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Survivor Tales
Share Your Journey
Where do we go from here? The head Injury / Brain Trauma recovery road seems so long. We must resist the temptation to fall into a victim role. Victims cannot help themselves or others.
Sharing your TBI success stories can inspire others to action. Your strategies can be useful to others who are traveling the Brain Injury recovery road. Please consider sharing your positive experiences of overcoming obstacles in your TBI recovery path.
Often people who have sustained and survived brain injury are able to recognize the differences that they must face after their traumatic brain injury. When our brain is injured in any way, we experience changes and we must make adjustments to accommodate the changes or differences in our lives. Sometimes these may be minor and we are tempted to ignore them. Often, we can navigate life's twists and turns by developing strategies to overcome the changes. Thousands of people sustain so-called "minor" brain injuries every year. Sometimes these injuries can cause severe cognitive difficulties. Many of these people do not seek medical treatment because of several factors.
Lack of Medical Insurance/funding
Unaware of the consequences of head trauma
Misunderstanding of concussion
Negative connotations associated with Brain Injury
Misperceptions of people in authority (parents, teachers, care givers, coaches etc.)
Misleading television and movie information
Lack of services (rehabilitation, transportation, etc.)
Oftentimes surviving brain injury is like treading new ground where nothing is the same in our lives. It can be as if the person who has survived has been born again, not of human means but of spiritual.
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Your Tale of Survival to us Now!
Brain Injury can cause an individual to experience changes in every aspect of a person's existence.
The road we are traveling might seem to be narrower than it was previous to our injury. Some of us were actually spared from the grips of death. This fact can bring us to a deeper appreciation for life, regardless of our current circumstances. Awaking from a near death experience can have a profound effect on the way we live each moment after returning.
As we begin to recover, we may find that regardless of the progress we believe we are making, we remain in the same place. For some people, running fiercely is the only option. Like a greyhound chasing an ever illusive rabbit around a track, some people may try to regain some form of what was once familiar to us. Some people try to return to their lifestyle, acquaintances and employment, only to find that they no longer fit in. The illusion of "life" as they knew has vaporized. It is gone, never to return in its original form. Some people like it that way. Other people fight it. Change is constant. Brain injury has a way of accelerating adjustment. Usually moving forward in a proactive manner is critical to establishing ourselves in society productively.
Still other people who survive brain injury are unable to recognize their deficits and cognitive impairment. These individuals may require ongoing supervision to help them adapt to their neurological impairment until such time as they are able to develop compensatory strategies.
Not so Minor
At the other end of the spectrum are people who remain in a persistent vegetative state. Most often, they must stay dependant upon others and sometimes upon physical life sustaining support systems. Some people have regained consciousness and overcome barriers to their recovery after a lengthy comatose period, which gives hope to loved ones.
Surviving brain injury is different for everyone. Nevertheless, some of the aspects of surviving brain trauma cross all lines that may otherwise separate people.
It is time to move forward in an empowered mindset, for this is the true nature of survival. Otherwise we will slip into an eternal coma, regardless of whether or not we are cognizant of our surroundings. The people who have sustained and survived brain injury that are able to articulate their experiences can enlighten society. The folks who are able to write their experiences down for other people to read, can be a voice for people who are unable to share their ideas.
The care givers, parents, grandparents, spouses, children, friends and all others who have been affected by brain injury in their lives can help others gain a deeper understanding of brain injury, surviving brain trauma, overcoming traumatic brain injury and recovering from traumatic brain injury.
Share
your saga with others.
Bring your tales of surviving brain injury here. Write to us at Survivor Tales to share your experiences. Write down your stories. Describe your frustrations. Do not be concerned with being an English major or a novelist. Just get your stories written down. Record your experiences, positive and negative. Tell how you found services and information. Jot down the information that was helpful to you. Describe your emotions and those of the people around you. This is important. If you will gather this information and send it to us, we will get it to others. This is not just for the people who actually sustain and survive a brain injury, but also for the people who survive with them. We can edit your writing for grammar and spelling. Send it in and we can make it available for others to read. This is another way that we can help you to help other people. You have had to dig and struggle and search for the help that you found. You can share your experiences. While we cannot promise to publish everything from everyone, we will share as much as we possibly can.
Every person has experiences that may be useful to another person if shared. Sharing common experiences can bring healing and a deeper understanding to both the person who shares and the person who receives the information.
Write to us now!
Tell us about your frustrations. Explain the lack of any services that you have discovered. Tell others what worked or is working for you and what has not worked.
Stop back often for hair raising adventure and inspiring stories of courage.
Revised:
August 30, 2005 08:36 PM
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