Update June 2006

Last time I told my story I was so depressed I hated life and everything about my recovery. Now I am 3 years old in TBI land. These last three have been hard but I am learning to enjoy life again. I was a college teacher a language Art teachers and many other successful things as the world looks. Then TBI took so much of that away. Didn't think anyone did me a favor keeping me alive.

About a year after my TBI I got a job tutoring students, a paying job. By the end of the school year I realized even this part time paying position was too much for me. Last school year I tutored elementary students as a volunteer. Spent about 2 hours at school, three days a week. This was much more successful. Now I am thinking about tutoring in my own home for pay. Even if I only manage one or two students a week I will feel like a successful person again. I also realized something. Tutoring these students, helping them succeed in life is far more meaningful then all the "important" stuff I did before. So I guess TBI has taught me to worry about being a success in my own eyes and don't worry about the rest of the world.

On Aug. 13, 2003 the old becca whitehead died and a new one was born. How you ask. I ask the same thing, I have no memory of that day, all I can tell you is what my husband told me. (and he had to tell it over and over before I could remember it) The day seemed normal, I was watching my grandson for the day. We (my husband Burt and I) went to our sons house for supper. I complained about a bad headache but I had bad headachs before so we went. When we came home I told Burt I was going to take a bath and read in the tub. My husband doesn't know how much time passed but when he checked on me I was drowned.He called the rescue people. Meantime he gave me mouth-to-mouth. I really didn't respond. When the EMTs got there they started working and realised this was something more than a drowning. They took me to the nearest hospital where they discovered a massive bleeding in my brain. The EMTs had already put in a breathing tube. The Drs. added more life support because my heart was beating so weakly they expected it to stop any minute. That hospital didn't have the equipment necessary so they life flighted me to Orlando Regional Medical Center a Trauma 1 center. When I arrived there they put me on total life support. Usually for a bleed in the brain they do surgery and clip the leak, my heart was so weak the Dr. knew I wouldn't survive that kind of surgery. For a week I was on total life support giving my body time to rest and get stronger, or die. I surprised all of them and got stronger. Still not strong enough for them to cut my skull open so I was sent to another hospital where there was a Dr. who did the coiling procedure. After all this time I still kept surprising people and wouldn't die. The story continues through a return to Orlando Hospital a return to Heart of Florida where I started several weeks earlier and then to the Joy Fuller Rehab. center. I have a few memories of that place, more memories of out-patient therapy, and I finally went home. Now almost Two years after the event I'm doing pretty good. I've learned to walk, talk, do most things.My executive functions are really scrambled so I guess I'll never be strong on logic or organization. My memory is messed up. I really have to concentrate on something if I want to remember it. When I think of the possibilities I feel pretty lucky. I'm also lucky that my husband was strong enough to come through this with me.

Well my friends that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

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