Julie,

Do you know about the Boston to New York Trolley Line from the late 1800' to early 1900's. The old road bed is still in place in many areas as it snakes across CT. There are also many other lines between the bigger cities and towns. It is a fabulous place to take long quiet walks.

You could have a great time walking with your son. In the 70's, I would ride bikes and motor bikes on it during the spring and summer, then walk it with my dad and brothers while hunting pheasant and squirrels during the fall.

The various trolley museums may have maps of the old road beds.

There is something special about the sounds of nature that settles the brain better than any recording.

btw, You can do you own cognitive therapy by working with your son on math tables and other mind math. Re-establishing the thinking patterns/skills for finite things like math are easiest. The more abstract thinking is often a struggle.

I have had to relearn mental math at least 4 times after previous concussions. It is done best when it is just a challenge and not a mandatory task. I would try to add up a few items to see if i could beat the check out girl with her register. It only works when you just have a few items and you know the prices. It is quite a thrill to beat the check out girl. (Don't mean to be sexist but the women/girls are the best so I just ignore the guys)

This can also be a fun challenge with your son.

Sudoku is too intense but Numbrix is a good challenge.

My best to you.

Hi Mark,

I'm not familiar with the Trolley lines, but now you've given me something to look in too However, I've been invited on various "hikes" with friends and have declined because I have this "fear" of getting lost...I got lost once at the mall with my oldest Son...could NOT remember where I parked my car and he wasn't paying attention...that turned in to a full blown panic attack for me...it wasn't fun....but now I park in the very same area ALL of the time so that it will NEVER happen again

Math...I actually had to explain to my Son's 5th grade Teacher that I have a MTBI...geesh...a few months ago he was struggling with Math and I could NOT for the life of me help him... Unfortunately, Math was never a strength of mine lol...though I did very well in pharmacology in Nursing School...that is great advice that you've given me with the checkout girls lol!!!

I find I challenge myself quite a bit on a daily basis...that's my stubborn streak lol!! I'm also terrified of declining cognitively...

I think one of my biggest "gripes" presently is how easily my symptoms can be exacerbated...weather changes, increased activity, stress...sometimes it does, and other times it does not...I never know until I engage myself...it's so variable...I think that is what frustrates me the most...*sigh* but I keep going anyways...and have learned to rest, because I have no choice

I'll look in to the Trolley lines....thanks for your support!!

Hi Julie

Mark's suggestion to try to beat the checkout girls is too ambitious for me at this point in my own recovery. But if you guys can do it - knock yourselves out!

(The stimulation of being in the grocery store with all the people talking, the music overhead and the beeping of the cash register is probably what would most hold me back in that game...)

I have found that playing math games on lumosity has helped my simple math skills a great deal. When I first started playing them in May '10, I couldn't even add or subtract reliably. Before the injury, I had no problems with Math; as a Jr in High School I was learning pre-calculus in Algebra II. Although I never had any trouble with it, I never felt very passionately about it so that was my last real math class because it was the requirement to get into a University at the time. But at work and in my personal life (like trying to calculate 20% of a bill for a tip, or adding the tip to the total) I was using a lot of simple math on a very regular basis, so I was quite concerned that I wasn't able to perform those tasks anymore. I'm still not as good as I was before the injury, but I'm a LOT better than I was in May '10.

So, you might like to try some of the Math games on lumosity for a challenge too. They only have simple math problems: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

JulieRN,

If you are lurking about, I just noticed your comment about getting lost. The great thing about the old trolley lines is they are a single trail. Stay on the trail, walk out a few miles, turn around and walk back. The trolley trails are elevated so they are quite obvious. They are also a gravel/cinder base so they do not get real muddy.

Hope you are doing good.

My best to you.

Julie-
Sending you some happy thoughts!

I have to go to my PC tomorrow for a referral to neuropsych...pretty nervous, but I am glad (honestly) that you recognized some bias on the part of the Dr. I will go into this with a more open mind now.

Thank you for the happy thoughts..
Sending some right back your way with wishes for all the best as you go through the testing...

Have a blessed Easter as well...you'll be in my thoughts...

~Julie

Hi Mark,

Logged on today for a bit, trying to "maintain"...my youngest just started Little League and Easter is upon us...
Thank you for the info...I definitely have a "fear" about getting lost, but it seems as though it would be hard to do here lol...
I'm looking forward to a nice walk, but first, I've got to get some help managing these symptoms...
Had a "bout" of nausea for days, and allergy season seems to have exacerbated my already existing headaches...
BUT...I'm still trying to maintain some sense of happiness...ya know, for everyone else lol....
STILL waiting for a hearing....I just don't understand.....
I hope you and your family have a blessed Easter...

Julie