Living Well After TBI

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: TBI does not mean your life is over! It can be difficult, but it is manageable with the right help. While healing takes time, it is a realistic and achievable goal.

I find that my TBI has resulted in an increased response to certain things, so I can be very easily distracted or stressed out by something that might not bother anyone else. It’s also a lot harder to focus than it was before. My assistant tells me that working with me is like working with a person who has severe ADHD—unmedicated.

But these are things that are manageable. Yes, it took me a long time to get to where I am now, but with help from the right doctors, I learned the importance of brain plasticity.

Shortly after my TBI occurred, I could barely count to 10, and I had to leave my job as a successful engineer and project manager. Now, I am a successful artist. I started Gemassist Brain Awareness Foundation to help others, and I can even drive myself places again—something that was not possible for a long time.

Brain injury is an invisible illness. A lot of people don’t know my story until I share it with them. They may just think I’m a bit eccentric. But as a TBI survivor, I know the fear of “what’s next?” firsthand, and I can guarantee you that it’s not all bad.

Take one day at a time, one step at a time. Sometimes we go back, sometimes we go forward—but always remember that if we don’t work that brain muscle, we’ll never make any progress. So get out there and try something new today!

And that’s where I’ll leave it for now... but the train of thought is still rolling down the tracks.