I have spent most of my life with fire departments. I was a volunteer for two years and for thirty years I served as a career firefighter with Arlington County. The fire service was a challenging and rewarding career and I was committed to providing fire and emergency services to the community. I was fortunate to be able to retire at 48.
My injury happened about two months after my retirement. Most of my career with Arlington involved working on a ladder truck so it is kind of ironic that my TBI happened because I fell off of a ladder while working on my house. I have no memory of the accident and probably never will know exactly what happened. Thankfully my daughter arrived home at just the right time and called 911.
As a result of my injury I went from providing care to others to being the one needing the services of the fire department and medical services. I am thankful every day for the services provided by McKinney Fire Dept., Parkland & UTSW Hospitals and Pate Rehabilitation. I also feel very lucky to have moved to a community that provided and continues to provide significant support to my family and I.
One of the most difficult parts of being a TBI Survivor is dealing with the changes that are part of one's post-injury life. TBI Survivors and their families face many challenges some can be negative but some can be positive. After 2.5 years my family and I are still adjusting to our "new normal." Part of recovery and moving forward is letting go of what was and embracing what is. I think we are all still working on that but we have have more good days now.
I have learned a lot about dealing with my TBI from others and look forward to learning even more as I continue to recover.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Saturday, July 27, 2013
With this blog, I want to share resources that are helping me with my recovery.
Rosemary Rawlins is the author of Learning by Accident and a blogger for BrainLine.org. Her husband sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury as a result of a biking accident. Her book Learning by Accident was extremely helpful for my wife in understanding the challenges of dealing with a TBI and the recovery process. One of her more recent articles on BrainLine.org, "Independence Day," does a great job of articulating the challenges of allowing a loved one to move on to a normal/active life after their accidents. As a very active and athletic person this really hit home.
"For caregivers, letting go can be as painful as the injury itself. I had to keep reminding myself that Hugh wasn’t trying to upset me. I also had to come to terms with allowing Hugh to live as full a life as he deserved after so close a call. I have to say, eleven years after, I’m glad I did let go."
"Independence Day":
http://www.brainline.org/content/2013/06/independence-day.html
Check out Learning by Accident on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Learning-by-Accident/257480204265199
Rosemary Rawlins is the author of Learning by Accident and a blogger for BrainLine.org. Her husband sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury as a result of a biking accident. Her book Learning by Accident was extremely helpful for my wife in understanding the challenges of dealing with a TBI and the recovery process. One of her more recent articles on BrainLine.org, "Independence Day," does a great job of articulating the challenges of allowing a loved one to move on to a normal/active life after their accidents. As a very active and athletic person this really hit home.
"For caregivers, letting go can be as painful as the injury itself. I had to keep reminding myself that Hugh wasn’t trying to upset me. I also had to come to terms with allowing Hugh to live as full a life as he deserved after so close a call. I have to say, eleven years after, I’m glad I did let go."
"Independence Day":
http://www.brainline.org/content/2013/06/independence-day.html
Check out Learning by Accident on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Learning-by-Accident/257480204265199
My TBI Journey
Welcome to my blog! This covers my journey as I recover from my Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) incident, which occurred on March 7, 2011. My goal for this blog is to reach other TBI survivors, their families, friends, and anyone who may be interested in learning more about Traumatic Brain Injuries. The most important part of the recovery process is opening communication and discussion to enhance the healing process. Hopefully I can assist others by providing insight into the most challenging times for my family and I.
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