Surviving Traumatic Brain Injury

I Am Blessed

by

Brandy Hunter

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

I am blessed to be truly loved by a man who may not always understand my emotional outbursts. He is a true blessing in my life for even trying to deal with the behavior that is now instilled in me forever. This same man understands how stressful everyday things are to someone like me (a traumatic brain injury – TBI – survivor). He insists that I stay home and work as a housewife because I cannot deal with simple jobs outside of the home. But, if I choose to pursue other opportunities, he fully supports that decision.

I am blessed to have obtained my BA in Communication Studies after my injury and also to have graduated from a university and with a 3.79 GPA. It helped that the TBI made my stubbornness more intense!

I am blessed to have my mom and dad bring me back to life by refusing to accept the surgeon’s saying that I will have to live in a group-home for the remainder of my life. (I was 24 years old at the time the injury occurred. I am 35 now.) My parents put their own lives on hold so I could have one myself.

I am blessed to have two loving canines to help me through the difficult days by simply “listening” or offering a much-needed cuddle.

I am blessed to have the ability to express myself verbally, even if the injury left my once radio-worthy voice with a slurred way of speaking, which makes me have to repeat myself numerous times a day.

I am blessed to still be able to write well. Now, due to the injury, I am focusing on my writing abilities, not my speaking ones.

I am blessed to have an excuse for wanting to nap almost daily.

I am blessed to be able to live on my own – one and a half and two hours away from my parents.

I am blessed to have no visible scars from the car accident in which I sustained my brain injury.

I am blessed not to have lost memories. (I only needed to be reminded of the three years before the accident.)

Eleven years after my TBI, I’m very blessed that things are not as “foggy” as they once were.

I am blessed to still be able to physically write (pen to paper), cumbersome as it may be for me at times. I am grateful for the availability of Post-It Notes.

I am blessed to have both of my grandparents (with whom I grew up) still alive and willing to help me in any way that they’re able to (even though it is my turn to do for them).

I am blessed to have loved ones try to understand the difficulties I encounter daily and for their assistance (and for not doing whatever I’m trying to do). I appreciate that they accept how things may take a bit longer for me to accomplish.

I am blessed to have traveled to New York, lived on Long Island, traveled to California and Nevada (Vegas, baby!), lived in England for three months, and to currently reside in my home state of Alabama (finally back in the “one red light, one locally owned supermarket” town in which I graduated junior high and high schools).

Life is good…no…Life is BETTER for me now than it was prior to the TBI that changed my life.

Thank you, Brandy Hunter.

Disclaimer:
Any views and opinions of the Guest Blogger are purely his/her own.

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of Brandy Hunter.)

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