A Belated Happy New Year

It’s been over a month since my last update, so I thought it was time to tell you where things stand. I’m a few weeks into physical therapy which has helped with a lot of my physical symptoms like chronic headaches and back pain. Just before New Years I started cognitive therapy, and last week I started vision therapy, so I can finally see progress on my recovery. It’s been particularly difficult because the first few appointments for both cognitive and vision therapy are testing the limits of my brain’s ability to function to find a starting place for treatment. That usually means I’m mentally and physically exhausted after my appointments. But! I should be done with testing within the next week and then start with a treatment plan.

I’ve slowly started posting on Instagram again, though by no means as regularly as I’d like, I’m trying to rebuild my habit and trying not to overtax my brain by doing too much at once. I’ve started writing again. I felt inspired to write some backstory recently about when Lewis and Clark first met. I haven’t felt inspired since I got in the car accident so this is big news. My stamina is pretty wimpy, but I can at least see myself posting here again soon, instead of vaguely hoping that eventually I’ll be ready. My cognitive therapist has given me some tricks to help me read, so I’m feeling overall pretty optimistic that I might find a new normal. She told me to read articles, highlight the key points as I go and take notes to help with retention. She also advised I use an index card as I read to help keep track of which line I’m on. My difficulty is primarily in getting my eyes to adjust their focus as I go.

All of this has taken a toll on me mentally, so that’s been the hardest struggle lately. I get excited that I see progress, push myself too hard because I think I can handle it, and then take a few steps backwards and feel useless again. But my doctors keep on reminding me that any progress is good progress. Even writing here again is good progress.

Right now I’m on the job hunt. I’m looking at museum jobs and I’m really excited about one in particular, but I’m really ready to get back to work. It’s been tough going the past few months and I need a steady paycheck. I’m looking to the future, to what I want my life to be in the coming year. I’m hoping to go back to school when my brain is ready. I also have some ideas about where to take this blog and my Lewis and Clark research now that my bike trip is over. I’ll tell you more about that soon!