Speech Therapist Helps in Transition After TBI

Speech Therapist Helps in Transition: Craig Part Sixteen 

Craig continues to talk about his speech therapist and how she helped him in transitioning out of therapy.  She hung in there with him even though funds ran out.

During the time you have therapy, you’re getting someone to basically be your aid, your guide, your navigator through those challenges.  How do you start to wean yourself off the navigator and start to handle those things independently?

Well, as I ran out of money I ran out of the ability to afford to pay  them  so I was forced to. Sara (his speech therapist) was the last person, and she actually donated half of her time.  She was dedicated.  So that was the last thing, the speech, language and memory I knew I had to get back.  Todd and the neuropsychologist, they were probably the first to leave because I couldn’t afford  them  anymore, you know.

Todd was the cognitive therapist?

Yeah, he did.  He would have me on the biofeedback and, I thought that was a waste of money for me.  I wasn’t benefiting on that, in my mind.  I’m not saying everybody does, doesn’t, but I didn’t.  I wasn’t seeing the benefit.

Your insurance company was more reluctant to pay for cognitive therapy than for a  speech therapist?

Well, I was cut off after eight visits.  Like I said, I paid her one visit, free one visit. I pay half.  She gave 50 percent off and then even when I ran out of money she had me come in for the last month, and so she donated the time.

How do you think of in terms of eight visits versus the time it took you to learn to be an adult the first time?

That’s crazy.  You can’t relearn a lifetime of behavior in eight visits or six visits, whatever they’re giving you.  If it wasn’t for her (Sara his speech therapist) donating the majority of it, it would of never happened.  I mean and of course she’s doing something else because she couldn’t afford to stay in business the way she’s doing but I got lucky.  I ran into one person that for some reason said: “Hey, I see potential” because I was doing my first group at that time and she knew what needed to happen.  So she wanted to make sure I got well,  and she said “God touched her, that this is what she’s supposed to do.”  And I have to tell you, I questioned God for a number of years after that accident.

By contributing those extra hours to one persons rehab, Sara leveraged her time to help so many more people.  We all should thank her God for that commitment.

Next in Part Seventeen – Headaches Brought Severe Pain