Independence After Severe Brain Injury

Independence after Severe Brain Injury: Lori Part Twelve

Lori and I discussed her transition to independence after severe brain injury.  She had some major transitions considering upon her return home her sleeping arrangements were in a crib type surroundings.

You went through physical therapy and at some point that they became comfortable that you didn’t have to sleep in a crib? Tell me about that transition to your independence after severe brain injury.

Please ask me that again.

At some point they took you out of the straightjacket.

Yes.

And that you remember, that pleasant memory with your boyfriend.  Were you ever in the straightjacket again after that or was that part of your start to independence after severe brain injury?

Not that I know of.

At some point did they bring down the walls of the crib another step to your independence after severe brain injury?

Yeah, and I don’t remember that and I don’t remember the time that I went from the crib to a regular bed, but I know it happened.  And I don’t remember being in a wheelchair, but I know that that happened.  I remember walking but not walking very well, but walking.  And I remember pushing everybody away from me, don’t help me walk, let me fall, let me, I remember that.

Where was that?

That was when I was staying at my parents.  For outpatient rehab, there was a van, a hospital van that came and got many of us that had outpatient rehab, and the van would come get us at our homes and take us to the hospital and then bring us back.

And I don’t remember being escorted from the house to the van or escorted from the van to the house but I know that it happened.  I remember when I didn’t need escort from the house to the van and from the van to the house.  And I remember, my first memory of not needing to be escorted from the van to the house.

The van had driven onto the street of my parents’ home and I said: “Today I want to walk to the house on my own.” And there was a driver and then an assistant or whatever, and they said, “well okay, but we’re going to watch.”

And so they, they pulled up in front of the house and I got out of the van and I walked to the house, and for some reason I wanted to open the door by kicking it, like karate kicking it, so I stood and balanced on one leg and tried to karate kick and I fell.  That’s my first instance that I remember, and I remember standing right up and, and saying “I’m fine, I’m fine, don’t come out.”

Next in Part Thirteen – Therapy Reintroduces to Job After Severe TBI