I am inspired to blog by the important people in my life and to help others in the same predicament.  Blogging was first suggested by my warm aquatic exercise partner, a journalist, speaker, and professor. It’s been a long time coming before I was able to have the energy to blog, but I never gave up hopefulness and my faith drawing on my inner strength. I’ve journaled everything along my journey believing someday and somehow I would improve and that day did come!

The first two years after injury I struggled to recover basic bodily functions and with literally every breath of air and that continued on until 2010. I was short of breath and thirsty without any physical exertion whatsoever. I worked up to an energy level of 4 hours every day and that was on my good days. With a mere 4 hours of energy every day for over 18 years is unacceptable to any human being. On the other hand, apparently it was acceptable to America’s healthcare professionals…albeit was not happening to them!  When physicians are wrong the patient and families pay the price. I will continue to advocate for nurses, healthcare professionals, patients and families and continue to listen and help make their lives better.

You better never treat a dog that way.

Thank you for all the prayers and especially the family and friends who stayed by me and supported me throughout. I owe my children and my husband a life of gratitude since this traumatic brain injury was a life sentence for me, but included a life sentence for each of them since proper treatment did not occur, and no education or support was provided for these immediate family members. My children were teenagers at the time of injury.  Hence, 4 life sentences for this one injury. What happens when the backbone of your family unit becomes injured?  What is the back-up plan? When the primary person who knows the healthcare system better then the rest in the small family unit is ill or injured?

For all those individuals who have remained support…you have an unshakable existence and are leaders, not followers and I know my perceptual abilities have not been deceptive.  You know me for the individual I am, not the person others may have persuaded you to believe.  You all tried to help, but no one listened.  Listening is key to proper diagnosis and treatment. Everything beyond listening is just window dressing.  If someone does not hear the message, the proper assessment, diagnosis and treatment cannot happen.   In May 2010 I found physicians and healthcare professionals who listened.  By simply listening the proper referrals and my treatment lead to a true MIRACLE.

I entered every day with a positive attitude and used all my energy in a matter of a couple hours praying and hoping someday, somehow I would get better simply with the sheer determination that drives the sole…and knowing one is right and no one was listening!  What a horrific place to be…physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.  There was no physical energy left in me.  I could not walk or even stand but for brief periods of time so aquatic exercise was my only form of exercise.  Did I enjoy it?  Yes, only because it provided me with the knowledge that I could physically move … but only in water.  NO, because it sucked all the life out of me and that’s all I could do to live.  It was never a pleasurable experience, but it may have appeared that way!  I did what I knew to do to stay alive.  I was determined to continue  on and resolve the problem I was living with.  I pushed myself to the limits.  Visually and superficially, I simply made it look easy, but it was not!  I used all my emotional and mental energy daily but my physical energy was depleted within the 4 hour timeframe.  I will share how I worked this out in a later blog.

To my special friends, family, current physicians and healthcare professionals, Apple computer staff, and a couple previous physicians, you all have shared in the excitement of my newfound energy and watched as my life was restored and continue to progress.  I am grateful for a couple previous physicians and some healthcare professionals who attempted to put the pieces of this puzzle together.  I totally understand, but also knew as time went on my complex health history became an overwhelming task for just a few people to unravel.

Nonetheless given that, through extensive laboratory work, medical testing, perseverance, and hours upon hours of dedication and determination we are blessed to now have our life back solely to this one physician, but several are to be commended to leading us here while treating me. This physician had years of history to listen and evaluate.  This was a daunting task for a single American physician to solve but with the laboratory results, time, and all the other essential history we are thankful for this genius who took upon oneself to solve this cold case.

With my gratefulness to all those supporting us from the beginning of time!

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