OtherSupport

Stop-Look-Go & The Given Moment: Brother Steindl-Rast’s Lesson in Gratefulness

Posted by piermarton on November 6, 2014
Posted in: Books, Culture, Delirium, Humor, ICU, Insights, LifeAfter, LifeBefore, OtherSupport, Rehab, Tips.

Brother David Steindl-Rast, A Network of Grateful Living (ANG*L) and his many books!

Br. Steindl-Rast, against solidification:
The religions start from mysticism. There is no other way to start a religion. But, I compare this to a volcano that gushes forth …and then …the magma flows down the sides of the mountain and cools off. And when it reaches the bottom, it’s just rocks. You’d never guess that there was fire in it. So after a couple of hundred years, or two thousand years or more, what was once alive is dead rock. Doctrine becomes doctrinaire. Morals become moralistic. Ritual becomes ritualistic. What do we do with it? We have to push through this crust and go to the fire that’s within it. — During Link TV’s Lunch With Bokara 2005 episode The Monk and the Rabbi.

“The Arrogance of Normalcy”

Posted by piermarton on February 11, 2012
Posted in: Doctors, Family, General, ICU, Insights, LifeAfter, Nutrition, OtherSupport, Post-Rehab, Rehab, TheBodyChallenge, TheHospital, TheMindChallenge, Work.

I speak of this elsewhere, but it was clear from the ICU on that what was considered normal was a complete aberration. Being surrounded in rehab by many brain surgery survivors who could only mutter vague sounds to express themselves, regular activities like speaking, holding a pen or defecating have to be considered miracles, amazing victories!

Nothing can be taken for granted.

We are born disabled, and most of our lives are probably disabled in one way or another (but deny it)… and we will most likely die disabled.

Another one of those “beams in the eye” – so prevalent it is one more omnipresent blind spot.

Juices (My Boostraps)

Posted by piermarton on January 31, 2012
Posted in: Insights, LifeAfter, Nutrition, OtherSupport, Post-Rehab, TheBodyChallenge.

To regain my footing – I still have major fatigue/balance issues – (following my mother who lived till 93 thanks to the good care of my brother), AFTER I have listened and followed most official medical advice… I now

TRUST IN VEGETABLE JUICES!
If I can gather them: ginger, garlic, parsley, cucumber, beets, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, celery, cabbage, asparagus.
(a few samples from an on-going series)


The Healing Arts Series © Pier Marton 2011

The Healing Arts Series © Pier Marton 2011

The Healing Arts Series © Pier Marton 2011

The Healing Arts Series © Pier Marton 2011The Healing Arts Series © Pier Marton 2011

An AVM Survivors Website!

Posted by piermarton on December 23, 2011
Posted in: General, OtherSupport, Tips, Website.

I had not known about this site… am I re-inventing the wheel? We will see whether this parallel effort can complement that great site…
FYI, AVM stands for Arteriovenous Malformation -as per their website – it is a deficiency in the cardiovascular system characterized by abnormalities between the arteries and veins. The affected areas usually lack cell nutrients and become filled with Carbon Dioxide, causing blood to tangle and form malformations. Malformations can occur in different parts of the body, and can cause fatal strokes when the tangled blood ruptures.

They have some good guidelines that I would think would be just right here too:

Let’s Keep it Nice & Clean
1. No Spam
2. No Personal attacks
3. No Offensive content (profanity, sexual references, illegal activity subject matter, pornographic material or photos)
4. No Profanity, sexual references and illegal activity subject matter are not allowed in the Chat Room.
5. Specific doctor or hospital names mentioned in a negative context, for legal reasons.    
Specific doctor or hospital names in a positive context are welcome.
Thanks for your cooperation.

This Blog is Created to Help Others Along the Way…

Posted by piermarton on December 23, 2011
Posted in: BrainScience, Doctors, Family, General, ICU, Insights, LifeAfter, LifeBefore, MoneyAfter, MoneyBefore, MoneyDuring, OtherSupport, Post-Op, Post-Rehab, Pre-Op, Rehab, TheBleed, TheBodyChallenge, TheHospital, TheMindChallenge, Work.

After my brain hemorrhage, I looked for websites to guide me along. Short of that rare meeting when I could compare notes with another survivor, there was no place on the web to consult. So… Brain Bleed!

To summarize, I went from “hell” (how inadequate a word!) through “wild rides” to a present and constant knowledge of what I call “the arrogance of normalcy” – in other words like with many other disabilities,  I am not “normal” but most people are unaware of that.

So while I am neither a doctor nor a health professional (PLEASE do consult them if you are looking for more than just support – this blog nor its participants are liable for any misinformation), I am starting this site because “someone needs to do this.” This site may re-appear in a different format at a later point.

As the creator of “Brain Bleed” I reserve the right to edit or block any contribution/contributor that I deem not to be contributing to a supportive environment. Disagreement is allowed but, please no flaming, rants or insults. Yes there is uneven care out there but this is not the place to bad-mouth any medical staff.

Below is a mind map I created that may guide me along as I create, time permitting, the various categories to help us all navigate better this rough terrain.

Brain Bleed/Hemorrhage Mind Map ©Marton 2011

Please feel free to comment so I can tweak the mind-map to reflect the community of brain bleed survivors.