This is my 2016 debut.
I jumped on here this morning, after being inspired by my eldest daughter. Caitlin had been rereading our previous posts from "Treacy Travels" as this blog was called many moons ago.
I then changed to "The Treacy Family"as we were no longer travelling.
After chatting with Caitlin, I realised I missed blogging. Sharing my stuff with the world, small that world may be. I love sharing our comings and goings as our girls grow up and our pets get older.
This new year has me thinking.
Thinking abut a lot of things; turning 40, teaching, parenting, brain tumours, music and many other things.
Mid life crisis time or simple reflection, I have no idea. I do know that living well means constant reflection and questioning, and blogging helps me do this.
This morning I have been thinking about Music and our brains. Rereading my blog from 2011 I was reminded of the stages of my recovery from brain surgery. I have been continuously amazed at the healing power of the brain and its capacity to heal and relearn. Even if this is painfully slow.
I was remembering the parts that Mark had filled me in on as I had no recall of the very early days of recovery.
After several small infarctions (strokes) had occurred during the operation, my brain was struggling to find words and speak to anyone.
But I could sing.
I sang to the ICU nurse or rehab nurse (somebody!?!?!) the tune and words of Twinkle Tinkle little star.
Now to me that is amazing! Totally cool!
I was soon to discover as I became more alert and undertaking rehabilitation that numbers were a huge challenge, word endings were all confused when writing and I would spell words completely differently than I intended. My recall was completely mixed up and confused. Connections had been broken (temporarily). My elevator was not stopping at all floors it seemed.
I remember lots of tears.
English had been my top subject at high school.
And Music.
So despite half of my body not moving well, memory shattered and brain struggling it was my recall of music and lyrics that remained unhurt.
This is where my current interest in music and educating the brain has become so important to me. I survived an invasive 13 hour operation and then approx 48 unconscious and the part of my brain that holds onto melody, pattern and rhythm was the first to come back to my family.
This is where my research begins.
Will you follow my findings? I hope so.
So good to see you writing again....
ReplyDeleteand it was an amazing day when you sang Twinkle Twinkle...
I love the way they have singing sessions for patients with dementia -singing to the songs that were "theirs" when they were younger. I sometimes wonder what era it will be when it is my turn... although sometimes we break out the old songs at choir now and it is wonderful to see everyone join in enthusiastically - as in the more mature sector! At the moment we are doing Space Oddity... somehow getting older seems less scary when you can sing Bowie songs from memory.
Thanks Fiona, I miss you hun!! I know we have very separate live s now but we must become too far apart!!
DeleteI am doing Bowie and The Beetles at school at the mo. Nice to share the old with the young.
I think singing with Dementia patients is positively beautiful!!!
Great to see you back Jaz.
ReplyDeleteEncouraging to learn that you managed to find your way back to writing/blogging again! ♥
ReplyDeleteGreat to see you back, you have such a positive attitude -:)
ReplyDeleteI am so upset that I missed this when you posted it. I was in New Zealand but in my defence that day I was travelling back to Napier from Tauranga and the following week I was pretty much out of commission after a night in A & E (all sorted by the time I travelled home). Anyway I am so glad to have seen this and I'll now catch up. As it happens I mentioned you in a post I wrote on 30 March. I hope that you keep blogging again and I will certainly be following your findings.
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