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Tuesday, Apr. 15, 2025

7:12pm EDT

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Seven Degrees Left of Center

by Dale Ricky

Rated: 13+ · Book · Personal · #2276168

New neuro-pathways after a brain tumor. My thoughts and experiences.

When someone wants to know how I am doing? My reply is, “Seven Degrees Left of Center”.

Following a severe seizure, an MRI revealed a tumor the size of a lime in my brain. September 2019 is when this occurred. Situated one inch left and seven degrees from the center of my brain, the tumor touched the hippocampus. The part of the brain that handles language and memory.

Each day feels brand new; my recollection of the previous day is minimal. I’m learning to adapt.

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Amethyst Angel 💐

Apr 10, 2025 at 12:00pm
In response to "What about today?"

Thank you for this reminder. I often get myself into a tailspin trying to do everything at once. I need to breathe and prioritize.

Amethyst Angel 💐

Mar 14, 2025 at 11:03am
In response to "Yesterdays are gone"

I wish I could help you in some substantial way

Are you taking fish oil? It’s supposed to help the brain.

1 Like

Lazy Writer est 4/24/2008

Mar 11, 2025 at 5:29pm
In response to "Making Time"

Yes it is alright to talk about it. Glad you are getting help.

Amethyst Angel 💐

Feb 16, 2025 at 9:43pm
In response to "AI?"

We can't judge you for trying it out. I know there's a lot of controversy about AI, and sometimes people come here and try to fake us out with those stories. Always know your frail human spirit is so much better than anything a bot can put together. Wishing you all the best

Ichabod Crane-writing-reading.

Jan 9, 2025 at 12:57pm
In response to "I miss him too"

Venting is healing to. Maybe she has to heal as well. Trauma affects even those not physically attached. Good luck to you and my prayers.

Anni Pon

Oct 2, 2022 at 5:15pm
In response to "Writerhood"

Thank you for the update, I needed to be reminded of this too! As long as you are writing, you're a writer. You don't need accolades or somebody else to grant you Writerhood. I agree with Schnujo that you have a lot of talent, even if the words don't come quickly or easily right now.

You've come so far already! Reading this, it's hard to believe that you're recovering from brain damage and your speech therapist previously scored you at a 2nd grade level.

1 Like

Schnujo's Giving Away GPs

Oct 2, 2022 at 11:27am
In response to "Writerhood"

OH! I forgot to mention--WdC has a thing that will automatically prompt you to post a notice on the Newsfeed that you've written another blog post. I really encourage you to do that! It will help you get more readers. (At least those who have fanned you will see the notice.) Plus, I really want to keep reading your posts, but as you know (whether you remember or not

), I also have a brain injury, so I had completely forgotten about your blog.

I'm SUPER glad you tagged me or I might never have read another post again.

So, definitely use that thing that asks if you want to announce that you added a blog post. It will prompt me to read it.

1 Like

Schnujo's Giving Away GPs

Oct 2, 2022 at 11:24am
In response to "Writerhood"

Your story is encouraging, fascinating, and inspiring! I'm so glad you are a writer and are putting it down for the rest of us to enjoy and learn from.

"After surviving a brain tumor and associated misadventures..." You are DEFINITELY a writer! I love the phrases you use!

The words might not come as easily, but the talent is still there.

In case you haven't discovered it yet. WdC has "Invalid Item"

. I thought of it because you mentioned being knighted with a Quill.

Anyone can nominate stuff, so if you find things around WdC that you love, feel free to nominate them through "Quill Nomination Form 2025"

. Though if they are static items like poems or stories, they need to have been written this year. Things like blogs and contests and such just need to be active this year.

Be sure to read the rules, but they're pretty simple.

Wow! Your writing has REALLY come a long way from 2nd grade level!

That's amazing! I'm so happy for you because I'm sure that initial result was devastating!

You've grown and improved so much already! Imagine how far you'll go with regular practice and support from the WdC community!

Yep, you're definitely a writer because a writer's gotta write! Thankfully, you're a talented one as well.

Those two don't always land on the same person.

I TOTALLY love your ending here! "Not now. I write because I am a writer. Not because of a wish. If you pen your own words, you are a writer too. Just in case no one has told you." I'm SO GLAD I ran into you!

1 Like

Schnujo's Giving Away GPs

Sep 27, 2022 at 11:05am
In response to "Reasonable Suspicion with Plausible Deniability"

So interesting! Thank you! I do remember using "What's-His-Name" a lot and my supervisor telling me that was disrespectful. *irritable* Well, so is telling me I'm faking, so we're even.

I'm now wondering about the storage areas for proper verses uh, improper nouns, you know, plan, ordinary nouns.

Thanks for all the information you share!

Dale Ricky

Sep 27, 2022 at 9:59am
In response to "Reasonable Suspicion with Plausible Deniability"

My understanding is that Lethonomia only involves proper nouns. Early in my recovery, I missed so many words both disorders applied. My experience with Lethologica is decreasing as I practice writing. However, spoken word recovery is slower because the brain uses separate areas for coding and decoding verbal input/output than written input/output.

1 Like

March 1, 2025 at 12:18pm

#1084577

Time Travel

I have spoken about this before: Time Travel. I experience this phenomenon occasionally, though not as often as I did a few years ago. What happens is a group of memories are reconnected all at once. This is more common when I meet someone I haven't seen in several years, especially if I haven't seen them since the brain tumor.

The experience is surreal. It isn't like a movie, but it kind of is. I experience the memories in real time as if they were happening again. The brain is a complex recorder. I have come to believe every minute of every day is recorded. We haven't evolved or learned how to tap the vast storage of memories.

So, I get to go back in time and relive events. Now that I have gotten used to the phenomenon, it is kind of cool.

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