I totally get what you say about feeling like missing your old self. After my accident my right arm feels like the doctors has transplanted someone elses arm on me but kept my hand. There's still a bit of nerve damage which doesn't help. I so want my arm back...

And everything being new- I got made redundant, moved countires for my husbands job and lost our independance. It's all very unsettling, so even what looks like a small achievement is actually HUGE. So a big well done in reclaiming yourself back (or actually rebuilding a better you).

It does get easier as time passes too and now I have come to believe that life is a series of phases, some great and some not so great, but sooner or later another phase will begin.