God yesterday (xmas day) was hard and exhausting. The noise, the excitement, the busyness, the overeating. I have to take an hour rest every day. Yesterday I needed two rests.
This evening I made the ultimate mistake. I took out a Where's Wally jigsaw that I got my five old for xmas. My son walked away from it after about three minutes but me being me, I had to finish it. Shattered, balance poorer, speach slurred, brain fog setting in.
I try to enjoy the time but it's so tiring. I never learn. It takes a day or two to get back to normal (brain injury normal) but I'll get there.
Written by
EireAtaxic
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Hi. Don't be too hard on yourself. Not learning that sort of stuff to apply to future experiences is actually a thing with some brain injuries. I can't remember if there is a special term for it, but I read a description of it in a research paper once. I do the same thing all the time. It drives me round the bend! I haven't found a remedy yet. I find it especially annoying because before my brain injury I was a teacher! Take care. 🌼
Oh I knew what I was doing alright, this was a personality thing, stubbornness. I used to do Where's Wally when I was undergoing rehab with Aquired Brian Injury Ireland. In my previous life i had been a quantity surveyor and had just qualified as a woodwork teacher. It took me about a year to realise that there were too many issues to succeed as a teacher.
I was relatively quiet this year, but know what you mean about noise and so on. At my mum's place everything is louder and brighter compared to mine. We just had supper and watched tv tonight (family was round Christmas day) so just company for both of us this evening ( I crashed out this afternoon at home). Even so, relieved to be back in my 'cave' now. Duvet day tomorrow, and no list to follow, phew!. It gives me some pause that I need to take things as quietly as an octagenarian though.
Having a five year old and a brain injury can't be the easiest combo for you? And a Where's Wally jigsaw - ouch! I found one of the books in a cupboard the other day, and started looking at it to see if my granddaughter might like it - hit overload very quickly and hastily put it down!
I actually think I'm doing better this year, but in previous years it has taken me most of January to get back on an even keel after Christmas, so will know later.. I did pace myself better in the run up this year than I've done before, and didn't need to be helped to finish off presents and decorating the tree this year - a major achievement! Things got a little out of hand in the last few days before Christmas and I stopped taking breaks though, so not ideal, but I did have a pretty calm Christmas Eve at least. I'm giving myself a bit of a pat on the back this year! ( Having conveniently forgotten that even so, I had a lot of horrible headaches in the run up...) But perhaps the mantra the neuropsychiatrist dinned into me - that I would be able to do more if I took breaks and paced has finally sunk in, and things are improving?
Sounds like you had the type of Xmas that I am striving for, quiet. I actually have a 5 year old and a six year old. Not only that, I would say that they are probably the noisiest 5 and 6 year olds in the world. My ears ring 24 7.
Do any of us really learn? We get so used to managing the fatigue, when a good time or challenge presents, we all go for it. No regrets, life goes on 🍀
Did it again. This is the one I bought my 6 yr old daughter. To make it more frustrating, there were 6 pieces missing. We did this one as a family. Much easier
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