Good for you, I'm in the same boat, my wife is all the support I will ever have on earth but I depend on our heavenly Father daily...

Scott: I do understand, at least to the extent your wife does. I just try to find things that are simple, off hours or days - so less crowd, corner tables. In the grocery store, after Bruce helps with as much as he can, he goes off to the magazine aisle (always quiet) and reads until I am done. Bruce is really good with family and I have a large one, but we have the signal when it is time - I am sure you and your wife also communicate like this. You just give things a shot. Keep on truckin'   Debbie, caregiver to husband Bruce, stroke March 2009

Your description reminds me so much of a similar problem for autistic people.   I wonder if their meds would help others who inherited the symptoms by another path (stroke).

Hi

I completely understand and well now my brain can't be understood by mere mortals. Now I live in a funhouse where patterns on rugs move and I hear birds cawwing on next to my ear and colors hurt.  Synesthesia is the formal word for the physical feelings I have when a color is too vivid or a sound cuts into my gut feelings.  I just know that I can't function anymore with these enhancements or deficits or whatever.  Life is too intense sometimes. Other times music is more beautiful and beauty is majestic. I used to love watching people in crowded places but now I cringe when people walk past me because they seem to zoom and I feel like I will fall.  I do know that people around me don't get it including my doctors and the best person so far has been a vestibular physical therapist and she has explained so much.  I would like to see a neuropsychologist to help me navigate this new world but hey I don't get many referrals these days.  So don't feel alone.  I just sometimes journal what I am going through and it forces me to try and put it to words.  But even that can't put it all into something they can understand.  I get sad that they think I am difficult or just being weird and I detest the eye rolling or condescending sweetie thing.  And this is hard because I didn't grow up with this and had time to get to know how to live like this nono no it is sudden and I can't figure it out fast enough.  I hear things people say to me or about me and it is infuriating and ignorant but I understand them much more than they will ever understand me so I have to just endure and keep trying to reach them.  I appreciate those who are trying.   You are not alone. This is how it is. Yes we are glad they don't know what this is like. It can be such a lonely place though. How do I answer how was your day? oh spinning and hoping my eyes would stop bouncing so I could read the mail. How was yours?  Not to mention all the life losses that go with this.  I have people telling me I am so lucky I am off work now like I am retired and can go off on a vacation.  I can of course but my experience of the world is very different now not like theirs.  I don't mean to be insensitive but sometimes I laugh at what they come up with when they are trying to understand this. sometimes it is just cute and others just silly.  other times they say things that are offensive. I try and always remember they don't know repeat after me I say to myself they can't know they don't know.  I feel like I protect them

well I guess I'm lucky I don't have the overstimulation problem too much.shopping isa chore, along with the minimal stimulation issues, legal blindness difficulties identifying item i want in the asile, then the store decides to move things for marketing reasons.

One major issue i had for the first year was fatigue.   If we went out at all limited didnt wnt to be "that person who had a sdtroke".

I now brace myself and take a nap before going to awedding.

It is nice to share issues witheverone.

Somethimgs are still challenging, like reading.  many times the font or print is too small

font I can address, printed words are another thing all together.

Has the over stimulation been a constant?  or something that developed over time?

did i dodge that bullit?  or is this the calm before the storm?

peace jayallen

Jayallen,

My over-stimulation issues started in the hospital. When I would look out the window the colors were very vibrant and things like plant leaves were moving...but they weren't. Once I got out of the hospital I became very aware of the issue as I started interacting and going to places like the mall, now in general I avoid any group of people of more than 2 unless they are a group who knows my limitations. One group we are members of is very accommodating,  but they also spent a lot of time in the hospital and rehab with me and got educated by one member who is a psychiatrist. They may not fully understand what I see and hear, but they understand how it exhausts me very quickly.

SassyBetsy,

I have an appt with my PCP in a few hours, I'm going to try to explain all this to him, including how the stimulation interacts with my CPS...should be interesting.

scottm

I had an appointment with my (new)PCP today.  he was very nice and intelligent and alert but really didn't know very much about my condition (cvd) and I really did not expect him to, but did appreciate his understanding a lot.   I needed to see  him so that when I get the flu or something I have someone to go to.

good luck with your appointment.  and thank you for sharing your rather extraordinary experience in perception.

kind regards,

david