Living with Traumatic Brain Injury

What have you gained from your experience?

I’ve learned that telling someone that they can never do anything is a terrible thing to do. It diminishes the humane ability/potential to conquer; the Bible states “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37). The Heavenly Father has directed my footsteps to provide beneficial recovery for those dealing with trauma, etc. Many have said that I’m retarded, disabled, handicapped, etc., but these are not favorable terms to promote humane potential/aspiration. These harsh terms aren’t productive. When you limit someone with these terms it forms a disability environment or negative educational self-fulfilling prophecy. Who does this benefit?

What things do you wish you had known earlier?

It would have assisted me to see teachers who had conquered these events. However, I did not allow this difficulty to derail my success. Not visually seeing examples of success done much to decrease my aspirations. However, my Father who reins in Heaven has said that “All things are possible” (Matthew 19:26) with His assistance.

What strategies have you used to improve your situation?

I used the optimistic explanatory learning style. I heard all the negativity of my recovered status: disabled, retarded, handicapped, etc. I believed that I had positively recovered from a coma (head injuries/cognitive challenges) so I used the term challenged/challenges for my recovered state. This proved difficult, because people laughed and teased me during the 1980-2000’s, however today it is seen as competent/humane. Finally, what I did was turn the negatives into positives or a negative term was a confused solution looking for positive direction.

What treatments worked for you?

Many have worked for me, especially hard work to regain my fingers and hands. Physical and cognitive therapy for me lasted about two months.

What treatments have not helped?

What has not worked is therapy for cognitive issues, i.e., patience, loud noises, memory, etc. I was recently fired from a teaching position, because the students/future adults wouldn’t listen to me and be quiet. However, I got to teach for over a 150 full days, which is longer than a university that denied me a teaching certificate, recommended. Why should this bother you? You spent between $5-7 million to rehabilitate me from birth. If I can’t work, then I can’t pay taxes. Please remember, this is the #1 injury of the wars; where should I be?