Let's Draw part I

 When it's raining outside and I have chronic pain, I draw rainbows because they make me feel better. 

Step 1: Draw curvy lines to create side of cloud.

Step 2: Close lines creating first cloud.

Step 3: Begin drawing 2nd cloud. 

Step 4; Continue drawing outline for 2nd cloud.

Step 5: Close lines. Now we have two clouds.

 

Step 6: Begin drawing rainbow lines

Step 7: Close rainbow lines and
darken pencil lines with pens,
markers or colored pencil.  

Step 8: Color in rainbow and clouds
using markers, colored pencils

I didn't include all the colors of the rainbow in this drawing. Sometimes I leave them out or I include all of the colors. This usually depends on the length between clouds which usually determines the number of lines in a rainbow. I also could've add more thin lines to give the rainbow more colors. Rainbow drawings can be colored in using a variety of media even cutting colored pieces of paper and using it to fill in the colors is a good idea too. 

puzzles

Almost tipped over backwards this week due to balance issues. The last two days I've headaches in the back of my head (from chiari malformation). I also had a random Tinnitus episode in my right ear which hasn't happened in months. The curamin I've occasionally be taking for pain hasn't worked much in the last 48 hours. 

At least the curamin helped when I used it earlier this month. 

The barometric pressure outside is not helping. 

At least there's music, art, movies, puzzles, video games and books to distract from the chronic pain chaos.

 

Time to draw...

This morning, I have some nausea and headache from the chiari malformation in addition to sharp pains from the shunt valve. Time to draw....

socks

Yesterday, I almost fell trying to get dressed. My right crossed over the left leg, I caught myself when I landed halfway between the floor and the side of my bed.  Dizziness and walking, and turning issues have been the brain injury theme for me this week.  I’ve heard from other stroke/brain injury survivors the recovery process is a marathon, not a sprint.  Some parts of your life return to the way they were before your injury, other things do not.

Everything in your life is changed in some way.  Some things are just never the same again.

Because of the walking issues I was having yesterday, I decided to stay in one place and not walk as much. I ended up drawing for several hours yesterday. I haven’t done an hours long drawing session in a while because I’ve struggled with energy and concentration issues.

It was wonderful to escape for a little bit and forget for small amount of time the balance issues.

My cat, Stella, sometimes has walking issues when she is running. Yesterday, she was running into my room and she almost tripped over her two front legs.

Besides other stroke survivors, it seems my cat can relate as well.

I haven’t been able to volunteer for two months because of the pandemic. Some of the help needed requires lifting boxes, which I cannot do. This makes me sad, although I know I’ll be back saving the world through volunteering again eventually.

I’ve found music to help with both coping with the pandemic and my gait/pain issues. Happy songs include this classic from Oliver & Company ( NYC in the 1980s with Billy Joel) and Anastasia (1997)

109

I had five pain free days earlier this week. Kind of a small miracle, which should always be celebrated. Then about two days ago, all the shunt drama returned.  Shunt valve pain with dizziness, distal catheter pain, nausea ,pain in my right eye and scalp sensitivity where my shunt is located.  Last night, my balance was really off, I had walking issues and I was bumping into things.

I've read in the news that soldiers in Iran suffered traumatic brain injuries as a result of an Iran Strike recently. The article can be reach here: 109 troops suffered brain injuries

I just hope these troops are getting the appropriate services they need to assist them in their recovery.

Symptoms of brain injury often never really ever go away completely.... A fellow survivor told me once, that recovery is a marathon and not a sprint.

In the meantime, I've re discovered word search puzzles, which I use to pass time when I'm not out saving the world through volunteering or drawing.