Help! I’ve been robbed. Not by a masked man or what one immediately thinks. I was robbed by a car crash that left me in a coma, and I woke up with a traumatic brain injury. I am a marathon runner, I was in the University of Louisville Marching Band for 6 years, I have 2 Master’s Degrees, took college classes overseas, and went on missionary trips around the world. I woke up needing to learn to eat, talk, and walk all over again. I was robbed of everything that I thought made me who I am. God took my tragedy and showed me true triumph. The old me took so much for granted.
My family has never left my side during any of this. Their love and support is amazing. They drive me to therapies 4 to 5 days a week, about an hour each way. I work with Physical, Occupational, Speech, and Mental Health Therapy. I volunteer at a food bank and work with my therapy team to enjoy the community as much as possible.
I related recovery to training for a marathon. It’s not a sprint. Sometimes, I feel like I can’t do it. It is very challenging. I tell myself to breathe and take the next step. That is progress. Mindset and mental health are a huge part of recovery from anything. My determination and mental fortitude from my past experiences strengthened me to endure my most difficult life challenge. I suffered seizures and was robbed again of my ability to walk. I am now gaining the strength to learn to walk as an adult a second time. I always try to do extra in my recovery. The extra mile is never crowded. The extra mile is where I find myself.
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