How to Start Over Following a Brain Injury

As a passenger in a car accident when I was 15 years old, I have come to realize more than a decade later that this was a defining moment for my life. I was unconscious for 19 days and suffered from and continue to suffer from what is known as traumatic brain injury. There are a few things I've learned from this experience which I think are worth sharing for other people who are trying to deal or who know people who are going through similar situations. Read on to learn how to start over following a brain injury.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Open up. You need to be as receptive to information as a flower to the sun. Soaking up as much information as you can and having people repeat it is a very useful tool. If you do not have anyone with you, your doctors and physical or occupational therapists need to become your best friends. If, like me, you are fortunate enough to have a loving family around you and dear friends who care very much for you, then you need to take as much as you can from that love.
2. Relearn. There is a growing intolerance with people who need to take their time to do things. This is a disrespect to anyone who has any special needs and this is an unfortunate part of modern day life. However you cannot be forced from a comfort zone. While there were times when I felt like I was moving along too quickly, I implicitly trusted my doctors and therapists and I reaped the benefits on the other side. But be deliberate when you are trying to relearn things such as tying your shoes, walking, sitting upright and writing; depending upon how old you are and how severe your brain injury is, there will undoubtedly be different focus on the level of recovery.
3. Be patient. More than other people being patient with you, you need to remember to be patient with yourself. There is likely a point of frustration where your brain begins to move faster than your body is and this can be very disheartening as you feel that perhaps you will never be “normal” again. The fact is that you will not. But you already are not “normal” in that you have experienced something that most of the rest of the world has not. Your experience is individually your own and this can be hard in making people understand. However patience is an essential component to your ultimate well-being.
4. Follow up. Make a point of maintaining relationships with your doctors. You want to be sure that if you ever have any questions you have somebody to go to. For that matter you should also remember to take whatever medication you may be on as regularly as your prescribed. That may mean the rest of your life; it does for me. However recently when I was in my neurologist's office and I asked him what the consequence of not taking my medication is, he put it rather plainly. “Well, you could die.” I didn’t need any further clarification from there.

Tips & Warnings

• Listen.
• Learn.
• Soak up information.
• Remember your health.
• Don't ignore doctor's orders.