I was 17, with the whole world in front of me. . . I received good grades, played on the tennis team, and got accepted to UC Santa Barbara. I was in a rush to get to school (I was late), and pulled out from a stop sign, not seeing the approaching tow truck. I got smashed by it, and then flew into a station wagon.

I was in a coma for a month. When I came to, I had to relearn EVERYTHING, even how to swallow. I was in a wheelchair for a year, but I was finally able to walk. I get dizzy a lot. My memory is still bad, and I often repeat myself.

Despite my bad memory, I was able to graduate from community college, and finally received a BA in English. I struggled to remember and study for tests. Some of my teachers were understanding, but most were uneducated and not informed about brain injuries. I was often frustrated at how hard it was to study and remember when it had once been so easy for me.

I married a very understanding, patient man. He only knows me from after the accident, so he has nothing to compare me to. I have two very cute little girls, who often help when "Mommy forgets something."

It is hard for someone to know how handicapped you are when they look at you and you look so normal. I have residual left side weakness, but I can walk without a limp. I get tired easily, and my memory and my balance gets terrible. I have found that I often get hostile reactions from other head injury people because I look so normal. I often feel like this is such a "hidden" handicap, where people really cannot see how much damage that you have sustained.

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