Embarking on a Journey

In May of 2010, I am embarked on a journey I never say coming.  I began the journey of a caregiver.  My husband was 28 at the time and as a result of a motocross wreck, he suffered a severe traumatic brain injury.  He spent 10 months unresponsive in a coma, I was told he would never speak or understand language ever again, he mostly wouldn’t walk, he would need maximum assistance completing activities of daily living, and that he would most likely never make it out of a comatose state as a result of the diffuse axonal injury.  To say that I was overwhelmed was a complete understatement.

I had a decision to make, was I going to let this crush me or grow me?  I chose the latter and there isn’t a day I regret this decision.  Learning to become an advocate, not just for my man but for many others, has been one of the many gifts that has come from this journey.  Adam completed his 15th, 16th, and 17th brain surgeries last year and he still continues to make daily gains and defy the odds. He is talking and understanding language, he is walking, running, and jumping, and is independent in his activities of daily living (ADLs).  This has come from hard work on his behalf and from cheering him on, advocating for him, and giving myself permission to get to know both of us all over again.  Adam will never be the same person he once was and neither will I.  Together we grow, together we fight, together we heal.