Jamie's Blog

I can't do the YMCA today cause my job counselor is gonna pick me up at 2.30pm  to go to D&D's and meet with her supervisor!  Running this life is a full time job, I had to make sure I made all the calls I needed to first thing, Harvard vangaurd, YMCA, I think that's all the calls I needed to make :)! I've still gutta get to Wg's soon!

I couldn't even get the motivation to nuke some mac&cheese! I just had a Wg's chicken burger! It takes everything out of this survivor just to get my laundry after it's been through the dryer! Tomorrow my job counselor is gonna pick me up and take me to D&D's to meet with her supervisor! I have no idea why, maybe I'm just someone that's a pleasure to meet! I'm the one when a new staff member comes to work at hics that they bring to my place to explain what a home visit is all about so I'm gonna perceive it is just because of my magnetic personality and strong positive outlook on just about everything!

Well I never made it to Wg's today :(. I spent the whole afternoon doing laundry! It's not getting it downstairs and putting it in the machines that poops me out it's getting it all straightened out and putting all my shirts on hangers that gets me neuro exhausted! I was gonna make a batch of mac&cheese but its late so I'll just nuke up some I hope I've got in my freezer! Yeah Patriots :)! 

I got all my trips booked for the week :)! The thing that sux is that I don't have access to my online account yet :(! I tend to get real anxious to if I did them right or not! I can landline them to make sure but this survivor needs to see it to process all the information and SEE if I did them right! Then I can monitor my trips to make sure they don't mysteriously change which has happened many times in the past! I've gutta get my tail going cause I need to go to Wg's and do my laundry! 

I went to Wg's today to pick up a med and needed to get an antibacterial save then spent all afternoon making a dressing for my finger! Working 13 years in the glass business I know how to dress cuts, wounds, anything that punctures the skin! I just couldn't get my hands working together! 4 Band Aids later I got it done!

This survivor does exstremly well with his money! I've got a checking and two savings accounts! One savings I shuffle funds back and forth btw my checking  and the other is for investments! There just aren't any good rates out there :(! I monitor my funds constantly with my online banking account. The only thing that pisses me off are fees! I got charged a statement fee on one of my accounts! I can't have that so I've gutta find a way to avoid this happening again! I'm gonna try going paperless on all my accounts and see if that will eliminate at least a statement fee! I've really gutta find another bank that has account types that are more suitable for me! This survivor keeps working his brain on everything I do! You know the saying "use it or loose it", I've already lost too much of my brain I don't wanna loose any more!

Today I've got to get my tail in gear and take a ride to Wg's! There should be a med that needs to be picked up! Then I'll get other stuffs I need too, if I remember.

I've been to see the nurse practitioner and she popped it open again to drain all the fluid out again! She called a script in to Wgs for an antibiotic and said a dermatologist will landline me with an appointment! She didn't want to cover it cause she wanted to let it drain more!

A support called my cell this morning to check on my finger :)! This survivor is very happy he's got people that really care about him :)!

Today I'm gonna see the nurse practitioner at my pcp's office. My finger still is puffy and swollen but when it popped last night the puffiness went down a little! It's still a major concern though! 

I've been busy the last two days with Halloween parties :)! Last night was a party with the rec. club and today was the party with the day program :)! I went home last night with a little bag of candy and today I went home with another little bag of candy :)! My left ring finger has really blown up with swelling and pus! I got home today and it must have exploded! I know I should cover it but I can't find my bandaids! I'm just using anti-bacterial salve on it for now, I'm going tomorrow to have it looked at!

The conference today was great! The best part was seeing good people I've worked with before and survivors I've met in therapy and some survivors who used to attend hics :)! There didn't seem to be a lot of venders there this year though. Tomorrow KJ makes a home visit after 8.30am then I'm gonna go to hics tomorrow night for a Hollowen party :)!

I thought I was  getting homemaker service today 3.30-4.30. It got to be after 4.30 so I figured I'd call Bayada home health care and say wtf! Now they say Friday 3-5pm! I've been holding off from doing laundry cause this is the week I have my homemaker wash the bed sheets! I'm not one to pay to do laundry twice in one week so I was gonna have her do it all! Thankfully I've got one pair of clean jeans left in the closet!

Tomorrow is hic's 13th annual conference at Florian hall in Dorchester Ma! I'm hoping to see many people that I've worked with over the last 14 years! Should be a fun time, I've gutta search for things to fill my free time up with! I'll see whats there for volunteer opportunities!  

It seems I've developed another pain that makes difficult to do anything that requires fine motor skills! Since my brain injury I've had to adapt to using my left hand for things that require fine motor skills! Now the ring finger on my left hand seems to be swollen and in some pain :(! It seems like a fingernail issue like I suspect a hangnail! Its extremely painful! Makes it even hard using my keyboard not to mention even simple adl's! Needless to say I can't do the YMCA cause I've either gutta dig this out or learn to live with this pain! Digging it out will be a challenge cause I'll be using my right hand trying to dig my left hand! Just another day in the life of a tbi survivor!  

I've booked all my trips for the week and it's gonna be an exciting week! Monday I do the YMCA then Tuesday is our conference at Florian hall in Dorchester Mass! Then Halloween parties both Wednesday night at hics and Thursday then the YMCA on Friday! I still don't have access to my online account with "the ride" which means I've gutta get used to being anxious all the time :(! You see living with a brain injury has left me very unsure of just about everything I do! I get very anxious on everything concerning "the ride"! The ability to monitor my trips and see them in print is such a loss for this survivor! I think all my bi friends can understand, when you live with a brain injury you've got to have back-ups for everything! 

Today I got an order from peopod and have lots of tasty things to eat and drink :)! I only got food stuffs though, I'll get my hygiene and cleaning supplies when I do my monthly big order when I get paid! I've been doing lots of browsing at amazon.com! I wanna get all my devices talking to each other, networked! I should be able to do this using MY wireless network! I put an item in my cart at amazon .com that will work to wire them all together! Just another project to get the wheels turning in my brain :)! Tomorrow I think I'm gonna need to take a ride to the store!

So much has happened in the last couple days I've got to search my brain and process it all, not an easy task for this survivor. I had my job eval yesterday and I believe it went very well ;)! I worked at the RTR bookstore in Marshfield Mass. They have many people who donate books to them and my job was to inspect them, clean them up a little so they can be sold! I've done this before on previous evals so it came right back to me as to how to perform this task efficiently and thoroughly! Me being me though I've got to find ways of doing it better and more efficiently! I would find books that had folded over pages so I'd do my best to flatten them out and close the book and put it under a heavier book so to make them right! These are ways of working my brain and I make everything I do about working my brain! I went to a tenants meeting last night at the clubhouse and the no smoking issue was hot! One lady who is a nonsmoker lead the charge to stop this from ...

I've got an order from peaopod coming btw 10am-2pm today! I'm sure there were many things I forgot but I've got the ability to go to Wg's if I need to :)! This is a mid month run so all I got were food stuffs! I'm sure I forgot  something related though, this is a reality of living with traumatic brain injury,I've learned to accept this as part of my new life! 

I've been to hics today and was involved in three great groups First group of the day was peer tbi and HH is doing a fantastic job running this group this 1/4! It's back to being all about living with tbi! Different feelings, emotions, moods, you get living with tbi! We always seem to get into a great discussion of how we may be able to help whichever survivor is sharing! In all my years at hics I think this is the best group of survivors I've eva been associated with! I think I had mood management group too and LK starts the group with a motivational quote then we talk about it! These are great things to make the neurons start dancing in our brains! They can mean so much and different things to different survivors! LK has a hit with this exercise! I got into this a little on my own getting an inspirational quote emailed to me everyday! I had vocation group too. I'm actually working tomorrow! My job counselor is picking me up tomorrow at 9.15 am to go to th...

Tomorrow KJ makes a home visit after 8.30 am then my job counselor is coming to get me around 10.30 am and I forget what we're gonna do! She did say we should go to the library though for what I donno! If its to evaluate my computer skills, I could just grab one of my laptops and go to D&D's! 

I had a great meeting yesterday with my job counselor! I was asked "what is your best quality that makes you a good candidate for a job"? I replied "my interpersonal skills"! She had to agree! She went on to say your very well spoken and easy to understand. That means so much to this survivor cause you don't know how hard it is to first understand what's being said then thinking of a response, then carrying my thought from my brain to my mouth, then making sure I articulate well so I can be understood! I have to not only think about what I'm gonna say but how I say it, I've gutta over articulate! I'm doing hics today ;)! 

Today the plan is to go to the YMCA then my job counselor is coming to pick me up to go to D&D's to discuss my career goals! I found the copies of my indeed resume so I'm all ready to meet  with her :)! I remembered I needed to add value to my ride account and call to cancel homemaking service for today!

Today I booked most of my trips for the week until my account ran out of funds. I looked at my account and I must have forgot to add value this month (go figure)! Tomorrow I'm going to the YMCA then I'm gonna meet with my job counselor from RTR! She's gonna pick me up then go to D&D's and talk about my career goals :)! I also did a trash run, made dinna, trimmed my beard! I think I'm doing as well as a non injured single male at living totally independently :)!

I'm having difficulty getting motivated again! I just now booked my trips for the week! I didn't have enough value to do next Friday's trip though, I'll wait till tomorrow and call it in that way it's available immediately! I've still gutta trim my beard, shower, get dressed, go to the store, and laundry! I've gutta do my laundry cause I've gutta cancel my homemaker service cause of a job eval tomorrow!

I slept right through the night without getting up at all! I think that was cause my ipad mini came in the snail mail yesterday and I got very neuro fatigued! The OS on my new gadget is very similar to my iphones but still there was a lot to do and I had to remember all my passwords! That alone can make me extremely neuro fatigued searching my injured brain for information!   

I got a landline from a sexy blond chic this morning asking if I wanted to meet her at D&D's! Of course I said "yes"! I've been to D&D's and Wg's and this survivor remembered  the items I needed! I could have written down the items but my brain injury has taken my ability to write legibly away from me! I could make a note in my Iphone too! I'd rather force my brain to remember! I've gutta constantly work my brain so I don't get all the neurological things I'm prone to! 

I didn't do the YMCA today I just couldn't get myself motivated to get ready for the trip :(! I did take a ride to Wg's to get a script filled and pick up one that was ready! This survivor does very well managing his own meds :)! My meal tonight was beef burgundy with broccoli and pasta! It seems every meal comes with some type of pasta :)! I did my Wg's  run today so I really don't have to go tomorrow but I forgot coffee creamer:(! That gives me an excuse to take another ride tomorrow :)!  

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity and an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty" This quote was the topic today in a group called mood management! This quote is so meaningful to me cause when living in Scituate I thought of Ed as a pyrenoid pessimist! Just cause of all the rules and restrictions I had to live by living in HIS house! I was made to feel my opinion doesn't matter and basically treated like an adolescent! I shared how I was able to deal with all this Bs! I would just think back to all I've accomplished in this life! Three great kids, was making a six  figure salary,  was the best at what I did for a living, dream about getting my freedom, and anything else that would pop into my brain ! Those were hard years for me, immagine an optimist living with a pyrenoid pessimist! 

I'm doing hics today :)! I did my normal routine this morning, start coffee, check email, bank accounts and I noticed two Amazone charges! I knew I got the flash drive for my Iphone but didn't have a clue as to what else I got! All I had to do was go to amazone.com and look up my resent orders! I then tracked the order. I made a walmart.com order too, traked that and both say arriving Tuesday! Both are coming via the USPS and both should fit in my mailbox even if they come together! I'm hoping my mail carrier will just put them in without me having to sign for them!

I had fun tonight at game night :)! We got into two teams and played millionaire! I don't remember if my team won or not, I just know I had a fun time working my brain:)! Today KJ was here and I changed my method of payment on my two bills that get automatically withdrawn from my checking  account then I did my web hosting fee myself! I just remembered another one that gets withdrawn too, my renters insurance! That won't be an issue for this computer wiz though:)! I remember getting a call from "the rides" recertification department too, they just said they received my  request for an appeal and will call back with a time and date! I placed an order with amazon .com for a flash drive that will work with my Iphone then completed my walmart.com order! Now the only tasks I've gutta complete are make my monthly peopod order and change payment method on renters insurance! 

KJ was over and I think I was perfect again filling my meds :)! My check cleared to day so I paid myself then got an Ipad mini from Walmart.com :)! Everybody raves about apple products this was a cheap way to find out for myself! I got a refurbished one for around $200! I'm having great luck with my Iphone so this could replace my Dell Venue tablet! Now I've got a 2.47 pick up to go to hics :)! 

I got up kinda early this morning but I had the bestest sleep btw yesterday afternoon and last night! I was going through my fb news feed and came upon a survey about fb tbi support groups! I took the time to complete the thing that I thought would never end but I believe my answers are important!

This survivor has had a pretty good day :)! I started by having my coffee naturally then booked my trips for the week!     This was a blog I started earlier and had to get my laundry from the dryer then put it away, laid down and fell asleep! I got extremely neuro and physically fatigued! Tomorrow I've gutta get the motivation to get to the YMCA!   

I took a ride to Wg's to pick up a med and get some easy things to make for dinna :)! I had to get something sweet too! I get two packs of fudge striped cookies ;)! I like a sweet thing for dessert :)! I'm feelin like pizza tonight so I'm gonna nuke up a celeste micro pizza for one :)!

I've got to post our (hics) 13th annual conference will be held on 10/25/16 from 9.45am-2pm this years topic is "managing one's behavior after brain injury at Florian hall in Dorchester Ma. 55 Hallet st. Admission is FREE! Lunch will be served at 12pm then there is a vendor meet & greet! Then dessert and wrap up!  These are always great for survivors,anyone in the field, want to learn more about brain injury, and a great social gathering! I've seen a lot of people I've worked with in the past, therapists, doctors, and survivors too! The staff at hics always puts on a great show! Plus it's a great chance for me to do some networking :)! One year I gave my card to someone and got a call from a mother asking if I'd talk to her son who was having a difficult time accepting his tbi!

I've got the YMCA today! My foot is giving me some pain but I've gutta work through the discomfort and force myself to go! My left shoulder is causing me pain again too but this memory impaired survivor remembers it helps ease the pain doing my resistance training!

I got home today and figured I should check to see if I booked trips for the YMCA tomorrow! They said "you have NO trips for tomorrow! Yikes it was about 3pm and I was under the impression you had to book a trip for the next day before noon! I guess that's not so. I was able to book trips to and from the YMCA for tomorrow :)! I still can't access my online account and That's a real problem for this survivor! I could check my trips and see them in black and white :(! This is just another thing this survivor must deal with! 

I've been to hics today :)! Today was an HH day! She ran both groups I had today :)! I kinda forget what went on in them though cause I got lost trying to remember how I get to citizens bank :(! I wouldn't have t do this if I had my darn master money card! The good thing is LK came to my rescue! I tend to get down on myself when things like this happen! I know it's not irregular for something like this to happen to a tbi survivor. I just like to hold myself to a higher standard ! I was able to get $100 cash though and I shouldn't need anymore cash this month!

No master money card yet :(! I've gutta remember how to get to Citizens bank from hics! I think I take a left out of hics go till I get to Washington st. then look for a Citizens bank sign in the distance on the left! Its time I try getting there myself, I checked my checking, transferred money from my savings so I can get enough cash to last me, $100.

I've been to hics and KJ was able to show me how to get to Citizens bank :)! I got the wrong information from them though. It seems they can't issue me a new card at any branch! The Quincy branch told me they didn't have any :(! I was able to cash a check so I've got cash for this week! I'm hoping my new card arrives before I need more!

I'm starting to calm down a bit about my card! I emailed KJ yesterday bout showing me the way to Citizens bank from hics and her response was "when do you want to go" :)! Now all I've got to be anxious about is getting to hics via "the ride"! I'm gonna bring a check to cash too cause I'm almost certain I've got to activate my new card from my home phone, that's a pretty good memory :)! I've had to do this many times before but I've gutta give myself credit where due! So I go to Citizens bank, get a new card, cash a check, and not feel broke anymore :)! 

I don't think I can do the YMCA today cause I'm just so anxious not having my master money card! What if I got stranded by "the ride" and had to call a cab? I've got no cash :(!

I hope David Ortiz gets all he wants and has a wonderful retirement! I never made it to Wg's today but I did the store! Tomorrow I'm gonna do the YMCA just for my resistance training! If I make it Friday too then I'll do the pool on Mondays!

I've been watching the Redsox game and David Ortiz's last regular season home game! The tributes to this man were great and so well deserved! I'm gonna miss watching this legend do his thing! I'm gonna say now "big poppie  is gonna bring another world series championship to Boston :)! 

I didn't sleep well last night cause I was real anxious about my master money card :(! I can go to a branch and get one but that takes careful planning!  I don't drive, I'd have to book a trip that would cost $6 round trip and I've gutta make it for at least one hour. I just feel broke not being able to easily get cash :(! There is a branch near hics, in scooting range but I've never done it,makes me anxious to try! KJ said one time she would walk over with me, I should see if that offer still stands! I don't like to ask for help on something I can do independently but this would alleviate so much anxiety! I've got no cash and my laundry card needs more value on it, need stuffs at Wg's, could use a run to the store! Those are all places I'm used to using my card at. Wg's will take a check but last time I tried it got refused and I can count quarters for the store but that's not an easy way of getting my needs accomplished! This survivor is gl...

I'm not gonna stay bummed out about my master money card no! I just had dinna with a pretty,sexy, blond chic ;)! Life is good for this survivor!

I went to the store this morning, went to use my card and it got refused! I just spent most of the afternoon on the landline with my bank! It seems my card was getting fraudulent charges! I went through all the recent charges with the clerk and they have to cancel out this card and issue a new card! Now I've gutta wait to get it in the snail mail :(!