I’m on a deadline again and have to finish some work, work I am so happy to have and work that is important to do. But I’m quickly becoming symptomatic again. #concussion #TBI 1.

First sentence out of my mouth this morning, I mixed up words. I’ve already bumped into three things. #bruised. It’s going to be a long month. Last night I got unreasonably irritated at my partner for nothing they did but because something was too loud. (It was not loud.) 2.

Most irritating right now? An eye twitch that will not stop. I will spend the next month in decline. And I will be in hiding, which, how can you even tell in a pandemic? 3.

It is now almost 4 1/2 years since the accident that damaged my brain. I DO NOT have suicidal thoughts, but I wanted to write this thread to remind you that many people with concussion/brain injury do die by suicide. 4.

The risk INCREASES as time passes because it becomes increasingly obvious that this thing, this cluster of issues, is not going away and because ableist responses to our difficulties compound our problems. 5. #disability #invisibledisability

What’s an ableist response? “Attention seeking.” “You were good enough to -x- yesterday.” “That happens to everybody.” And so many more. Yes, I can be better sometimes, but only when I’m not working much or at all. I make choices. 6.

Right now, I choose to work. There are consequences. I will not be able to “pass” as a non brain injured person for a while. I’ll likely be in bed early every night and when I’m done this work, I will have to rest for weeks until I can stop stuttering and bumping into things. 7.

I am grateful I have a lot of support. My “mental health” stays reasonably good even when my “brain health” is bad. Gratitude to all of those who have helped get me this far and will get me through the next month or so. See you sometime in November. End.