All In A Brain Injury by Debbie M. Wilson

All In a Brain Injury
We have memory problems.
We have concentration difficulties.
We have sensory deficits like blurred vision,
ringing in the ears or a bad taste in our mouths.
We can have loss of sensation and feeling.
We can have headaches.
Many of us have loss of balance.
We can have light sensitivity.
We can also have noise sensitivity.
We tend to have mood changes.
We tend to become depressed or anxious.
We may have chronic fatigue.
We may have sleep disorders.
We may be confused.
We may have speech and hearing deficits.
We may lose judgement and reasoning abilities.
We may stay angry a very long time.
We are usually not sure who or what we are angry about.
The truth is we do not know ourselves anymore!
We are usually the last to know or realize the extent of our injuries.
Many of us also have PTSD.
Others of us have seizures.
Please, if you see our symptoms, help get us the help we need.
We need support, encouragement and hope.
We need faith that we can overcome our many deficits.
We need immense understanding as we lost "ourselves."
It is difficult to again find our way.
Our futures are full of unknowns and extremely hard work.
We are like a brand new person, starting all over again.
None of us wanted to start all over again.
We may be resistant and we may deny, deny and deny.
We need nurturing and we need guidance to again find our way.
We are unique in every way.
What the brain is able to again do
will astound even those that do not believe in miracles.
We are survivors in a special league.
Many of us had experienced loss of family and loved ones prior to brain injury.
These loses were heart breaking and hard to accept.
They did not prepare us for the total and complete loss we have felt as a result of our "loss of self!"
We are brothers and sisters
as a result of the uniqueness of our loss.
We believe we are the only ones
that can truly understand the magnitude of our loss.
Together we are stronger,
and we learn tips that help us move forward.
Please be kind and patient with us.
If you have not experienced loss of self it is very hard to comprehend.
Please just sympathize and empathize with all our loss.
We are a group that has a tendency to far surpass anyone's expectations or dreams.
We are the "ultimate survivors" in every sense of our existence!
We were chosen and are all an honor and a blessing to know!
Debbie M. Wilson

Its alright to simply to give up on life.

Many survivors chase after an unattainable dream.  Often is the lament that one will persevere and overcome.  This is an honourable task however is it reality?
After 40 years of bombastic stubbornness I finally came to the conclusion that this is the most detrimental approach to finding both a cure and peace of mind to what ails you.  It would is better to surrender yourself to the permanency of your brain injury.

I am not saying you should quit life or quit trying but rather take stock of this new normal and both embrace your disabilities and celebrate your abilities.
You can't fix what you don't take ownership of.
They say insanity is repeating the same task expecting a different outcome.

Accepting your short term memory as the new normal, allows you to incorporate new tools and to increase your memory potential.
If you can't remember appointments, employ your therapist, doctor or dentist to phone you in advance of said appointment.  Now you need not remember.
Tire easily?  Ensure a flexible schedule that incorporates power naps so that you can remain at the top of your game.
We fail our way to the top and no one gets there alone.
We network and have others with greater skills help us to succeed.  This is true of injured or uninjured alike.
Stop chasing after what you used to be.  Some of your disabilities may be permanent and trying to fix the unfixable is truly the definition of insanity.
Celebrate your abilities and support your disabilities with all those around you and watch as they jump in to make your journey back as rewarding as ever!
The hero inside of you needs to know it's alright to ask for help and in fact is the bravest act of all.