A medical, legal, and
informational resource
for persons dealing with
traumatic brain injury.

STORIES OF AMAZING RECOVERIES

Submitted By: Daniel
Submitted On: June 25, 2005

My story begins November 22, 1995. I was riding in the back of a truck when we hit a pothole at 45 miles per hour. I was tossed out of the truck and landed on the back of my head. The accident broke my skull in 5 places, I receive 5 bleeds around my brain, I was unconscious for 5 days, and the doctors could not tell if I was going to live or not for the first 2 days. I got 25 staples to the back of my head and lost full term and short term memory for about 2 weeks. I still have problems with memory 2 years later, I continued my life after the accident as if nothing happened. I was self medicated with drugs and alcohol for the pain. I have recently had a mental breakdown and have sought psychiatric and medical help. The doctors have diagnosed me with depression, anxiety, and a moderate sized infarction with encephalomalacia in the right frontal lobe and and left cerebellar hemisphere. I have done as much research online as I can find and I have learned that all fo the drugs and alcohol although have helped with the pain has also stopped or slowed any healing of my brain. So I have been alcohol free for 6 months and drug free now for 3 weeks and seem to be getting a little better. I am happy for taking these steps to better myself and my life. My psychiatric and medical help has helped a lot for my depression I still haven't seen my neurologist yet. My appointment is July 11, 2005 I am really looking forward to finding out how bad the situation is and if it will worsen. I have talked to the brain injury association of USA and they don't have anything but definitions and brief medical descriptions. So I am sort of left in the dark except for my research. I am hoping for a partial or full recovery but am an optimist for a full recovery after so much research. I have concluded that my TBI is considered to be a moderate to severe case. I have recently applied for disability and it is moving really slow. I mentioned hiring a lawyer and they quickly said it would be a waste of time and money and would not quicken the case. So I have not done that yet. I am looking for as much help and information as I ca find. I have not worked since December of 2003 and am becoming agitated that I can't lead a normal life and am causing my mother and other family grief. Thank you for letting me tell you my story, it has been a long and hard trip but I am hoping with the right steps I may return to a halfway decent life.

THANK YOU, Daniel Hopkinson.