took a book today. What a great friend who happens to work at Steak and Shake. Still haven’t been able to take the online courses, logo/website help, an author platform, and one more. Oh, that there was more time. . .or someone to take them for me and give me the notes. Wishful thinking.

It’s been an absolutely splendid day. The Brain Fair this afternoon was fantastic. The happy part was seeing all the people, the sad part learning of all their impairments. Unfortunate as it may sound- for the umpteenth time, only the afflicted would truly know the extent of their incapability. I despise the word “disability,” and its connotation; I am sure my friends would, as well. Delightful time with Miss Brittany. Wow, what a story and a great personality. Can’t wait to include her in my next project as one of the case studies. One gentleman I met there has a remarkable story and encouraged me to be using my left hand more, every chance I get. Whenever I had to leave from the time in Naples, Dave Smith was more than congenial. Totally wrote directions how to get home for me; but then he recruited another gal who was leaving to drive ahead of me and show me the way.

Back to Brittany….first of all, prior to leaving, we sat on the couch and shared stories. Hers will make your jaw drop. Think her vehicle was so smashed, the Jaws of Life (can’t remember) had to pry her out of her mangled vehicle. We shared many similarities. As we were speaking, it was so easy talking to her. Like a long-lost friend. Only we know our unique situation(s) and what it is/they are like. Brain injuries or other medical impairment must be that way. Anyway, I thought our time together and visit could not have been more perfect. After several presentations at the Brain Fair, she seemed depleted due to a nasty migraine. Happy she was able to sneak off and get some rest. We’re thankful for all we’ve been given and blessed with.

Invited to a Brain Fair in Naples this afternoon. Believe Dave Smith, Miracles Among Us, is helping put it together. Very excited about that. Been in regular contact with a dear friend I recently met at Lee Memorial Hospital’s Trauma Survivor’s monthly support group meeting. Going with Miss Brittany. Has such an encouraging story, but a dramatic struggle. Really wrestling with her new normal, today fighting a migraine. Whether or not it is related to the plate in her head, or today’s weather, is an unknown. Hoping a quick nap helps subside her pain.

A long but phenomenal day. Nick and Linda schooled me in tennis, a small group from Next Level church I joined. Nick is a great teacher!

I used to work with Navajo Indians. Met a real one, that is, from India today. Sat next to this delightful young lady on a flight, Tasneem Sheikh. Had a lot of exciting medical tips for me. Is a licensed accupuncturist and offered to help me find one. Very excited. Might could help neurologically, medically, and/or physically with my left extremities. For instance, she showed me a pressure point or something on my left hand, which totally relaxed it. Thankful for my new friend. And who knows? Maybe this could be worked into my next book.

Happy to run into my friend, the pianist, from Bethel church at Walmart. I heard a familiar voice, then “Hey brother.” So good to see Benny.

Then many hours tonight working on my project. Well, it’s almost 1 a.m., which means it is almost 2 a.m. Thank you, Daylight Savings Time. Not.

Okay, so whatever I said earlier about this being exclusively a ‘writing’ blog, that changes effective immediately. Too much going on for that to be the case. Instead, if I fail to get everything writing projects on here, go to my facebook book page, “lettucewrite.com”. Must be friended and invited to this page, but it can be done.

Today several notable things happened. A lot of things came to mind to discuss with my friend, the Brain Trauma nurse, at the hospital. Also a visit to another friend’s thrift store, the owner’s wife also brain injured. We related well to each other, and discussed some of our issues. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the things we struggle with would be similar. She was like, “Yeah, you get it.” Not many do, unfortunately; only those who have been touched by this quandary. Or “blessing,” as we concurred. She was thrilled when I invited to her to the tbi support group next month….and may, also, be included in my next book. We’ll see.

Great meeting this afternoon with JK, my friend with a brain injury. Many nearly identical symptoms, hers apparently also being right hemisphere damage. Related well. Talked easily. Facing many battles, hoping they won’t be insurmountable. Discovered many things, including her having good editing skills, which may help as several of my books progress. Thinking she’d be really helpful with my Mitochondrial Disease memoir. For starters, she may start keeping a journal. Excited we scheduled a meeting next week already.

Fabulous brain injury survivor’s support group this evening at the hospital. Miss Gloria did a great job with her presentation which outlined the brain’s various components/lobes. Great talks by various people. Exciting to learn of the Brain Injury Association walk for awareness. More info shared later. Learned also about the organization Miracles Among Us in Naples. They have events in March. Looks like I can attend some of those, and they may be interested in helping me sell some of my books. BTW concentrating on finishing my final edits for “Till Death Do Us Part, 2nd edition,” in my spare time….and mostly at the hospital.

Had a coke and a smile. Who remembers that commercial from back in the 80′s? Mean Joe Green.

Spent several hours at Panera Bread this afternoon doing some more PTSD research. Still in the book discussed the other day, got quite a bit done. Many interesting insights. Met for an hour with my first client in the peer counseling program at Lee Memorial Hospital’s Brain Trauma Unit. Fascinating discussion, a lot of similarities. More later when I’m able to process things. Had a few notes written beforehand of things to say; instead we just had an introductory visit.

Actually, maybe that’s all that should be said at this point. Any more would make me depressed. LOL That right there is a very common characteristic, the depression and negative thinking, for TBI’s. One thing I think we discussed (the unit nurse was on site this first time, too) was how the brain is so pliable, or gets easily bounced around. We must take caution. Another generality is that no two brain injuries are the same; and have the same effects. Right-hemisphere, left-hemisphere, great. Still they are all unique. What remains amazing is that the human body and spirit is resilient. Some of us have been blessed to recover to a great extent.

Just as no two injuries are the same and absolutely parallel, the exact spot of injury and impairment and penetration to the brain differs. I’m sure classifying them as left or right hemispheric acts as a guideline. Though it would be worth noting that in some cases one has more or less of one hemisphere’s characteristics and some, more, or less of the other hemisphere’s, too. I’m told that mine was a massive closed head injury, a subdural hematoma. Oxygen-deprived for many long minutes. My father, also a physician, stated my brain as being catastrophically damaged. He said you couldn’t specifically say left or right side. It was smashed, the whole thing.

Excited to be going to Lee Memorial’s second TBI support group tomorrow evening. Eager to hear the presentation. The nurse I sat by today is the featured speaker:)