Today is Thursday. This is what I'm thinking...

Today I'm really tired. You know? The nitty, behind-the-eyes fatigue that makes sleep impossible and alertness elusive?

I don't feel this way very often. I can sleep just about anywhere, anytime, any amount. I was actually born sleeping. The doctors had to wake me up. No joke. Ask my mom. There was no crying at my delivery. (At least by me...)

But, no, right now I'm very much awake and very much exhausted.

I'm supposed to be studying for an adult language exam. It's tomorrow. But I also had an exam today, and it is a very commonly known "Courtney Fact" that if there are two exams, back to back, the second one always suffers. So the detailed facts of dementia, right hemisphere strokes, and traumatic brain injuries are currently unappealing. (A fact I will regret tomorrow around 1:30.)

Did you know that people with right hemisphere strokes ignore the entire left side of everything? Seriously. The visual input is coming in. There's nothing wrong with the optic nerve- they just don't pay attention AT ALL to the left side of the world. For example- ladies will only put makeup on the right side of their face, they'll only eat the food on the right side of the plate. They'll only read words on the right side of the page. Everything on the left is non-existent. That would be very helpful if you married annoying person. Just try for a right hemisphere stroke, and then ask your honey to stand to the left of you. Always.

Of course, there are probably other ways to deal with that problem short of getting a stroke... like counseling, a romantic weekend to rekindle the "flame" (whatever that is...), or just never marrying that very annoying person to begin with. There's an idea for you! However, I've noticed very few people take that advice. They just go ahead and get married and THEN they find out the person is annoying. Very short-sighted if you ask me...

People with traumatic brain injuries often lose their "screen." You know what I'm talking about- that filter that keeps you from saying things that you shouldn't? That little invisible body guard that wrestles back some of your thoughts and keeps them from being expressed? (And yes, I know my body guard is puny. Please- he's sensitive about that.) Well, people with TBI (traumatic brain injuries) don't have that little monitor.

I think that Dr. House probably had a TBI.

Then there's dementia. My favorite are the later stages. Most of these people are just happy. Happy, happy, happy. They can't remember a thing. They have no productive language. But they show little or no frustration at this. They are (in all senses of the phrase) "blissfully ignorant."

Perhaps I have dementia...



I should probably start studying.