I suffered a TBI on January 24, 1998 in a skiing accident at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. Since my accident, I have gone skiing three times. Once, at Waterville Valley, about two years ago. Last year, my husband Gene skiied three times with our two sons, Sam and Marcus, but I didn't join them on the slopes.

This past weekend, we went up to Sunday River, Maine, and I skiied both days. I was scared, but not that I would have another brain injury because I have worn a helmet skiing since my accident. However, I was scared because I lacked the self-confidence about my skiing abilities that I had before my accident. After we skiied yesterday, my spouse said things that make me believe he doesn't think I should ski anymore. He said I don't seem to enjoy it like I used to. When I spoke to my mom earlier today, she said that I lack the stamina I once had. I agree with both of them, but I don't want to give up the slopes forever. I like being able to do something outdoors with my family, and my sons seem to enjoy skiing a lot. I guess I'll just play it by ear and see what happens the next time.

Toby Richard

January 24, 1998 was the day that my life changed forever. I suffered a TBI as a result of a fall while I was skiing at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. I don't remember my accident, and I doubt that I will ever remember since I have been skiing once on the same mountain and no memory came back while I was there. I now wear a helmet while skiing, and I wish that I had been wearing one at the time of my injury.

After my accident, I was hospitalized for over two months in four different hospitals. I also attended an out-patient cognitive rehabilitation program. While I was in the hospital, I had confabulations (hallucinations) that my father was still alive even though he had died almost one year before my accident. From what I have read about TBIs since my accident, I understand that confabulations are quite common after a TBI.

Before my accident, I was practicing law as an in-house counsel at a publicly-held discount department store. I did return to work part-time about seven months after my accident. In retrospect, I was in denial about the extent of my injuries and deficits. I was lucky to have a wonderful boss at that job who did not ask me to do much work after I went back to my job. After that company was acquired by another discount department store, I lost my job. I then took a job in a very large law firm. That job did not work out, as I was fired after about seven months. No one at the law firm knew about my injury except for two colleagues who did not tell anyone about it out of respect for my privacy. Since that job ended, I have worked at a natural foods grocery store (non-legal job) and in the admissions office of the law school that I attended.

I have come to realize that I will never be the person that I was prior to my TBI. I was highly educated, very well organized and analytical in my thinking. As a result of the TBI and the frontal lobe damage, organizational skills and time management are much harder for me. I am trying to compensate for my deficits by using various memory aides such as a dry-erase board and a good pocket calendar.

I think that the hardest thing that I have experienced is the "silent" nature of my injury. I look and feel fine, and my language skills are virtually restored to where they were beforehand. However, my brain isn't the same as it was before my accident. I am hoping to start a yoga class because the neuropsychologist thought it would be a good way to get exercise and focus my mind.

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