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Wednesday, Mar. 26, 2025

10:43am 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 usual 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.

Every day is like starting over because my memories of the previous day are mostly gone. I’m gradually learning to adapt.

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

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

Anni Pon

Sep 26, 2022 at 7:52pm
In response to "Vulnerable and Violated"

What an incredible story. I'm so glad that you survived all of this! And not just survived; It's amazing how far you must have come to be able to write about it so well. I will be following this for more!

1 Like

March 18, 2025 at 10:33am

#1085626

No Tootsie Rolls ... ?

Today, I want to share a funny story.

A few weeks after the surgery, my wife took me out for dinner. In many ways, my brain was still traumatized. But I was ready and willing to get out of the house.

The restaurant makes my favorite sandwich with tater tots, so I ordered the "Variety Sandwich with Tootsie Rolls." I was proud of myself—until I noticed the waitress looking at me confused.

My wife snickered and asked, "Tootsie Rolls?"

"No," I said, "The Variety Sandwich with Tootsie Rolls."

The waitress, "I'm sorry, we don't have Tootsie Rolls," started to snicker with my wife.

This went on for a couple of minutes before I connected the dots. I was thinking of tater tots, but the words Tootsie Rolls came out. I could not say "tater tots" every time I tried "Tootsie Rolls," is what I said. So, in the end, I got french fries. I could say, "french fries."

I hope this made you grin or chuckle.

Have a blessed day.

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