Living with Traumatic Brain Injury

I was nearly killed when on April 30, 2007 I was hit on purpose at 60 mph by an illegal. I was CareFlited and was in the ER for 11 hours. I was told by my TBI specialist the ER head wrote in my patient record he thought I would die.

It, the TBI was something that I didn’t know right away I had, for all the other injuries, but within 2 days of coming home I knew something wasn’t right. I couldn’t think properly, remember anything, and found I needed a pen and paper constantly to see what, who and where for me. It was a struggle as I was not able to stand without dizziness slurred my words that my brother saw, then my Mom. Forgetting to do things, not able to do two things at once anymore. Being frustrated not to remember living alone to put things like food away and then finding it all out in the morning when I got up. To have hand tremors 1 yr out of my primary hand, left, to have ICP 23-7, to know that with each time I see my TBI specilist that I am a miracle even to her after reading my patient record. I am happy to be alive, but it’s a different way to live now with TBI.

It’s amazing to me in the last 2 months how many people I’ve met, talked with by phone, that have children, husbands, sisters, that all have had TBI. And then with the news of a 45-yr old Natasha Richardson dying from what most see is just a fall on a bunny slope. Those of us with TBI kbow very well what we have to live with as we know deeply within ourselves just what is not the same anymore.

But I have hope. I’ve lost my sense of smell which also gives all of us taste, so it’s been doubly hard to live with this. But I will persevere….I will live my life even though so far my TBI has told me I can’t work. It’s frustrating and sometimes a let down but at least I’m alive.