Today my daughter had written a lovely post on her Facebook page, celebrating her own 365 days - one year - after she gave up smoking. I definitely celebrate that with her, even though I have my own issues. I don't feel unhealthy about smoking, yet I know that it will get some people. Just like any drugs will get some people. Thin bones trip up some people. Migraine headaches take some people down. Stomach problems impair some people. And brain aneurysms hit some people.
My daughter said about me: "Seeing your mum change from this fiercely independent women (sic) into someone completely different
overnight is a pretty hard pill to swallow... she's definitely different from the lady who walked into
that hospital that day..." Yes, I know I am different. I had a stroke at that operation. I didn't know my heart would stop, I didn't know I would have a stroke. Now I live with what this damned thing does to my brain. Now I feel very different than my previous "fiercely independent woman". I know that this is my reality.In the last couple of days I've found some very good information about TBIs, which I have posted onto BASA. This information would be essential to pass on to people who have contact with me - but I know that many of them - the most "normal" people - would never read it. The latest one was about 13 common things which we will have suffered. If you have any opportunity, please pass this onto your family, your friends and - if you still work - your workmates. It is essential for them to know this, and to know that almost every person who had a stroke, a brain injury or any other thing wrong with their brain, suffer from 1-13. And probably more.
I have posted this on my own Facebook and on BASA. I hope that all my friends read it and understand why I am no longer the "fiercely independent woman". But if anyone doesn't care, that's their problem, not mine.
