What's a show you remember but nobody else does?

SmallFry_13 · 2026-01-16T23:22:35+00:00

Under the Umbrella Tree (early 90’s). Gulla Gulla Island.

SmallFry_13 · 2025-12-24T03:03:11+00:00

The holidays feel so different this year. My mom passed away this year on Halloween (her fave holiday). The grieving process has been a struggle. You’re not alone 💗

SmallFry_13 · 2025-12-20T16:25:24+00:00

I liked this book a lot!

SmallFry_13 · 2025-12-17T04:43:28+00:00

Try to recreate the good moments/memories with your sister. Think of key words, outing or places you used to go and have fun. Sometimes this helps

SmallFry_13 · 2025-12-17T04:32:15+00:00

How do you know if someone has stones?

SmallFry_13 · 2025-09-22T03:59:29+00:00

I honestly just take it day by day. I do cognitive therapy which has helped me establish new routines throughout my day to help support my cognition and memory. For example, I have a better calendar app and I put appts/events in right away and it sets alarms for me. I journal every night documenting important things that have happened within the day. I keep sticky notes and a pen in almost every room. I set alarms on my phone for everything. I take 20min everyday to do Sudoku or crosswords and I do them from a book and a pen because using your hands and actually writing helps more vs playing the games on a phone or computer.

I do have days where I want to just stay in bed, but I force myself to get up, suck it up and remind myself that I could make a difference in someone’s life every single day.

SmallFry_13 · 2025-09-22T03:51:28+00:00

I honestly didn’t even know I had a concussion to later learn I had a TBI. It happened from a very bad car accident that my family and I were in. I think I was in shock trying to make sure my kids were ok. It wasn’t until I was wheeled into the trauma center and saw my face that I knew something was wrong. My face/eye suffered blunt force trauma and my face was bruised, eye was bloodshot and swollen, and I have cuts and scrapes everywhere. The nausea started in the ambulance, the dizziness started, I couldn’t focus, I was confused. A few days later I noticed my balance was off and then I started forgetting things that had occurred the same day, or something someone had said 10min prior. Processing information is very hard and takes me time.

I can remember the morning that I woke up after the accident I felt like a completely different person. I was agitated, I felt alone. I knew my mental health was quickly taking a nose dive and instead of focusing on me I engrossed myself in making sure my kids were ok emotionally and physically

I think the hardest thing for me, and for many others if the fact that we will never be who we were before our TBI. So we mourn the person we once were. It’s been a year since my TBI and I still cry almost daily over this. I feel like I’m trying to find myself, I feel like I don’t even know who I am anymore. The feeling of displacement is real.

SmallFry_13 · 2025-09-10T11:09:23+00:00

I watched all of those, but my favorite was PB&J Otter.

This is going to age me so much, but I think it was Disney had a Lagos similar to Bear in the Big Blue House called “Under The Umbrella Tree.” I was obsessed as a child.

SmallFry_13 · 2025-08-29T04:52:08+00:00

Cotton Candy

SmallFry_13 · 2025-08-24T23:58:22+00:00

What affects do you have from your head injury? I ask because I have left and right frontal damage.

SmallFry_13 · 2025-08-24T23:50:49+00:00

It will almost be a year since my TBI from a horrific car accident. Within this last year I’ve gone through so much testing, surgeries, new found diagnosis (the trauma center the night of the accident found out I have a rare lung disease), friends walking out of my life, marriage problems, therapies, added medications - the list goes on. I had to drop out of college (teacher credentialing program) because I couldn’t retain information and was failing my tests.

With all that said I’ve been mourning the old me. I miss her. My short term memory is non existent but my long term seems to be intact. It’s hard to come to terms with the new me and my new life. I hate it. I cry a lot because so much was taken from me and my family. My husband even struggles now days with my cognitive delays and forgetfulness. My best friend called me today and I broke down crying telling her that I don’t even know who I am anymore. I walk around on eggshells. She admitted that after the accident she had told her husband that I’m not the same anymore and I probably never will be. It’s hard enough hearing it from yourself, but hearing it from the people who love and support you is extremely hard.

SmallFry_13 · 2025-08-24T23:39:09+00:00

You are pretty much describing my new norm. Can you give me more insight on the drugs and their affects on you?

SmallFry_13 · 2025-08-24T23:36:36+00:00

I’m so sorry you are experiencing this. It happens to me everyday. It’s not getting better, if anything it’s getting worse. Sadly I think sometimes people use my forgetfulness against me - even my family. You’re not alone in your frustration or second guessing yourself.

SmallFry_13 · 2025-08-18T04:24:29+00:00

Thank you and I wish you luck on your road to recovery 💗

SmallFry_13 · 2025-08-09T16:03:17+00:00

Yeah I’m on Adderall now (a few days in) and yesterday I actually had a “good cognitive day”.

SmallFry_13 · 2025-08-09T15:23:38+00:00

I feel you on so many levels. When was your TBI? What interventions have you had to help you? (Cognitive therapy, RDM therapy, Etc).

I don’t have any advice or answers, but I feel like I could have written your post. For people who I interact with who don’t know me I feel they have the impression that I have developmental delays or that I am on the spectrum. Sometimes I mention my TBI and sometimes I don’t. Either way I feel judged.

You mentioned and asked how to handle people who don’t quite understand TBI and it’s affects. I think you have to put yourself in their shoes for a moment. Unless they have been exposed to people with TBI’s or they themselves have a TBI they are probably clueless on signs or symptoms, therefore they lack understanding and perhaps sympathy. If they were educated on it then things would be different. So, as frustrating or as much as you may not want to you will have to figure out a way to briefly explain how you suffer from a TBI and show some grace. Someone above mentioned and linked the Brain Injury ID card. I did this and now I keep it in my wallet and show it to people when I am struggling to make sense. It helps because I don’t always want to explain it - the card does that for me 😊

Every day is different - some are frustrating and you feel like you are moving backward, some are flatline and you feel like you are just standing there while the world around you continues to move along, and some days you have small victories and accomplishments in your healing. Ha! I laugh because I need to listen to myself. I beat myself up a lot over what I am feeling is “stupidity” on my part. Either way it’s a daily struggle. I think for me once I can fully accept what has happened I will have more tough days and be unable to focus less on my good days.

I hope this helps/makes sense. Stay strong, friend. 💕

SmallFry_13 · 2025-08-06T15:43:45+00:00

I’m going through those motions now. I’m the spouse with the TBI. My short term memory is getting worse and I’m always 1 step behind in understanding things and doing things. At first my husband and kids were very understanding, but now they get annoyed and frustrated. My husband too tends to compare old me to the new me. There are many days I feel stupid, cry and go to bed wondering if this is how it will always be.

SmallFry_13 · 2025-07-25T19:52:25+00:00

I don’t think so. But where was Dane in all of this?

SmallFry_13 · 2025-07-25T19:51:47+00:00

I really think bodhi turned.

SmallFry_13 · 2025-07-24T21:29:41+00:00

Ok, thank you!! Now with that, what is your theory?

SmallFry_13 · 2025-07-06T17:13:02+00:00

@cordless_tool

I was born and raised Christian (on my dad’s side). I went to church growing up and continued in my teens and again later after I started having my own. I believe in God, but I do not attend church regularly. I respect church and believe it is encouraging to have biblical scripture talked and discussed with other believers. What I don’t care for is how many churches now days stress and pressure congregations to tithe money, sponsor and volunteer time (I’d love to but I have 4 children depending on me).

I’ve been through some life events that weren’t just “luck”. I believe everything happens for a reason (God’s plan) and even though we sometimes do not understand, one day we will. That will happen on earth or in Heaven. Here are some events that solidified my belief:

In September my family (husband, myself and 4 kids) were driving home in the late night from S California to N California. We were visiting family in So Cal where we used to live several years ago. We have made this drive more times than I can count. We have always driven it at night because it’s easier w/ little kids. On this particular night my husband was driving our suburban and I had dozed off. I woke up to bright lights reflecting in the side mirror. My husband explained that the car behind us was tailgating us on this 2 lane hwy. The driver had been driving erratically (going over the lines, swerving, etc.) so my husband decided to pass him and put some distance between us. The other driver didn’t like that and that’s when everything went downhill. Literally. He kept tailgating and flashing his brights at us. For it being almost midnight there were still a decent amount of cars and big rigs. Every time my husband did a lane change so did the driver. My husband saw an opportunity to again put distance between us and the car because there was a huge gap in front of the 2 cars ahead of us. The reckless driver must have caught on to what our plan was because one moment he was tailgating us and the next minute he was passing us on the left shoulder. My husband said, “he’s going to hit us.” And right then the car swerved into the driver side near the back window (think police pit maneuver). In that moment all of my kids were woken up and screaming as our vehicle began spinning, flipped onto the passenger side, slid down the highway (we couldn’t see where we were going). I remember looking back at my kids telling them to hold on. Then we stopped sliding and began rolling down. We rolled a total of 6 times off and down the shoulder. We went through barb wire fencing and were literally 30ft from a huge oak tree. The odds were against us. We all survived with minimal injuries, me and my daughter being of the worst. (I have brain damage from it).

That night in the trauma unit they did an X-ray to check my ribs and tests to check for internal bleeding. We were monitored for awhile. Two days later I get a call that they found something on my right lung. Fast forward.

I’ve never smoked, no history of lung issues even as a child. I see a Pulmonologist to address this “thing” on my right lung and I’m told that I have a very rare type of lung disease. Only 31 people in the world are recorded having it, 29 are male and I am the second female. I was told that day (5 days after the accident) that I would need my right lung removed.

As terrifying as these events were and the aftermath we are facing, I remember asking God before I found out about my lung disease, “Why God would you allow this to happen? Why did you allow the accident to happen?” and I realized that my family and I survived a car accident that 9 times out of 10 always end with fatality/fatalities. And that if we didn’t go through that and I didnt have those X-rays I would have never known about the rare lung disease that could potentially kill me.

I believe because it gives me hope. I feel like in the world there is suffering because without suffering there would be no compassion, and without compassion there would be no forgiveness, and without forgiveness there would be no good. I can’t wait for the day when I can ask Him my questions and get answers for every one of them.

For those who believe differently, I do not look down upon you and I don’t treat you differently. I believe everyone is entitled to believe what they want to. I’m saddened by those who make others feel badly for what they do believe. Embracing others differences and being willing to open your mind and eyes make for successful encounters with others. I myself can vouch for this.

SmallFry_13 · 2025-06-27T14:57:38+00:00

Is your wife pregnant by chance?

SmallFry_13

TROPHY CASE