The Doctor is [OUT]

After 2 years, I ended therapy with a super doc. I love her and I never really loved a therapist before. I always thought it was weird that previous therapists thought I should have any feelings for them. I barely thought about them when I was not sitting across from that chair. It would make me uncomfortable when they asked me about my feelings for them or when they got really excited that I had a dream with them in it. I suppose in some ways the therapeutic model is supposed to be a reflection of a person's real relationships and if so, I have made progress.

Why did I stop, you might wonder. I need to focus on changing my actions right now and less on the emotional background which causes certain behaviors. I am also starting intensive cognitive remediation in the Mount Sinai program soon. It comes with emotional support for people with brain injuries too. I think that is a lot to work on for now.

I will miss you, Dr. S.

I look okay though (because how you look is what matters the most, NOT!)


Photo taken of me by Sachi the night of my last session.

Life.Support.Music.

is the documentary chronicling my friend Jason Crigler's recovery from a brain injury, will air Tuesday, July 7 at 10 PM EST. It will be shown on PBS, as part of their POV series. In the New York City area, the POV show is on channel 13.

Jason was the first person I met after my injury who had any idea what I was going through. He had an AVM which is a similar vascular abnormality but with much larger vessels hence a huge bleed. He is an amazing person and just being around him made me feel less alone in the world. He is also really funny and his delivery is so deadpan, you don't expect it. We had dinner at Henry's and when the waitress came over and asked if we had any questions about the menu, Jason said, "Yes, I have a question. Do you serve food here?"

Certain states will show it at different times. KCET Los Angeles and WHYY Philadelphia - Thursday, July 9 at 8:30 PM. WGBH Boston - Sunday, July 12 at 9 PM. To enter your zip code and find out when it will air in your area, go to http://www.pbs.org/pov/tvschedule/

He was interviewed on the CBS News

Below is a mixed media piece called The Bleed I did in the summer of 2007 in a workshop with Roberto Juarez.

All The Crabby Ladies Out There

Well, my daughter's 23rd birthday was last Thursday and we had a lovely dinner at Aqua Grill. She loves raw oysters.

On my 23rd birthday, I was disappointed because I began that time of the month. I had been married for six months and since I wanted a lot of kids we had just started trying. We went out that night to see my sister perform and Sting was in the audience. I was so excited. My sister had mentioned that he was a fan but he was just sitting there like a regular person. I went up to him and told him I was her sister and it was my birthday and so could I get an autograph. Suz told me later he didn't believe I was really her sister.

Two weeks later, Sachi was conceived. Her dad had a business trip during the "most likely to succeed" days so I flew up there with him.

She is a Cancer just like my sister...and my niece. My sister's daughter was born 3 days before a significant birthday for her mom and this year she will turn fifteen 3 days before a most significant birthday for my sis.

All this just so I could show you the Johnny Depp pillow I just finished making so I could mail it to her at camp. I got her some other stuff but I gave Sachi a Jimmy Fallon pillow when she turned 15 so I figured why not? I read in one of those mother daughter type books that it was healthy for girls to have celebrity crushes because they were "trying out" the feelings or something. For me, it was Scott Baio. No pillow though. Just my dreams.

Moth Away! Sachets now available

As promised if anyone would like to purchase my handmade herbal sachets I made for the Instructables contest, they can be found here: AlyVega.etsy.com