Dublin.
On Friday I travelled to Dublin to visit my friend who's in college up there. I hadn't seen her since January so I was so excited to be going up. Plus it was also my first time travelling anywhere far on my own since the stroke 2 years ago.
My mother was more anxious than me, I guess she was just worried I'd get too tired too quickly as I would have to concentrate more and more concentrating means more brain power and more brain power means less energy.
For most people travelling is second nature, it's just a form of getting from A to B to do something or to go somewhere it involves little energy or concentration. But for me it's a huge task, especially on my own, it just drains me.
My mother like all mothers kept texting me to make sure I was okay, (which I thought was cute). My time keeping skills are terrible (which is something I am still trying to work on) so I only made it to Limerick Colbert station 2 minutes before the train was supposed to leave so I was rushing which did not help my tiredness. Then once the train got to Limerick Junction I hopped off to get the Dublin Huston train. Those of you that have travelled on trains the first few coaches are reserved which is something I forgot so I jumped onto coach B trying to walk up the lane in between the chairs to find a seat and people were coming towards me so I had to go backwards, I got frustrated and jumped off the train to run down to jump on one of the back coaches, as I was running there was a man with a flashlight flashing the light towards the front to tell the train driver to go, so I was running up trying to jump on one of the coaches, lucky the man waving the flashlight sees me and opens the door and helps me jump on. I just laughed once I got a seat, I'm such a dizzy person in not surprised these things happen to me.🤣 (there's never a dull moment).
I had a great time catching up with my friend. She really is great she really tries to understand the brain injury and I guess she really tries to understand the 'new me'. When we go walking she always asks if I'm okay and if I need a break because she understands how much of a task walking can be for me at times.
She also carries some of my bags because carrying bags and walking completely knocks my balance which means I'm more likely to fall over.😂 It's the little things like that, that help so much. 💜
I feel so lucky and blessed to still be able to do the amount I can do after my stroke. I know its not as much as I would have wish a few years ago, but I've come such a long way and I feel so blessed to have met all the people I have through this, each person I talk to gives me so much strength and hope. More than anything I'm thankful for my friends and family (headway included) without them all I wouldn't have had such a good recovery.
The last two years (during my denial stage) I referred to myself as a Stroke Victim but now I feel so lucky to be able to call myself a STROKE SURVIVOR. 💜💜💜💜
If I ever call myself a victim next to my mom she literally shouts 'Ree you're a survivor not a victim, you won....stroke lost. 😂💜 I love my mom.
Btw I bought a new phone yesterday, it' the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017. I've always been an iPhone gal but decided to change as I was getting sick of them. 😂 My dad now thinks he's very trendy with his new IPhone 6, I honestly think that's why he took me to buy my new one yesterday, he was dying to have an upgrade himself. 😂 Hope you all have a great week. 💜 Also I will be in the Irish Examiner on the 13th of April!!
My mother was more anxious than me, I guess she was just worried I'd get too tired too quickly as I would have to concentrate more and more concentrating means more brain power and more brain power means less energy.
For most people travelling is second nature, it's just a form of getting from A to B to do something or to go somewhere it involves little energy or concentration. But for me it's a huge task, especially on my own, it just drains me.
My mother like all mothers kept texting me to make sure I was okay, (which I thought was cute). My time keeping skills are terrible (which is something I am still trying to work on) so I only made it to Limerick Colbert station 2 minutes before the train was supposed to leave so I was rushing which did not help my tiredness. Then once the train got to Limerick Junction I hopped off to get the Dublin Huston train. Those of you that have travelled on trains the first few coaches are reserved which is something I forgot so I jumped onto coach B trying to walk up the lane in between the chairs to find a seat and people were coming towards me so I had to go backwards, I got frustrated and jumped off the train to run down to jump on one of the back coaches, as I was running there was a man with a flashlight flashing the light towards the front to tell the train driver to go, so I was running up trying to jump on one of the coaches, lucky the man waving the flashlight sees me and opens the door and helps me jump on. I just laughed once I got a seat, I'm such a dizzy person in not surprised these things happen to me.🤣 (there's never a dull moment).
I had a great time catching up with my friend. She really is great she really tries to understand the brain injury and I guess she really tries to understand the 'new me'. When we go walking she always asks if I'm okay and if I need a break because she understands how much of a task walking can be for me at times.
She also carries some of my bags because carrying bags and walking completely knocks my balance which means I'm more likely to fall over.😂 It's the little things like that, that help so much. 💜
I feel so lucky and blessed to still be able to do the amount I can do after my stroke. I know its not as much as I would have wish a few years ago, but I've come such a long way and I feel so blessed to have met all the people I have through this, each person I talk to gives me so much strength and hope. More than anything I'm thankful for my friends and family (headway included) without them all I wouldn't have had such a good recovery.
The last two years (during my denial stage) I referred to myself as a Stroke Victim but now I feel so lucky to be able to call myself a STROKE SURVIVOR. 💜💜💜💜
If I ever call myself a victim next to my mom she literally shouts 'Ree you're a survivor not a victim, you won....stroke lost. 😂💜 I love my mom.
Btw I bought a new phone yesterday, it' the Samsung Galaxy A5 2017. I've always been an iPhone gal but decided to change as I was getting sick of them. 😂 My dad now thinks he's very trendy with his new IPhone 6, I honestly think that's why he took me to buy my new one yesterday, he was dying to have an upgrade himself. 😂 Hope you all have a great week. 💜 Also I will be in the Irish Examiner on the 13th of April!!
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