A Brain Injury Life

Brain injury is an invisible epidemic. It is not like a physical injury people notice. Early on, even the survivor may not see it. After my TBI, I could barely move without falling, but I assumed I’d be better in a few weeks, and made plans accordingly. Of course, I also had to cancel those plans. I wasn’t fine by any means.

I appeared unscathed to others, and as far as I could tell, I was well on my way to full recovery (except for the vertigo, migraines, memory, balance… the list goes on). I was oblivious to my condition – sleeping on and off all day, pouring milk into the sink instead of into my cereal bowl, and often unable to understand or complete a coherent sentence. The assault to my brain had caused deep and unseen damage to the “me” I was before. 

There’s a medical term for this – anosognosia. That’s a fancy way of saying you don’t have a clue. After a brain injury unawareness is normal, baffling, and a major hurdle to overcome. But first, your body needs to heal.

Be patient. 

There’s a long road ahead, but you have taken your first steps.