Before my brain injury my eating habits were fairly good... not perfect but good. After I was injured, I didn't feel hungry. This resulted in a 20-pound weight loss. I felt too sick to eat, I would forget to eat and healthy food was just plain boring to me.
There were times I felt so weak from low food intake that I had to force myself to snack here and there. Hard boiled eggs, pepperoni, grapes, potato chips, peanut butter, crackers and candy became my very good friends.
I attended a weekly group at the Brain Injured Group (BIG) called Rebuilding. In these classes, we were taught how to rebuild our lives after brain injury. Eating and nutrition was one of the topics that was covered. I was relieved to discover that after brain injury it is common for the hunger signal to disappear. I had struggled with my eating for months and finally I had an explanation as to why I didn't feel hunger. On the other hand, some people don't receive the signal they are full. And in some cases, people can switch back and forth.
Through the Rebuilding classes, I learned strategies to help regulate my eating. I set up reminders on my phone to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. There were many times I ignored these reminders, however the alarm established somewhat of a routine.
Taste buds and smell are also affected after brain injury. My sense of taste and smell were significantly affected for a year. I was not used to this because prior to injury I loved eating. To have to force myself to eat was a bizarre concept. I would make meals for my husband but I wouldn't eat with him.
There are also people I know who experience problems swallowing when eating. This is also a symptom of brain injury. Like I mentioned in a previous article you don't realize how the human brain has control over every function in the body. After injury, the signals traveling back and forth during the eating process become confused and faulty.
In January of this year, my taste and smell sensations started to make their presence known again. This process is still unfolding. My eating habits began to improve, however my hunger signal was still weak. I was encouraged by my treatment team to be patient and mindful of the cues my body was giving me. If I got a headache, was dizzy or shaky I would ask myself when was the last time I ate. When I couldn't answer this question, I knew I had to eat right away. My intake of pepperoni, potato chips and candy decreased. I was so happy to be getting back on track with healthier eating and putting weight on.
Then came COVID-19.
I'm sad to report my unhealthy eating habits have reared its ugly head. Now, I'm addicted to Jell-O. There was one day I was shopping at Save-On Foods and I cleaned them out of their Jell-O supply. Not because I'm a hoarder. Because I eat so much of it every day, I didn't want to make many trips to the grocery store - especially during these troubled times. I don't have a "stop" signal for Jell-O. I believe because of the current lockdown, this has triggered my post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
My mom used to make Jell-O when I was a kid. I've gravitated towards the memory of my favourite dessert mom would make when I was sick. There is a connection here about where I'm at physically and emotionally and what brings me comfort is memories of mom and Jell-O. Works like a charm!
For those of you out there with or without brain injury, please don't beat yourselves up because you haven't been eating properly. This lockdown has wreaked havoc on all of us. Our sense of safety, comfort and freedom have been drastically altered. I'm consuming volumes of sugar that would make most of you folks gag. But it gets me through the day and I sleep great most nights. The message here is that we are all doing the best we can to survive.
Look at me. I'm slowly turning into Jell-O!
And for now this is perfectly fine.
