The Stupids

It was a day like any other. I got up at 5 AM, wandered through the darkened hallways, and sat in front of the PC. I looked over my writing tasks for the day and then decided to bang out my Tuesday blog post before I did anything else. I then worked through about 700 words, added a photo, attached some keywords, and then went about my other tasks for the day, with the warm and fuzzy feeling that accompanies the completion of a daily task.

The only problem is that I didn't press the "Publish" button.

Welcome, my friends, to the world of "The Stupids". First off, a definition:

Stupids (stoo-pidz), noun: A mental condition characterized by poor short-term memory and lack of attention to detail, frequently brought on by caloric deficit and substandard nutrition.

When you tack the effects of this condition on  top of my already fragile mental state due to my use of anti-seizure medications, you can have some profound results. I have been known to "lose" items that I was holding in one of my hands. I have been observed standing in front of a running sink washing dishes, not noticing that the sink is overflowing and running water is cascading off the counter onto the kitchen floor. I have been sent to the store across the street for an item, only to return with a backpack full of things we did not need, while missing the crucial piece that I was sent to the store for in the first place.

And, yes, I have written an entire blog post, and then forgotten to publish it.

The Stupids. Sometimes it is a state of mind, other times it is a new home I have moved into.

There are some solutions available. Nutrition is the big one: I have learned that when I do not eat 3 meals in a day, I will be affected. Forgetting to take a multi-vitamin will also do it. (Which leads to forgetting other important supplements, etc.) Not enough sleep is always a trigger.

But what about days like yesterday, when everything was pretty normal otherwise? No idea. Some days I just operate with only half a brain. It is frustrating, but after years of experience with epilepsy, I have learned to roll with it. For a person who has just emerged from bariatric surgery, experiencing this for the very first time, this must be frustrating and frightening. It must feel like you are losing your mind.

Take heart - you are not losing your grip on sanity. Your brain is responding to what it feels is a deficit of important nutrients (or sleep) by shutting down what it considers to be non-essential functions like remembering to flush the toilet after you are done. Once you have identified the problem, figure out what you missed. Take a nap. Take your meds. Eat a snack. Then wait for a while.

It is only The Stupids. This, too, shall pass.

This Time I Will Check The Blog Page,

- Hawkwind