Traumatic Brain Injury

TGIF! This week was so long. And, if I am being honest...it sucked. I have been slapped with the realities of what my injuries from my fall look like back in my work environment. It has been really hard on me to not feel like I am able to do things at levels I once was. I feel like I am unable to trust myself to make certain important decisions and am experiencing diminished confidence because of that. I feel I am not doing enough to help some students and feel overwhelmed by way too many factors beyond my control. These things make me more on edge and/or sometimes short tempered. I do not like that feeling and probably haven't been the easiest person to be around. So many times since school started again, I have felt like a burden from having to ask so many questions multiple times because I don't remember the answer or even that I asked already. Sometimes that even includes after I have written it down somewhere. I have been feeling really embarrassed by not being at the level I want to be, wish it wasn't taking longer than normal to learn student's names, etc. Learning how to do things in new ways, figuring out systems and tricks to help myself out, and feeling all the things has definitely exhausted me. Being a frustration crier always stinks too!

I guess the silver lining has been that I can understand more than ever what some of my students experience as they try to navigate their disabilities.

Hi, my name is AmandaT. I'm here because my daughter suffered a severe TBI (along with many of injuries) in a car vs train accident. She was 16 but is now attending a 4 year university. After her first year, her GPA is very low but since she receives accommodations, she hasn’t been put on academic probation even though she would be if she was a “normal” student. We want her to do everything that she has always wanted which includes attending a university and experiencing all that this entails but we also know that she needs help doing it. She takes fewer hours each semester which means she will be in school longer than her peers and this is expensive! I don’t have friends who can relate so I am hoping to find others who have been through similar situations.

#MightyTogether

Hi, my name is DSGrau. I'm here because I'm a writer and working on a book involving TBI

#MightyTogether

Any thoughts on this book?

Living the Invisible Disability: Coping with Post Concussion Syndrome Traumatic Brain Injury & Depression
Book by Hannah Andrusky

On Monday, I start another school year. It will be year 13 and the first time I have worked in a little over 7 months.

I am feeling such a wide range of emotions about it all and so is my body. Today I am in so much pain that it hurts to move. I have barely slept all week long plagued by the nightmares, what ifs, hows, and time will tells that seem endless. I have no idea how the trauma my body has been through will manifest itself from day to day. I have no idea what it will be like to face the reality of the locations I've had flashbacks and nightmares for months of the trauma replaying all while knowing that I'll never fully know all of the details of what happened several months ago.

The part of getting back into a routine that doesn't just solely include medical appointments and/or therapies is one aspect I look forward to. For months I have felt like I am living in an alternate world. Getting to hopefully see some of the same students I had prior to my injury will warm my heart for sure since I have missed them tremendously. Knowing that I am returning with multiple restrictions in place provides me with some piece of mind that safety is an utmost concern. It strangely also is sparking feelings of a grieving process of the life as a teacher I had pre-injury.

While I know that I am more resilient than I ever will truly give myself credit for, know that I will be just fine since I have overcome so many trials and tribulations in my career/life, and have a good amount of supportive work family members the nervousness of it all is overwhelming. I am trying to remind myself to not forget to be patient, give myself grace, not to play the martyr role by taking on more than I can handle, and to not allow guilt to rule when needing to advocate for my possible changing needs. I cannot give to others if I am not able to be functionally where I need to be for myself.

13 is a number that tends to be associated with a lot of superstition. It also represents a coming of age in some cultures and/or religions. Some people consider 13 a lucky number. For me, 13 is a number that I hope brings renewed faith in my abilities no matter what challenges are thrown my way. I hope it brings much calmer and fun times than this last crazy school year. I hope it brings inspiration, patience, and lots of good memories.

Time will tell!

Good evening! I recently purchased a medical bracelet to help whenever I have to make a visit to the ER. Anyone else use medical ID bands and if so, have they been helpful?

Hello just wondering if anyone has been scammed more than usual or a lot more since getting a brain injury. ? I feel like a fool to believe this. I have been to the bank but couldn’t get myself to go into the police department. I really don’t know what to do. #scams #bitcoin #LostMoney
#TraumaticBrainInjury