10/18 Anaylitical

As I continue to read the book, The Concussion Repair Manual, by Dr. Dan Engle, I am astounded by the amount of tragic stories I am reading about people with TBI's. One story that completely blew my mind was about a woman who got a severe TBI from domestic violence. SHe had a great life, a little baby on the way, a loving husband, and a good family income, but once her husband lost his job things turned south. He began to drink heavily and get very aggressive. One night, while on the street outside their house, he began to brutally beat her. After the first punch to the head she was knocked out, but that didn't stop him. Doctors believe that he hit or kicked her in the head about 30-40 times after she passed out, and this is what caused the severe TBI. She woke up in the hospital in a head and neck brace, with no idea where she was, who she was, or how to talk. She had to relearn how to read, write, talk, and needed assistance doing pretty much everything around her house, including walking, eating, bathing, and taking care of her infant daughter. This was a long and hard five year recovery, but she was determined, and eventually she made an almost full recovery. Along with her close friends and family close by, she needed an speech therapist, a physical therapist, and an occupational therapist. Before reading this, I never realized a TBI that intense could just come from a beating. This further emphasizes that the brain is a very delicate organ that requires 100 percent protection all the time. Even after everything she went through, she stayed positive and hopeful about what the future would bring her. When asked what she took away from this horrible situation she responded with these points,
"We never know what life has in store."
"It is up to us to do the best we can."
"Faith is a choice."
'"The bigger healing in our lives take time, perseverance, and strength."
"Nobody can do it for us."
"In the midst of it all, we can still try to make the world around us a better place."
From a woman who truly went through hell and back, this is a very inspirational statement, and these points are things everybody should try to live by.