I’m ALIVE!!!

I guess everybody reading this is ALIVE so you must be thinking “Big Deal – So am I!’’

I am a five-time traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivor.   I did not die – it’s still amazing to me!  In years past, when I was a single mom, working full-time, and a VCU student; I thought I was superwoman.  After surviving the TBIs and strokes, I didn’t feel like superwoman anymore.

I was so ashamed that I dropped out of life outside my house.  I became afraid of people, I only dealt with my people I had known for years.  My voice had changed due to the stroke and now my speech is slurred (people say I sound drunk).  A lot of stroke survivors like me have issues with speech because of how a stroke can affect your brain’s speech center and the muscles around your mouth, tongue, and throat that control how you speak. Sometimes I speak and no sound comes out!!  It took me two years to change my phone message to my post-stroke voice!  I hated it!!  I just accept it as part of me now.

My balance is questionable. It took me falling twice and needing surgery twice, resulting in 2 plates and 6 pins permanently in my body, to accept that I needed a rollator (a rolling walker with a seat and brakes) to help with my balance. I LOVE the rollator now because it allows me to be independent. I have learned to live with the fact, that my physical body has issues, but my brain is UNSTOPPABLE!!! It’s sad that some people think that everyone with any disability is also cognitively disabled!

Well, I kept wondering if my brain would work in an educational setting.   I am weird, I like to study, I don’t know why??  I decided to study Early Childhood Education because I had a college roommate that majored in ECC and it seemed to be so much fun, unlike my business major.  After my TBI’s and going home to Chicago to be near my mother; I went to the local community college and majored in Early Childhood Education (this was after I had got my undergraduate degree).  I did great, got A’s so I transferred to Grad school – got A’s.  But didn’t end up finishing because a counselor/gatekeeper said that I couldn’t work with children because of my medical history.  Maybe it was for the best.

I am convinced that my brain made new neural pathways!! I feel like my brain is working twice as much as it used to!! When your brain is damaged from a stroke of TBI, some of the connections that helped you complete certain tasks are destroyed. So, you have to relearn tasks and create new connections to replace the old ones.  I have seen many neurologists that agreed that the brain has limitless possibilities.  I was told that in most cases whatever stage your body and mind is 5 years after your TBI you would remain in that condition.  Well, I never accepted that, to be honest!  I kept on trying to get better!  I relearned to write with my left hand (I used to be right-handed).  I was told if I couldn’t write someone else would have to be in charge of my money. I couldn’t eat properly; I slowly relearned to swallow; I still have a hole (it’s closed up now) on the left side of my stomach where I drank liquids to survive for eight months.  I credit the YMCA for helping me to relearn to walk.  My co-workers are witnesses to my speed with my upright rollator.

I began my plan to return to where I thought I had a better chance of finding employment outside my house.  I relocated back to Richmond and wanted to work.  But no one would give me a chance!  The day I came to disAbility Law Center I was blessed!  It was very advantageous to meet people who understood I’m not drunk at work at 9 am!! I am in an environment that doesn’t see me as “less than”!   I love helping people who need dLCV assistance and doing work that indirectly and sometimes directly assists our advocates and lawyers achieve their goals. I am very happy to wake up and go to work each day. I try to make someone’s day a little better.  dLCV is where I need to be, helping people makes me happy!