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More Or Less Broken

Ignorance is... anxiety depression brain fog vertigo irritability impulsivity fatigue light sensitivity noise sensitivity and a plague of hair-trigger rage isolation ...not knowing. Until another hit has you seeing stars playing characters with your symptoms in movies and on TV a syndrome with a name do you know that you are not crazy. Knowing is... more and less broken. *Post-Concussion Syndrome

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Kevin Lawrence

Date: 5/10/2019 6:26:00 PM

I do love your insight and soul of wit. One who sees themself so clearly must write. We know it is true.

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 5/11/2019 7:59:00 AM

And here we are :) Thank you so much Kevin, xomo!

Pashang Salehi

Date: 3/30/2019 2:32:00 AM

This is a good reminder that how vulnerable we are...

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/30/2019 8:19:00 AM

Thank you Pashang :) xomo

Caycay Jennings

Date: 3/29/2019 9:16:00 PM

Hello, concussion twin. I relate but not to all on the list which doesn't mitigate its truth or creativity one bit. I'm fascinated with the approach - of taking it myself to list ALL the layers of symptoms in a concussion. Bouncing off walls - well, vertigo, a buzz in the head that moves in waves, okay now I'm just rambling - thinking aloud. Glad I clicked on this. Oh, did you ever get debilitating headaches? Thanks for the think via your creativity! CayCay

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/29/2019 9:53:00 PM

Oh dear twin! This is a bit of a rambling piece ;) Thankfully, no, I don't get the headaches, I count my lucky stars (I sure have seen enough of them). I think I know that buzz. my weirdest, I get occasional tactile sensory hallucinations, like if water splashes, I'll feel drops hit me, I will feel it, hot or cold, and wet, even though I had no exposed skin. Oh, our funny brains. Thank You CayCay! <3 xomo

Jackie Chou

Date: 3/29/2019 10:20:00 AM

Thanks for writing this powerful poem. I suffer from schizo-affective disorder and it helps me see my illness in a new perspective.

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/29/2019 12:58:00 PM

Thank you Jackie, that means a lot. I can only begin to imagine. I wish you ease of being. Take care :) xomo

Timothy Mcguire

Date: 3/26/2019 5:12:00 PM

Wonderful Maureen, well written and I love the physical aspects of your poem, not laid out neat in straight lines. Makes me desire the next line and work to find it!

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/27/2019 7:04:00 AM

Thank you Timothy! :) xomo

Jack Ellison

Date: 3/26/2019 10:53:00 AM

WOW!!! I'm here to help... what can I do? Just let me know, dear Miss Mo! Love, Happy Jack XOX

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/26/2019 11:54:00 AM

Thank you Jack, you do help, you have helped; before I found soup I had pretty much closed myself off from the world, looking forward to greeting you every morning helped me reconnect. Love & Hugs <3 xomo

Demetrios Trifiatis

Date: 3/26/2019 7:56:00 AM

A perfect analysis of a diagnosis dearest, Maureen! Hugs xxx

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/26/2019 10:05:00 AM

Thank you my dear Demetrios, love & hugs, xomo

Jeff Connelly

Date: 3/25/2019 11:59:00 PM

Very powerful Maureen. Actually I am crazy but they don't want to name it. But then aren't we all a bit? Some more. Some less. But I also don't have to deal with a woman's hormonal shift. "Gift" is the German word for " poison".

Jeff Connelly
Date: 3/26/2019 10:06:00 AM

Ride the wave Maureen. Never thought I'd wish to have a period periodically. Oh that's right I get to have a mid life crisis.

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/26/2019 7:38:00 AM

Thank you Jeff. I'm a few shades of crazy, and predictably so... So looking forward to post estrus sanity... It's happening right now, the hormone flux wreaking havoc with the PCS symptoms, but Oh Yeah! ;)

Arthur Vaso

Date: 3/25/2019 11:33:00 PM

More hugs

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/26/2019 7:13:00 AM

Thank you my friend :) xomo <3

Rhona Mcferran

Date: 3/25/2019 10:51:00 PM

A FAV for me, my friend.... this is so TRUE! It's wonderful to hear things like this from others who understand!! ;)

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/26/2019 7:07:00 AM

Rhona, I am touched, and (!), that you might know this as well as I do <3 Thank you <3

Caren Krutsinger

Date: 3/25/2019 9:17:00 PM

A beautiful reminder to us that many are suffering, even if we do not see their suffering first hand; so we need to tread lightly.

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/26/2019 7:00:00 AM

Thank you Caren, my own journey has made me particularly empathetic to mental health issues of others, compassion and understanding, everybody deserves. xomo

Heidi Sands

Date: 3/25/2019 5:49:00 PM

Well expressed Maureen. Great one! :)

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/26/2019 6:55:00 AM

Thank you Heidi :) xomo!

Rico Leffanta

Date: 3/25/2019 1:19:00 PM

After I am dead and they see my battered skull, they will be completely mystified as to how I was able to live to such an old age. I am, too, but it results from the patience and understanding of others, so hang in there! Aloha! Rico

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/25/2019 4:09:00 PM

Hey! Sign up with me! Donating my brain for CTE study ;) Thank you my friend~ xomo!

John Lawless

Date: 3/25/2019 8:24:00 AM

TBI(Traumatic Brain Injury) the signature debilitating injury of the Iraq/Afghanistan veterans. Unseen and all too often untreated and unrecognized

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/25/2019 8:49:00 AM

A huge chunk of the research has come from studies with veterans, I have never been more grateful.

Vijay Pandit

Date: 3/25/2019 7:17:00 AM

You describe it so well..Superbly ended--knowing is more or less broken.

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/25/2019 8:51:00 AM

Thank you Vijay :) xomo

Mahtab Bangalee

Date: 3/25/2019 1:41:00 AM

praiseworthy thoughtful writings // greatly love it

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/25/2019 8:53:00 AM

Thank you Mahtab, xomo :)

Anne-Lise Andresen

Date: 3/25/2019 1:39:00 AM

- A disease that "no one can see" but it takes all the powers of the person suffering ... difficult to live with ... but, there are medications for both anxiety and depression that can make life easier to live - Best wishes and hugs // Anne-Lise :)

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/25/2019 8:36:00 AM

Thank you Anne-Lise <3 True, drugs serve the symptoms, I have never been comfortable with idea. Discovering now things like how impaired eye movement causes anxiety, that there are treatments, that diet is key, how hormones affect etc. I have hope now, that makes life easier ;) xomo!

Arthur Vaso

Date: 3/25/2019 12:07:00 AM

I have met people like you, with anxiety depression brain fog vertigo irritability impulsivity fatigue they were never ignorant, they were to be hugged! hugs!!!

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 3/25/2019 12:15:00 AM

thank you my friend <3 I was ignorant, true definition of the word, for years that some of my issues were related to the brain injury, or that I could do anything about the ones I knew were; there is so much sanity to be gained with knowing, and understanding. xomo

Arthur Vaso

Date: 3/25/2019 12:07:00 AM

I love this poem and so get it!!