What would you like people to know about brain injury?
Just as we are ALL Unique Individuals and so are ALL Brain Injury to each Individual.
There are several cases of TBI pending the individual’s Glasgow Coma Scale being at Mild, Moderate and Severe. I had the severe case being that I was In a Coma for 32 days.
This is NO CURE for Brain Injury just some new Life Change tactics (TBI patches) to function as close to as one that was to as prior life. Metaphorically ~ Before my Traumatic Live Change = ‘Life was a nice stroll through the park’. Now it’s a crawl and every quarter of the way, I need to check my Phone’s navigation app to ensure not to get lost or running late. There is so much more +!
How has your life changed since your brain injury?
The LOSSES are greater than the WINS! But still fighting!
What are the positive and negative effects?
I don’t really care to use the words Positive and Negative so let me just say Learnings. My Learnings are much more about within myself – Who am I now and whom that I will be (hopefully), learnings about the Brain and TBI, about Friends and Family, about my former employer and business word as a person now with a disability. I have learned how hard it is to get and stay employed as a TBI survivor. Learnings about Gov. Support services (Low and Far Between). I learned after working for one employer for the past eight years as a Sr. Tech Designer that employers don’t always know how to accommodate people after a brain injury!
How have your friends and family dealt with your brain injury?
I feel like my friends and family do not truly understand how hard my Traumatic Life Change has affected me or others (My 3 Son’s). It’s ‘Kind Of’ like they think I just sprained my leg and not a Severe TBI (My Personal Processing Unit-Brain) forever. Hey- you look great!
What support services are the most helpful? Which are missing?
Support Services are very limited!! Being on Disability means that Support Services are low and or difficult to qualify for. I developed a Proto Type sample to promote cycling safety and took it to a Dir. at an agency for Disability for advice on how to get it produced. The Dir. told me to 1st. pursue a Patent before going any further! I then went to my Voc. Rehab representative contact to work on starting a business for this proto. I was told that Voc. Rehab does not offer help in filing for a patent. I then worked with an ILR (Independent Living Resources) for 5 months to file the patent. This is still in works. TBI is called the ‘Invisible Disability’ as one may not appear to be disabled in common life. But I think this should be re-worded as ‘Invisible Disability Support’ as there are very poor support services for TBI individuals!
Do you have any advice or suggestions for other people and their families who are dealing with a brain injury?
Push yourself and Push the ‘System’ every day from now on! Never Quit!
Seek out a TBI support group, Chats groups, Blogs and Therapy! There are no shortcuts to regaining your former self-back. Accept your new life as a Disabled individual, Today and every day is an opportunity for self-improvements. Don’t be afraid to ask for support, things will take longer than you might plan on!
Try to do something that you loved to do before Life Change but took it slow. Every day is the opportunity to learn, grow and redeveloped yourself as the New IMPROVED You! Repeat, Repeat!