I have always had tiny traces of cognitive issues. I would forget things that had just happened. I wouldn’t be able to piece together my day and wind up being unprepared for what’s ahead. I couldn’t figure out how to navigate cities for the life of me. Even one I was familiar with.

This was always attributed to A. just the way I am. B. a sign I am stupid. C. a sign I am not paying enough attention to follow what is going on.

But now that I know I wasn’t sleeping properly for most of my life, it would appear these cognitive quirks could be related to that. After all, if you haven’t slept, you would be the first to admit you weren’t at your best. I didn’t realize I wasn’t sleeping well. So I had no explanation for why this was happening.

Of all the things I will no miss as I start to heal and my system recalibrates, I think this will be number one. So far, I feel like I am doing better. I still have a moment where I feel utterly lost and I have to remember what is going on around me. But overall, the cognitive problems seem to be receding.