SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury
Rico Principe (survivor)
presented by
Donna O’Donnell Figurski
Rico Principe – Brain Injury Survivor
Rico Principe (survivor and advocate)
Don’t let my looks fool you. I have a laundry-list of deficits. Some are obvious, and some become obvious only to those who live with me. The brain aneurysm didn’t kill me, but it killed the “me that I was” and gave my family and my friends the “new me.”
The brain aneurysm turned my world upside down. I wasn’t even aware of brain aneurysms until I had the “worst headache of my life” in 2004. It gave me a 24/7-headache, occasional bouts with depression, aphasia, neurofatigue, forgetfulness, memory loss, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), sleeplessness, and loss of filter. I also have a short fuse.
It came unannounced, and I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the actions of my wife (Elvie). She was there and called 9-1-1 so I could be taken to the hospital as soon as possible.
I struggle with the “baggage” that comes with being a brain aneurysm survivor, but I chose not to be burdened by it. Instead, I chose to be an advocate. I help run a Facebook group of brain aneurysm survivors with almost 11,000 members.
This is me. A survivor and an advocate.
(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)
(Photos compliments of contributor.)
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Please check out my book.
Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale
Raising Awareness of Traumatic Brain Injury - one view at a time. Thanks for visiting my blog
Surviving Traumatic Brain Injury 
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