A Bow Around the Package

This blog is not ending. You may relax now. I have many more stories to tell, and then there’s that book that will start in the next week or so. (You’ll recall, that’s the one that has been reviewed by my friends as “disturbing”.) I know you can hardly wait.

But I need to put some kind of bow around the brain “unpleasantness”. I thought about this on Friday, when I was asked to speak to the current clients at neuro rehab. It was hoped I would be encouraging, and I did my best. I do feel encouraged by this entire experience. However, a long time ago, I read something that said life has to be lived forward but can only be understood looking back. I think that’s right.

It’s now been almost 18 months since this craziness started. I’ve been “recovering” for 15 months or so – which is only important because the books say brain recovery takes one to two years to fully happen. But (and there is always a but in these articles) the experts say recovery can continue after that time. Your brain (and, more importantly, mine) can continue to improve long after that.

Now, I’m not a neurologist (don’t even play one on TV), but my suspicion is that one’s brain continues to find new connections to work around damaged parts. If that’s true, and I think it is, there is hope for us all – even mean people who haven’t had a TBI but act as though they haven’t a brain in their heads.

When I left the Dallas hospital, confident that I was fine, just fine, I had no idea how far I had to go. The rehab center was a blessing – if for no other reason than it put me “on ice” for six months as I continued to heal.

And maybe this is my final thought about having a TBI, almost dying, being in a coma, paralyzed, recovering, now exploring a new future…I am just so grateful. For the medical professionals who saved my life, for the therapists who showed me how to go on, for my family who makes everything worthwhile, for my friends who have shown unlimited patience…I am just so grateful.

For my not-so spiritual friends…you can stop reading here.

But for the rest of you – I know that we are eternal souls. I know there is grace shown to us every day. I know there is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I’ve met them.