8th year brainday

[Richard J]

Well, today is the 8^th year anniversary of my traumatic brain injury. Think I’m going to stop calling today an anniversary, and just call it a “brainday”, one word just like “Elvis” is only one word (was thinking about calling it a tbiday that that word doesn’t sing). Thankfully my 7^th year was a “normal” year for me (if such a thing exists). I did get myself more involved with local “survivor support groups”; helped with a family who had a family member survive a TBI; getting traumatic brain injury into my local library book & subject guides catalog; volunteered with my states Brain Injury Association; took place in a training session for a local health organization to inform their staff how to “support” brain injury survivors and their families; and bought myself a mandolin. All in all, I guess I had a good time.

So now, I am entering the 8^th year as a survivor. I will continue to let myself be aware of myself so I can live my life as fully as possible; I will continue to inform others about traumatic brain injuries and the recovery process; I will continue to be a voice, and I would like everyone reading this to become a voice as well. Don’t sit and mope; don’t give up or hang your head down even if a day seems long and lonely; give yourself a slap on the back to congratulate your own recovery; make everyday a holiday.

[Inez]

Congratulations on surviving eight years!