For those of you who are worried, I’m not depressed :) I’m frustred sometimes, and REALLY frustrated other times — but not too often. However, Jen brought up some really good points, and I thought it’d be a good time to share my thoughts on them. I’m ok — I promise!
1. It might help to talk with a counselor.
Amen to that! I have two really good counselors — Jean, my occupational therapist, and Melissa, my speech therapist. They are excellent. I’ve cried in their offices, been frustrated, re-learned things … they are really wonderful. Moreover, they’re looking for signs of depression. I told them about having trouble sleeping in the morning — waking up an hour and a half early, exhausted, but worried about “stuff”. I was worried that it was a sign of depression. Jean said that she was keeping an eye out for depression, but that I was fine. (Whew!) It’s nice to know that somebody’s checking up on you without you even realizing it.
2. Maybe for now, you should stop using the “before� you as your benchmark.
That’s probably true. It’s tough, though … I want to keep the “before” me in mind as a goal. I’d like to have a job that a pre-stroke person could have, for instance. Melissa suggested I read geology articles like I used to so that I get to the point where I CAN read them. I know it’s not going to happen tomorrow, though.
3. Are you still getting exercise? I don’t mean going out and running a 5K, but be sure to walk.
Yes! Jean has been great about helping me find exercise to do. I’m trying to walk every day, different amounts every day. Jean says that this will keep my metabolism fast — I’ve gained weight since the stroke, and I don’t want to get plump as a pumpkin. I’d rather be going skiing or snowshoeing (well, I may be snowshoeing when we get dumped on!), but walking will work, and the dogs like it. Also, for when the weather’s really bad, I’ve got a couple of DVDs (Pilates and Yoga) that I can do inside. Exercise is good.
4. Nutrition: Be sure to drink plenty of liquids and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Fish is good for the brain.
Interestingly, the diet for stroke patients is, conveniently, lots of protein. I eat a peanut butter muffin or eggs for breakfast, steak/pork chops/some other kind of meat for dinner, and leftovers for lunch. I drink milk all the time. I’ve started taking protein vitamins which contain fish guts or something equally disgusting, but are rich in protein. Fruits, veggies, and whole grains — I’m working on those :)
5. Brainrot: Instead of vegging in front of the TV, I’d recommend a conversation with friends/family.
I’ve got to disagree with you on this one. Perhaps watching TV isn’t the best thing to do, but if I did anything I’d go DOWN in activity level — I’d fall asleep. (I haven’t been doing that because I have trouble sleeping — it takes me FOREVER to fall asleep!) Having a conversation is difficult, at least for me. I mess up words when I’m tired. (The latest of those came tonight, when I professed to Ben, “If you’ll grill the pork chops, I’ll make some potion on the stove.” Potion? Where did I pull that from?) I know that when I’m with family or close friends I don’t have to worry about it, but it does make conversation more difficult. I’d rather just sleep or watch TV when I’m tired and be wide awake when I want to be awake.
I suspect that I’ve been tired because of the anesthesia. My tiredness all “felt” the same. Interestingly, because I was tired, I got permission to work from home yesterday — and I had one of the most productive days ever! I was able to break up my work schedule: 2 1/2 hours in the morning, then an hour and a half eating lunch and dozing. When I woke back up, I felt great! I put in another 2 1/2 hours! I’m going to mention this to my boss; I’d love to work from home on a more regular basis.
Thanks for all your comments! :)
