Relearning to Walk After TBI: Kevin Part Five
In our stories, we focus on the physical manifestations of severe traumatic brain injury when relevant. As with most severe brain injuries, the physical is relevant for Kevin. In this part of the interview we talked to Kevin about relearning to walk after TBI.
You had physical problems from your injury?
Yes. Equilibrium you know I couldn’t walk steady, because I had to walk not steady, you know and physical, the, one other thing that changed is the physical part. I think it was the equilibrium was all messed up. That’s causes you to not to walk steady.
Do you continue to have problems with your equilibrium?
Yes.
Did you get therapy for it and relearning to walk after TBI?
Yes I did. At Mercy I walked between two railings. To help it. And they said it’s probably going to stay there the rest of your life and no medication’s going to help it, or stuff like that.
When relearning to walk after TBI, how many months was it before you were able to walk without a cane or a walker?
Probably about two months maybe. I didn’t want to use a walker. I’ve used a walker though. I always thought positive, you know and it, like some people get some parts of the brain are injured that other people might not think it was a real minor brain injury.
How long has it been since you used a cane of a walker?
Oh boy, about ten years maybe.
So before you left Lakeview you were walking without the help of a cane or walker?
Yes. Yep. And I didn’t want nothing to do with all those.
You can use your hands as you could before you got hurt?
Yes.
You don’t have any loss of sensation or loss of feeling in your body?
No.
On one side or the other?
No.
Do have problems with headache?
Once in a while, not very often though.
Next in Part Six – Speech Related Challenges
By Attorney Gordon Johnson
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Mr. Johnson has set the standard of lawyering for folks with Traumatic Brain Injury very high. I recently settled my Longshore Act workers compensation claim, it’s incomplete at best because my attorney’s and the rehab facilities did not get an accurate background history of my medical issues. Before I got hurt, I could run five K and ten K races in fast time even at 41 years old. After, I had heart rhythm issues, dizziness, have cervical spine pain. Thanks for showing us that you care so much about ho much our lives really change after brain injuries…….