My 3 Year Journey Through Brain Damage
Added 2025-01-28 22:35:28 +0000 UTCI felt that it was finally time for me to tell my story about this. Originally from my livestream of Sunday January 26, 2025, this is condensed for time.
Comments
Yours is the story I fear. Have had one COVID infection that I know of. It was after vaccination, the physcial impacts were pretty mild (and only a few days) but I certainly noticed some cognitive changes. Have never had much sense of smell so didn't notice that change but was mentally weary and found things I knew I knew hard to recall for months afterwards, some still.
Robin Capper
2025-02-14 05:22:51 +0000 UTCThanks for sharing your saga. It's good to know we're not alone as we age, stumble, forget, and work frantically not to show it. I have a daily computer puzzle (Flow Free) that I have done daily for almost 3000 days!! Often waking as new puzzles are released at midnight. Sometimes, truly doing them in my sleep. There are usually between 2 and 12 each night. I am convinced it has helped keep my 88-year old brain active and more able to solve the inevitable life teasers thrown at me, with more ease.
Dan Beach
2025-02-08 17:47:12 +0000 UTC"It's the hero that hangs on one minute longer"
AlexBrandon
2025-02-01 20:24:02 +0000 UTCFran, you & I are the same age (give or take a year, that I figured out years ago) but I can tell you I am pretty sure age doesn't help (I am certainly not trying diminish anything about your getting sick or what your saying), my brother started complaining about CRS (can't remember shit) about time he hit 60, and now I am starting to get what he was complaining about. I also remember as president of a cottagers association back in early 90's, the older folks all saying same 4 things about getting old, one of which was driving at night. Fast forward couple of decades and I definitely get what they were talking about. Take care Fran
Greg Barton
2025-01-30 03:08:36 +0000 UTCI totally agree with the puzzling. After the first year I was able to take on all the NY Times electronic version puzzles, sometimes it took 4-5 hours to solve Wordle in the beginning but that is so much better now, all the word games and crosswords. Suduko I still have a lot of trouble with but, as we are out here on our own, you offer sage advice to other LC casualties with puzzling. Be well, Fran. Know you're not alone in this.
Ah Clem
2025-01-30 00:53:54 +0000 UTCSorry to hear this Fran. I'm now 10 years post Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and I suffered very similar memory loss for quite a while. After 6 months recovery I went back into work (IT), and my boss said "Here you go Zig, these jobs will be easy for you." and pointed me at some tasks in our Knowledge Base. I read them, baffled as they were entirely unfamiliar, but I was able to follow the steps reasonably enough. It was a while before I noticed the author's name on these guides - me!! 🤔 I genuinely thought I was heading straight into dementia, and it freaked me out for a while, but I have to say that I've constantly improved, and although the rate of improvement has slowed, it never quite stops. 👍 My Scouse sense of humour helps. When they said "You've got Guillain-Barré Syndrome" I replied "That's not an illness - they were a Belgian synth pop duo, they supported Ultravox on their 1981 European tour!" 😁 Glad you've taken a positive approach Fran, you'll always have our support. 😊
Zygmunt Dean
2025-01-29 17:53:30 +0000 UTCFran, thank you for sharing these things, it helps us--well, me anyway--to understand the big picture of life a little more. You've certainly experienced many great losses over the years, be they mental & physical capacities or the repeated downsizing of your accommodations. It's clear to me that you've dealt with all of this as well as anyone could (certainly better than I could although my life has been relatively unchallenging) and that you'll continue to do so--something I find admirable. Just keep on being you for as long as you can.👍
Mark Hesse
2025-01-29 15:17:48 +0000 UTCSo, so sorry to hear this. I too have largely lost my sense of smell, which really came home when I failed to detect an unlit gas burner. I had a feeling something had changed when you stopped the pilot training and after the zero-g flight. As James said above, you've carried so much since then. I'm pleased you felt you could share this now as such things are life changing and support is important for you. Sadly, you may lose some followers, but I hope most will stay with you so you can continue to produce your excellent work.
Bob Pockney
2025-01-29 14:05:57 +0000 UTCIn reality I'm not so cool about it, but I tried to keep it together for the show. No waterworks!
Fran Blanche
2025-01-29 13:40:05 +0000 UTCI am sorry to hear about that Dr. Hill - and I have a close friend in a similar situation, though he really has pushed himself to get around the limitations. It is disheartening to have to do more with much less. Like the song from Little Shop Of Horrors goes, "Depression's just status quo". But hey - we're all still here, right??
Fran Blanche
2025-01-29 13:38:55 +0000 UTCMy experiences with all the specialists have been immensely frustrating as well. You can't depend on any professionals to be your advocate, and even though it is exasperating you have to push push push and be tenacious to get the help you need. I recommend the puzzling as a lifestyle... it has helped me immeasurably, but it takes a very long time to see positive changes.
Fran Blanche
2025-01-29 13:34:55 +0000 UTCI would not consider that lucky at all - but I am glad that you are still with us Jim!
Fran Blanche
2025-01-29 13:32:25 +0000 UTCI guess I was lucky to just have had open heart surgery two years ago. Well Fran, its upward and onward.
Jim Grover
2025-01-29 05:41:56 +0000 UTCdont know if you follow physics girl ... https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2ntx91cOYEc
Allen Lorenz
2025-01-29 05:35:50 +0000 UTCYou're very courageous to face all this with such openness and forthrightness. You're the best, Fran!
Brian Arbenz
2025-01-29 01:16:45 +0000 UTCI'm going into year 3 of Long Covid. Disautonomia due to covid has permanently changed my life, for the worse. I have problems breathing, arrhythmia and tachycardia, and my cognitive abilities are shit. I was a programmer for 30 years, now I cannot make sense of code. Through persistence I can do rudimentary programming but it's a joke. I was a musician my entire life, bass, piano and guitar. I have some ability to play bass but piano and guitar were gone. I can no longer read and I can't keep track of audio book plots. It's like living in small windows of time without remembering what was done or said a day, week or month previously. It's just this window I live in. I want someone to be responsible, but more than that, I want my life back. I understand what you are saying. I feel like a character in a Vonnegut novel. And no one understands or cares. Just last week my LC doc said not to expect any medical help as research money for LC was drying up. 36 million Americans have LC. No one cares about us.
Ah Clem
2025-01-29 01:03:41 +0000 UTCI am so Sorry to hear this, Fran; I, too, have brain damage from a stroke in November 2010, besides the persistent left-side partial hemiplegia. I have chronic pain and anxiety/depression. As well as memory issues, mood issues, and a reduction in cognitive, reasoning and logical skills. It sucks, doesn't it! I can only say stick at it; it can be managed and worked around.
Dr Andy Hill
2025-01-29 00:04:52 +0000 UTCLike I said in a comment on the stream, I'm really sorry you're going through this, and I think you're still a badass. And you're also the person who did all those badass things you did. Not that that will buy you groceries. I admire how matter of fact you are about stuff that sucks.
Scott Baxter
2025-01-28 23:53:04 +0000 UTC-speechless- Oh my. You've carried so much.
James R.C. Garry
2025-01-28 23:42:24 +0000 UTCDamn, sorry to hear :-( Keep at it.
EEVblog
2025-01-28 23:22:29 +0000 UTCBig cuddles, It ain't over until the fat lady sings, you have alot in you, your knowledge of Wisdom in that nogin of yours!
Derek Bissett
2025-01-28 22:59:46 +0000 UTC
