Category: Memories

• 14 and 8

  So, I didn’t mention it on the 11th because sometimes you just have to make happy, and this month has been a good month. Valentine’s Day marks 14 years and 3 days since the night I made a decision that resulted in a car wreck, which killed Gracie. I don’t know if her father gets…

  ellie

  February 14, 2022

  In Memory, Memories, The Ninth Year, Updates

  #LifeIsBeautiful, #NeverGiveUp, anomia, aphasia, depression, disability, handicap, hardship, life is beautiful, major depressive disorder, perspective, pregnancy, rape, Recovery, social issue, stigma, stroke, stroke recovery, trauma, young adult stroke, Young stroke, young stroke survivor, YSS

• 1 year

  I left the hospital exactly one year ago today.

  ellie

  August 24, 2020

  Memories, Photos, The Sixth Year

  #DespiteDisability, #LifeIsBeautiful, #NeverGiveUp, ABI, acquired brain injury, anomia, aphasia, bipolar, bipolar disorder, bipolar II disorder, brain injury, Brainstem, brainstem stroke, cerebellar stroke, Cerebellum, disability, generalized anxiety disorder, ischaemic stroke, ischemic stroke, left hemisphere ischemia, life is beautiful, neuropsychiatrist, neuropsychiatry, perspective, Recovery, seizure, seizures, Suicide, The Stroke Story, TIRR, young adult stroke, Young stroke, young stroke survivor, YSS

• 7

  I’m 7 years old today. Technically not, of course, but my life started over 7 years ago today. It started with learning to breathe on my own, then rolling over. Then sitting up; crawling; motorized wheelchair; sitting unassisted; standing; walking with 3 people helping me, then one. Then a walker. Then a cane. Then nothing.…

  ellie

  November 2, 2019

  ataxia, Memories, Ramblings, The Seventh Year, Updates, Writing

  #DespiteDisability, #LifeIsBeautiful, #NeverGiveUp, ABI, ACA, Achilles International, Achilles International Houston, acquired ataxia, acquired brain injury, acquired cerebellar ataxia, anomia, aphasia, asphyxiation, ataxia, Ataxia & Fitness, bipolar, bipolar II disorder, bradycardia, bradycardic, brain injury, brain stem tremor, brain surgery, Brainstem, brainstem tremor, cardiac arrest, cardiomyopathy, cardiovascular event, cerebellar ataxia, cerebellar ataxia brain stem, cerebellar stroke, Cerebellum, depression, diagnosis, disability, GAD, generalized anxiety disorder, handicap, hardship, HCM, hemiparesis, hemiplegia, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, In Memory, Intention tremor, ischaemic stroke, ischemic stroke, kinetic tremor, left hemisphere ischemia, life is beautiful, major depressive disorder, MDD, Memorial Hermann Hospital, operation, perspective, pneumonia, Recovery, seizure, social issue, Spinocerebellar Ataxia, stigma, stroke, stroke recovery, TBI, The Stroke Story, TIRR, trauma, Tremor, tremor disorder, visual field cut, young adult stroke, Young stroke, young stroke survivor, YSS

• 5

  

  I’m 5 years, 2 months and 2 days post-stroke. (Likely 5 years, 2 months and 3 days, by the time I finish writing this. It’s late.) 5 years. 5. That’s half a decade. Oy. 3 months and 4 days since I last updated this site. Sorry about that; I just wanted to step back for…

  ellie

  January 5, 2019

  ataxia, Memories, Photos, Ramblings, Random Posts, The Fifth Year, The Stroke Story, Updates

  #DespiteDisability, #LifeIsBeautiful, #NeverGiveUp, ABI, ACA, acquired ataxia, acquired brain injury, acquired cerebellar ataxia, anomia, aphasia, asphyxiation, ataxia, bipolar, bipolar disorder, bipolar II disorder, brain injury, brain stem tremor, brainstem stroke, brainstem tremor, cardiac arrest, cardiovascular event, cerebellar ataxia, cerebellar ataxia brain stem, cerebellar stroke, Cerebellum, deep brain stimulation, depression, diagnosis, disability, GAD, generalized anxiety disorder, H-Town, handicap, hemiparesis, hemiplegia, Houston, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, ICD, Intention tremor, ischaemic stroke, ischemic stroke, kinetic tremor, left hemisphere ischemia, LGBTQ, life is beautiful, major depressive disorder, MDD, perspective, Recovery, seizure, seizures, social issue, stigma, stroke, stroke recovery, TBI, The Stroke Story, trauma, Tremor, tremor disorder, young adult stroke, Young stroke, young stroke survivor, YSS

• I was able to play what???

  

  Browsing YouTube earlier, as people do the day after Christmas (I guess?), I stumbled across the very last piece I learned to play as a performance major. I don’t know how I can remember it, but I do. The sheet music is tucked away in the vocal sheetmusic book I’d taken to Carnegie Hall ten years ago. I…

  ellie

  December 26, 2017

  Memories, Random Posts, The Fourth Year, The Stroke Story

  ABI, acquired ataxia, acquired brain injury, acquired cerebellar ataxia, anomia, aphasia, Asturias, Asturias (Leyenda), ataxia, bipolar, bipolar disorder, bipolar II disorder, bradycardia, brain injury, brain stem tremor, Brainstem, brainstem stroke, brainstem tremor, cardiomyopathy, cerebellar ataxia, cerebellar ataxia brain stem, cerebellar stroke, Cerebellum, classical guitar, disability, Francisco Tárrega, GAD, generalized anxiety disorder, handicap, hemiparesis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Intention tremor, Isaac Albéniz, ischaemic stroke, ischemic stroke, Juan Quesada, kinetic tremor, left hemisphere ischemia, major depressive disorder, MDD, perspective, Recovery, Rosendo Reyna, stroke, stroke recovery, TBI, The Stroke Story, Tremor, tremor disorder, young adult stroke, Young stroke, young stroke survivor, YSS

• -364 days

  

  1 year ago – Monday, May 16 2016 I waited, excited and nervous. Tomorrow. A burr hole will expose the surface of my brain for the very first time… tomorrow. Less than 24 hours. I don’t remember what I did that morning, or the days leading up to it. I know that I watched videos…

  ellie

  May 16, 2017

  ataxia, Memories, Photos, The Stroke Story, The Third Year, Updates, Videos

  ABI, acquired brain injury, ataxia, awake brain surgery, brain injury, brain stem tremor, brain surgery, Brainstem, brainstem stroke, brainstem tremor, cerebellar ataxia, cerebellar stroke, Cerebellum, DBS, deep brain stimulation, disability, Dr. Albert Fenoy, Dr. Mya Scheiss, FA, FARA, Friedreich’s Ataxia, handicap, hemiparesis, Houston Medical Center, implantable cardioverter defibrillator, Intention tremor, ischaemic stroke, ischemic stroke, kinetic tremor, left hemisphere ischemia, Medtronic DBS, Memorial Hermann, Memorial Hermann Hospital, Mischer Neuroscience Institute, MRI, NAF, National Ataxia Foundation, operation, Recovery, Spinocerebellar Ataxia, stroke, stroke recovery, surgery, The Stroke Story, TIRR, Tremor, tremor disorder, Videos, young adult stroke, Young stroke, young stroke survivor, YSS

• Remembering Grace, again 

  8 years, 1 day, 8 hours ago (February 13, 2009, 01:something AM) I’m days from my 20th birthday and I have something that needs to be said before I lose the nerve to say it again. The way he forced me, then acted like he gave a damn when he found out about my baby…

  ellie

  February 15, 2017

  Memories, The Stroke Story, The Third Year, Updates

  ABI, acquired brain injury, aphasia, ataxia, brain injury, Brainstem, brainstem stroke, brainstem tremor, cerebellar ataxia, cerebellar ataxia brain stem, cerebellar stroke, Cerebellum, D&C, depression, disability, hemiparesis, Intention tremor, ischaemic stroke, ischemic stroke, kinetic tremor, left hemisphere ischemia, miscarriage, operation, pregnancy, rape, Recovery, sexual abuse, stroke, stroke recovery, The Stroke Story, trauma, Tremor, tremor disorder, young adult stroke, Young stroke, young stroke survivor, YSS

• What’s wrong with her?

  I slowly pushed my walker down the sidewalk, each step a careful consideration. My walker was helpful in more ways than I know how to describe. My hips were still incredibly weak and bumped against the sides of the walker with each step; something that had initially irritated me, but I had come to appreciate.…

  ellie

  April 21, 2016

  Memories, The Stroke Story, Writing

  ABI, acquired brain injury, ataxia, brain injury, brain stem tremor, Brainstem, brainstem tremor, cardiovascular event, cerebellar ataxia, cerebellar stroke, Cerebellum, hemiplegia, Intention tremor, ischaemic stroke, left hemisphere ischemia, Recovery, stroke, stroke recovery, The Stroke Story, Tremor, tremor disorder, Young stroke, YSS

• Videos: 3/20/16 – 3/21/16

  I didn’t record any videos today because I’m feeling sick and slept most of the day. So you get yesterday’s videos. Melly saying happy birthday to my mother yesterday, during the drive to the restaurant: There’s a Matchbox 20 song for this: And a couple of videos I found from 2014, 6-8 months post-stroke. During…

  ellie

  March 22, 2016

  Memories, The Stroke Story, The Third Year, Updates, Videos

  ABI, ACAOM, acquired brain injury, acupuncture, American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, ataxia, brain injury, brainstem tremor, cerebellar ataxia, cerebellar ataxia brain stem, cerebellar stroke, Cerebellum, hemiplegia, Intention tremor, ischaemic stroke, left hemisphere ischemia, Recovery, stroke, stroke recovery, Tremor, tremor disorder, young adult stroke, Young stroke, YSS

• A look back

  So, I’m going through a pile of cards, papers, and notebooks accumulated during my stay at inpatient and during my time in the Challenge program at TIRR. I came across the very first thing I wrote after the stroke. Pics are below. Made me smile. I’ve come so far. Sometimes I forget. I don’t want…

  ellie

  January 3, 2016

  Memories, Photos, The Stroke Story, The Third Year, Writing

  ABI, acquired brain injury, aphasia, ataxia, cerebral palsy, Memorial Hermann, Recovery, stroke, stroke recovery, The Stroke Story, TIRR, young adult stroke, YSS