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The TBI Chatroom |
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MY TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY HAPPENED ON THE TURNPIKE IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA ON DECEMBER 26, 1997. MY TBI WAS SEVERE AND I SPENT A FEW WEEKS IN A COMMA. I SPENT A YEAR IN 4 DIFFERENT HOSPITALS AND DID NOT START WAKING UP FOR 10 MONTHS. THE MEMORY LOSS WAS ASTOUNDING. TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER I STILL HAVE MEMORY LAPSES.MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE WRECK WITH ME AND REMEMBERS THE WRECK. SHE REMEMBERS US BOTH BEING TRANSPORTED BY HELICOPTER. HER BACK WAS FRACTURED, HER RIGHT SHOULDER CRUSHED, AND RIBS BROKEN AND HER LUNGS PUNCTURED. SHE LOST A SEMESTER OF COLLEGE BUT IS BACK NOW.
LUCKILY SHE HAD NO BRAIN INJURY. IN ADDITION TO MY CLOSED HEAD INJURY, MY BACK WAS BROKEN AT T12, MY RIBS FRACTURED AND MY LUNGS PUNCTURED, MY RIGHT HAND AND FOREARM WERE SEVERELY FRACTURED, AND MY RIGHT LEG HAD CONTRACTIONS AND A SHORTENING OF MY MUSCLES AND TENDONS. I HAD A LOT OF SWELLING AND A TRACHEOTOMY AND LOST ENOUGH BLOOD TO REQUIRE TRANSFUSIONS. I AM ON DISABILITY AND STILL HAVE HAD POST-OP SURGERIES. I HAVE A REDO OF MY RIGHT ELBOW IN TWO WEEKS. I AM NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO WORK AND DRIVE A CAR YET. I AM STRUGGLING WITH HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO GET BETTER. PEOPLE ON THE CHAT ROOM SAID THE STORIES HELP A LOT SO THIS STARTS MY STORY AND I WILL READ MANY OF THE OTHERS. I WILL BE DELIGHTED TO GET FEEDBACK. I LIVE IN OCALA, FLORIDA, HAVE A SUPPORTING HUSBAND AND TWO CHILDREN. I WAS A COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGIST IN PRIVATE PRACTICE. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSES.
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