When
 

do I get to stop feeling like I've been hit by a train?

:( I hope it's soon.

Q: When do I get to stop feeling like I've been hit by a train?

A: When you start feeling like pulling a train.

Sorry monster.

I wish I could give your brain a foot rub.

the brain is kind of ok, we think. but I'm so TIRED at the end of every day. physically and mentally. My body hurts and my head aches :( sorry, it's been a hard weekend. In hospital, a small room with a few people, I had no idea how devastating the field cut would be to my everyday vision. It just feels like I don't have my lenses in when I do. Some days, I truly believe I haven't put them in and go up to do so. Those days I cry. A lot.

Faces and crowds are hard. People are hard. All I've done for two days is sit on my butt at a swim meet. How is my body so completely bone-tired? I know why my sciatica is hell, but where does the tiredness come from?

And please, sir, can i see a little more clearly? I play words with friends on facebook. I can't count how many times I think I've got a great word and then realize I didn't see a whole bunch of letters on the left and it doesn't fit at all..... :(

I can't drive my kids to their sports, I can't watch their sports, I can't work the score tables and i can't do the volunteer jobs I have. my defecits are minor, but have very accurately wiped out my entire life (figure skating and pottery are gone too).

I'll take the brie, please.

Pottery gone ???
You can still make stuff , just get a Mirror so you can see both sides at once

You can get one of those dogs trained in New Zealand to drive cars as your seeing eye dog/backseat driver.

pottery is gone -hopefuly tmporarily- because left side weaknes makes handbuilding and throwing almost impossible, vision problems makeglazing stressful, and because i will have to rely on rides and I tended to arrive when I got there and leave when I felt done.

Yes, it could be a great "therapy" -but this is the thing I do for fun! I don't want to learn to hate it because it'e hard. Plus it ain't cheaap and insurance doesn't cover it ;). I don't want my friends to become my therapists and my are my therapy.

I'm thinking of going into paperclip art. My OT wants me to puts paperclips on and take them off a manilla folder. so I added the challenge of sstringing them together (bad hand only)

I have always viewed you as an incredibly strong person. I'm sure you will overcome these obstacles and be back to your oldself soon. You are added to my prayer list

Ach damn, that's a bitch Monster.

One of my bestest friends had a stroke last year. It took her a while to get to the point of not being wiped out all the time. I think you can probably expect the extreme tiredness and physical weakness to go on for a couple more months. But it will start to lessen. Must seem like forever right about now, but you'll get there and you'll be doing the things you used to do. Try to be patient and have faith in your body's recuperative powers.

I must say I had thought that the deficits you describe suffering were likely to cut a huge swathe through your regular activities. As with any loss it is now, rather than immediately after the event, that reality kicks in and things look really REALLY shit. However, the after-effects of stroke are treatable, do resolve, will improve .... slowly. For mile-a-minute-Monster that's going to be bloody hard. Being patient is going to take all your evident and admirable inner strength, Monster. I expect to hear all about your frustrations here on a regular basis. We're all here, urging you on, sending you strength, good vibes, prayers, sympathy, extending our ears.

monster- how is your blood iron level?

Has anyone talked to you about vision therapy, monster? It's a subset of occupational therapy, but most OTs are trained more in fine and gross motor activities.

Monster, I hope things get better for you soon. Most of your concerns are about what you do for other people, and I admire you for that.

I have a vague recollection that there are eyeglasses that can help fill in your field loss, but my research has come up blank. You have a resource close by, which is bound to be more expert that I am. I would visit the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center Low Vision Clinic.

http://www.kellogg.umich.edu/lowvision/index.html

Be well.