Adults who have survived a brain injury write about the emotional impact of a traumatic injury, struggles with depression, and getting help through therapy and counseling. These free articles provide information and support for survivors and families on living with brain injury.
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.
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.
Surviving a brain injury is like entering the Twilight Zone. It’s a new world for survivors, families and caregivers. Falling down the stairs changed my life. I have memories of being independent, having a job and living a full life. Now I am relearning how to live again and to accept help. A Brain Injury Survivors Clubhouse is a place where I’m with other people who understand what it’s like to live with a traumatic brain injury. To quote Rod Serling’s Tagline: “You’re traveling through another dimension. A dimension, not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of the imagination.”