TBI? For many years I’ve noticed people look at me different than they do others, or look longer and more carefully. I suspect this is due to my slightly misaligned eyes, and upon closer inspection or look, the scars on my forehead. There are times I wonder if it would be easier or more satisfying if I were to simply explain things. I do understand their looks and I likely would do the same. My daily head pain continues, and typically begins early in the mornings. Not expecting that to change, since it’s been that way for 38 years. I’ve found any time I have pain in any part of my body, it will make its way to my head and contribute to my severe head pain. My latest experience with this is a herniated disc in my lumbar area (between L4 and L5). Over the course of a few months I had x-rays done, two MRI’s, different medications, physical therapy, and seeing a chiropractor. Ended up requiring surgery (discectomy). Just seems like a lot to go through to get to the solution that seemed obvious from the first MRI. The pain, all through those months, was not only in my lower back but also terrible pain in my right calf, and of course that made my head pain all that much worse. The surgery has eliminated the leg pain and most of the back pain. I do still experience some back pain during and after physical therapy, but expect that will lessen as I strengthen the supporting muscles.
Over the past couple of months I’ve been going to the shooting range, from time to time. At first it was a little strange, and likely looks a little strange to others. The first strange part, that takes a little getting used to, is shooting a pistol right handed and using my left eye. It takes a little time to find the stance that feels right. I have tried shooting left handed, using my left eye, and found my accuracy just isn’t nearly as good as when I shoot right handed. The part that may cause others to wonder is my shooting a rifle left handed, yet the rifle is a right handed one. And the rifle is semi-automatic, so is ejecting spent brass straight across my face and to my right. Had one person, a long time ago, ask me “doesn’t that bother you”. My answer was “no, since I can’t see the spent brass ejecting the rifle.”. Guess that made sense, as there were no further questions. Now, I do have one semi-automatic handgun, a 9mm I think, that will eject the spent brass directly at my face. That can, at times, be an issue. It happens so quickly that it’s easy to recover from it.
Fishing? Well, it is summertime now and fishing season, for the most part, is open. I’ve not gotten my fishing license yet this year and probably should. Just in case. The trouble I’m having this year is finding someone to go fishing with me. It isn’t the best idea to go fishing alone. Just too many things that can happen or go wrong. I do carry a sidearm when I go fishing now. Sort of just in case, and I do have a conceal-carry permit.
