My Occupational and Speech Therapy Homework for Cognitive Improvement

Or at least for cognitive status quo

Well that's a big title. I do Occupational, Speech, and Physical therapy every week in the hopes that I might regain some of what I lost with the TBI. This means I also have homework. From Pencil Pushups intended to strengthen my eye muscles and help them focus together to practicing picking up and specifically placing small objects, I do a lot each day to try to get better. Unfortunately, thoug there has been a bit of improvement here and there, overall, not only am I not better, but some things continue to get worse.

As I've shared before, I have constant head pain and nearly daily migraines. It is painful to use my eyes. Understanding what I am reading is very difficult as well as being able to formulate and execute responses to texts and emails. If you were with me while I type this blog, you would see how many mistakes I'm making, how difficult it is for me to process if I'm typing the right words with the correct spelling, and more. That's why I don't write very much. It exhausts me and makes my headaches worse.

One of the things I do for homework/practice is adult dot-to-dots. Yes, they make adult versions. The two main differences between the children and adult types is how many numbered dots there are and whether or not the numbers are near each other in numerical order. Basically, for the adult version, there are 100 or more numbered dots that can be found all over the page. Just looking at a page of these numbered dots makes me nauseous. This is a constant struggle for me. The more visual information there is for me to take in, the worse my headache and the more nauseous I feel, and that is even before I have to find the numbers and draw the lines between them. Also, I often can’t tell what the picture is supposed to be when I am finished. It just looks like a mess. I just completed a 101 dot picture, and I'm barely hanging in there to write this.

Another thing I do for practice is sticker art. This is like paint by number but with stickers. There is a picture with numbered shapes and sheets of numbered stickers that correspond. I have to look at the picture, find the number, then look at the sheet, peel up the sticker, and place it properly oriented on the picture. This is so difficult for me that I can only do about 10-15 minutes at a time, accomplishing only a very small area on the picture. And again, the pain and pressure in my head is intense while I do it and for a long time after.

I also do word search puzzles. This is where there is a block of random letters within which are hidden words. The book I got lists the words I need to find. I have a similar struggle with this as with the dot-to-dots. Just looking at the puzzle makes my head hurt more. Though I don't get as aggressively nauseous right away. Being dyslexic, I think my brain finds it easier to process the letters because they are in a grid, where the dot-to-dot just looks like a mess. But, by the time I've found all the words, I'm so mentally tired that it is difficult to do anything else for a half hour or more.

One of the reasons I struggle so much with all of these activities is because my vision changes, sometimes significantly, throughout the day. I need glasses for both distance and reading, but even with my brand new prescription, several times a day, they just don't work to improve my vision. Then my eyes get stressed, water a lot, and hurt, and my headaches get worse. I am waiting to see a neuro ophthalmologist who may be able to help. We'll see.

I am committed to pushing through with all of the interventions and practices, but it is so hard. I often get discouraged and sad. So, if you are going through anything similar, my heart is with you. If someone you know is going through recovery from a brain injury, please be patient. It is more difficult than I ever imagined. It's been more than three years since the injury. I had no idea that any of these difficulties and disabilities would still be so present after so much effort and time. However, it is likely that I will have to keep doing this work for the rest of my life to try to be sure I don't get significantly worse. Getting better may not be possible at this point.