Brain Injury

Recently I've had a change of perspective about all my meds, doctors, specialists, hospitals, psychiatrist, therapist, physical therapists, pain clinics, caseworkers, and the many types of treatments I get. I have come to be thankful that I have them all and no longer resent them, no longer resent how physically and emotionally draining they can be, no longer resent the days I have lost when I could be working…or playing! I stopped venting and complaining about them in the bulk of my conversations, and making them the focus of the (often limited) emotional energy I do have left many days.

It took awhile and some really tough and scary times…surviving two pandemics: being HIV+ in the 80’s, and many serious complications from it; and then decades later I got Covid that had me taken by ambulance to the ER with over a dozen symptoms, and having to learn how to walk again in rehab; heart surgery; multiple concussions; being in a coma for 4 hours after and accident; mental health hospitalizations…including the arrests I had during two manic episodes; and struggling with addiction. It took really stepping back away from it all and then suddenly I came to find a new perspective, came to the realization of how blessed, loved…and yes, lucky I am. I now choose to see all I deal with currently as tools, resources, and opportunities that keep me alive, help me heal, stay balanced, and I can now see how they are leading me to good health and having the opportunity to thrive.

Yes, I do have well over three dozen doctors, departments, and health care providers in my phone, and probably have seen or worked with over 20 this year, averaging 4-6 health appointments a week for most of the last year. And yes, I take 16 medications, and right now I have a few challenges that have created limitations every day, needing the assistance of mobility devices, needing rides most places and when I drive now using handicapped parking spaces. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and playing the victim and instead choose to smile and laugh during health appointments, joking about the crazy, big, obnoxious migraine glasses I wear everywhere and sharing how I can't wait to run a marathon with others who I meet that are also struggling with physical health limitations. But am I joking? Do I really see myself running, rock climbing, kayaking, going camping and getting back on my favorite hikes again? I choose to hold on to that hope and believe I can overcome the obstacles in my path.

I am realistic though. I also accept that this might be unlikely, and that I will have many of my current health challenges the rest of my life. Yet I give thanks every night for another day, the blessings I do have in my life, the relatively good health I do have in spite of it all. I choose to make sure to observe those around me at the hospital, when I go for (only) outpatient appointments, see how some are in worse shape than I’m in, hear the helicopters land at the hospital, and see the ambulances come to the ER, knowing how scary that can be! I observe other people at Physical Therapy with their head in a cage, or without a limb, I walk past the mental health ward that was my home (twice), am humbled when I read many posts of what others go through here in MHC and remind myself it COULD ALWAYS BE WORSE. With this new perspective, comes gratitude and appreciation…and I choose to smile.

Now to be honest this is a work in progress, I still can wake in the morning and feel sorry for myself after I get out of bed with four body parts hurting before my first step. I can get depressed due to having so many med changes recently. I have even called Mom in total fear before I went for a biopsy, while waiting for news from an ultrasound of something else, and having just found out a procedure I had recently might need to be repeated… and all of a sudden I realized how overwhelmed and scared I was, broke down and cried. Mom “caught me” as she has so often and uplifted & encouraged me. Then a funny thing happened later...I broke out laughing at the magnitude of it all, then walked out of the doctors with my cane and funky glasses and remembered it HAD been worse…but I’m still here!

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How do you feel when you see your pill bottles? Take your meds every day? Go to regular doctors appointments? I invite you to shift your perspective too… if you haven't already…because even if nothing changes with your health challenges, how you feel about them can make all the difference!

#MentalHealth #Depression #Anxiety #Disability #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #Selflove #Selfcare #BipolarDisorder #BipolarDepression #ADHD #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #COVID19 #Migraine #Headache #HIVAIDS #PeripheralNeuropathy #BackPain #Addiction #AddictionRecovery #IfYouFeelHopeless #Hope #CheckInWithMe #InsideTheMighty #MightyTogether #DistractMe #MightyMinute #MightyQuestions #conqueryourmind #RareDisease #BrainInjury

Dealing with the memory loss in the beginning was scary and as the loss progressed I worried I would loose my personal history. I started to journal my memories and experiences. I found that writing helped me work through some my frustration and anger with living with a brain injury. Sharing my writing brought an unexpected bonus, readers shared that they thought were alone going through similar experiences. They felt less isolated.
You Matter, Be There Tomorrow. #MentalHealth #MightyTogether

I am sorry that I haven’t been very active here at all for a while. I have been dealing with layers of health challenges … much more than even I am used to … with surgery recently, a trip to Urgent Care, a few acute doctors appointments with different types of excruciating pain, serious side effects from two concussions I’ve had in less than a year… like damaging parts of my spine, then rotator cuff injury from overdoing PT, GI problems, and I’ve been holding on tight to keep my mental health balance as my doctor has made major med changes to many of my psych meds trying to help my migraines, lack of appetite and insomnia which have led to periods of deep depression & a short hypomanic period, and nightmares🥲. I have had 4-6+ health appointments a week. It has been very physically and emotionally draining and I have had to step away from the group to focus on self care. I want to give a special thanks to our new co-leader Wendy for doing such a great job keeping things rolling here and supporting you all the way I’d like to have been doing. Things are a little better for me now, so I thought I would offer a little fun for everyone before I resume my usual posts about health challenges…enjoy!

Can you answer all the questions below?

“What is this?” 🎂
“What sport uses this?” 🏀
“What do you do in this?” 🛁
“Where is this🗽?”
“What is this?”🦶
“Where is this in the body?”🦷
“What kind of animal is this?”🏇

OK, that was easy…How many of these can you answer?

“What is the athlete on that animal above called?”
“Do they use hands 🙌 to measure horses?
“What religion is this symbol for?”☦️ “
“What is this?”🫚
“What do you drink from this?”🍶
“What is this?🏏
“What sport is this?”🤽‍♀️
“Where is this?”🗿

For those my age and older:
“What is this used for?”📽️
“What gaming system is this from? 🕹️.
What is the hardest game to play on it?
(This obviously depends who you
ask, but I’ll take any mentioned by the
most gamers)
“What is this and who makes it?”🎙️
“What was the first album released on these?”📀
When was it released?
*This is kind of a trick question!*
“What is a 12” version of this called?”💿
Hint: It came out 4 years before CDs!
What company made the first player
for these?

How many can you answer?
***WITHOUT Googling them!***

Bonus questions: Get To Know Me”

“What song is my very favorite to listen to on these at the gym?”🎧
“What was the name of the hardest climb I ever did?🧗🏻‍♂️
What was it’s rating?
Did I get to the top?”
Hint: It’s in Virginia and the name has an animal in it!
“Have I ever worn a wig, 💄, fake eyelashes, 👗 , and 👠 ?
“Have I ever had black nail polish and worn black mascara?
“Have I ever done this?”🪂?🥋?🏄‍♀️?🚣🏼?🥊?🤿?🎭?🤹?🎯? ⛸️?🛹?🏒?🏉?
Which ones?
Hint: I’ve actually done nine!
Have I ever used a 🪓?🪚? 🪠?🔭?🚬?💉?🔬?🪆?🔑?🛏️?🛒?🚽?🧴?🩹?🪥?
Which ones?
Hint: I’ve used over 10!

****HOW MANY HAVE YOU DONE?
HOW MANY HAVE YOU USED?
WHICH ONES????***

“What would I be sending you on this?”🖨️
Hint: it would really help you with this

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Hope this gave you a laugh, challenged you, or at least distracted you from the coverage of the war in Israel/Gaza, politics and natural disasters!

Putting it together sure helped me!

#MentalHealth , #Depression , #Anxiety #ChronicPain , #ChronicIllness , #Disability , #Selfcare , #Selflove , #PTSD , #BipolarDisorder , #COVID19 , #Migraine , #BackPain , #shoulderpain . #PhysicalTherapy , #BrainInjury , #Concussion , #PeripheralNeuropathy , #HIVAIDS , #Addiction , #MightyTogether , #DistractMe , #CheckInWithMe , #IfYouFeelHopeless , #Hope , #InsideTheMighty

We are growing fast …just passed 2,200 members a few months ago and are at 2,222 today and growing strong! (If you are not a member yet please consider joining us!) This is really exciting to me, we have all put in the effort and as a community we have grown, flourished and have built a sacred place where I hope you all feel at home! You have shown you care for each other, are there for each other and trust each other. This makes me very happy and proud. I envisioned the group would be a place where members would empathize with each other, ask for support, and offer support to others. When we are operating smoothly this experience is so exciting to watch spread & expand.

However, to be honest, I have been very frustrated that there is less activity recently and as our membership grows steadily the number of comments & replies has actually diminished. Our old co-leader Chris is no longer with the group and we need to have others step up and make up for her commitment to regularly respond to posts and comments. This means a collective effort from everyone in the group! I have had numerous layers of serious physical & mental health challenges recently and have had to step back and focus on self-care. This is a time when you can all help me by checking in here and see if there are new posts and hopefully respond.

My last post about hobbies with the image of all the colorful people doing different fun things only got ONE response. And Laura made a great post about disability after that and it got only two responses. When new members have the courage to open up and introduce themselves we want them to feel welcome and supported. Please especially respond if you share some similar health challenges and hopefully offer acknowledgement and encouragement!

This is OUR group everybody and it functions best when members support other members. We all have our varied health histories and with them the knowledge and wisdom we’ve garnered along the way! PLEASE let’s share these with each other. This communal empathy and understanding makes us strong.

Offering your own posts provides more content for the group and can generate great conversations. Write about if you are struggling and need support, encouragement and/or information. Write about how great things are going and share things that are helping you. Pose a question to the group which can excite others to chip in. Or just share a great meme you have found. It can be really powerful for others to see your post as they can then empathize and relate! I would be happy to support your effort if you want to run things by me before you post, I can help finding memes or images if you like, and I will comment on your posts to get the responses going to best support your efforts. I’m here for you and really enjoy the whole process, so please reach out to me if you need assistance or encouragement. I have made well over 100 posts since I started the group and learned a lot along the way! (Please scroll down back in time to find my other posts, you might find some of them helpful😉)

I believe in the power we have as a group and the community we have built. I am so thankful you have joined us and we are all on this journey together!

In service,

Moshe Adler
@moshe222mhc
🙏💥🫶💜🤗💥🙏

P.S. ✡️Happy Rosh Hashanah✡️ -The Jewish New Year. May today mark a time of new beginnings for us all.🌦️⛅️🌤️☀️

#MentalHealth #Depression #Anxiety #Disability #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #Selflove #Selfcare #BipolarDisorder #Bipolar1 #Bipolar2 #BipolarDepression #ADHD #PTSD #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #COVID19 #Migraine #Headache #RareDisease #HIVAIDS #PeripheralNeuropathy #BackPain #neckpain #Addiction #AddictionRecovery #IfYouFeelHopeless #Hope #CheckInWithMe #InsideTheMighty #MightyTogether #DistractMe #TheMighty #MightyMinute #MightyQuestions #Concussion #BrainInjury

@laurascardigno @texassonrisa @xokat @sparklywartanks