In Aspen Valley Hospital I lay listening to the hum of a CT scanner. The date is March 14, 1995. The CT searches for any abnormality from my head being catapulted from six feet onto the ice and snow. Snowboarders call it “catching an edge”, an unfortunate event whereby a side of the board digs into the snow and thrust the rider towards that side with alarming speed. A haggard but friendly neurologist reviews the images and comes out to discuss them.

Mary and Michael have teamed up and written poems on Michael’s recovery from traumatic brain injury and their relationship through it. They worked 3 years to complete their second book titled Musing with Mary and Michael.

I began wondering why I need to be so careful with what I say. I forever question myself strongly; this often takes over my thought process. I am very fortunate to believe that everything happens for a reason. I am also very fortunate to have a comedic relationship with the spirit within. I came to a wild discovery while explaining all of this to a dear friend of mine. Early on I convinced myself that my voice no longer belonged entirely to me. Now the question is; when do I take it back?

One day when I was 15 years old I lied to my family about where I was going, got in a car with an inexperienced driver, headed for Detroit, and was broadsided by a city bus. I suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a depressed skull fracture. I went into a coma. The doctors who performed emergency surgery informed my parents that I was not likely to survive the operation. If I did, I was not likely to regain consciousness. If I regained consciousness, they expected me to be severely handicapped.

Different obstacles seem to have an affect on one another. I discovered that the inability to connect things matched up with a short-term memory problem often has me believing the hill is too hard to climb. Although frustrating, the first step is to redefine myself post-injury. On May 1st 2008 I fell seventeen feet through a commercial roof top onto concrete. I broke seven ribs, tore my right rotator cuff, and yes, my head met the floor as well.

With nearly half of all marriages in the U.S. ending in divorce, it’s been widely reported for many years that the rate of divorce is even higher among couples when a spouse has a brain injury. Divorce rates ranging from 48% to 78% are commonly given.

Why do many persons with brain injury have trouble developing and maintaining relationships? It may be due to changes in their ability to read and express emotions. This is essential for communicating and connecting with other people and for sustaining close relationships. Research into the expression and interpretation of emotions by survivors is examining new areas for brain injury treatment and recovery.

Brain injury Survivor Forum information and how to submit an article.

BrainLine advisor Jean Langlois Orman, ScD, MPH (Scientific Program Manager for Brain Injury Rehabilitation Research and Development Service at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) wrote “How Is the Prevalence of Long- Term Disability Counted,” a short article that explains the processes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention use to collect this type of information.

An undiagnosed brain injury can have many consequences for survivors and family. Ethel Dimont reveals how a “minor” car accident resulted in an undiagnosed brain injury that had serious consequences for herself, her family and her caregivers. Assuming that things will get better with time is not a substitute for early diagnosis, expert assessment, and proper treatment. Social, cognitive and behavioral changes after a brain injury may be less visible than physical injuries but they can have life changing effects on the individual. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical.