No matter how you look at it....730 days, 104 weeks, or 2 years, this TBI journey has been anything but dull! Today marks the anniversary of my fall...tomorrow marks the day I was diagnosed with a Traumatic Brain Injury. It's amazing how much has changed over the past 2 years and yet, how much is still the same.
Things that were once foreign...the word TBI, knowing every Doctor could have the word "neuro" before their specialty, the words Frontal lobe, Temporal and Occipital Lobe, Post Concussive Syndrome, Cognitive Rehab, SHIP, and TBI Support Groups are just few of the things that are now part of my every day life. I never would have thought that every light would be too bright, every noise...too loud, every smell...too strong. I couldn't have predicted that something could ever stall (as I refuse to say "prevent") me from accomplishing goals no matter how much I put my heart and mind into it.
When your brain is injured, everything changes. Most of the time, it's the people closest to you who can see it. The people who have walked in similar shoes can relate to it. And those that specialize in it medically can understand (but not always treat it).
Although there have been drastic modifications to my life over the past 730 days, some things have managed to stay the same. I can still, on most days, find humor in just about anything! Daily Cognitive Rehab I will tell you is not easy! The exciting part, is in Occupational Therapy you get to go on field trips! YUP! I'm not sure yet if we will all be tethered by velcro leashes, but if you have trouble "out" somewhere, they will take you there and work with you. It took me some time to ponder this one and after careful consideration of places that over stimulate my brain, I concluded we definitely needed to hit the bar scene! Leave it to me to try and score free cocktails and a night out as part of REHAB! (It just sounds wrong! LOL)
730 days later, I am still thankful for the unwaivering support and strength that I draw off each and every one of you reading this. Today I celebrate and thank YOU from the bottom of my heart!
