I’m Sorry You’re Here
…but I’m here for you. Life as a caregiver is not a path anyone willingly chooses. Rather, we are often thrust into this role through a traumatic event. In my case, it was a car accident caused by an impaired driver. A young lady under the influence of prescription narcotics and alcohol plowed into my husband’s car at a high rate of speed. The impact caused my husband to spin across the highway median and he was hit head-on by a semi-truck traveling 65 mph in the opposite direction. It’s a miracle he survived. He sustained a severe traumatic brain injury. That happened in June, 2011 and we have experienced nearly every scenario possible for a brain injury patient - trauma ICU, rehabilitation hospital, brain injury treatment facility, in-home care, and nursing home care. We’ve lived through the highs of hope and the lows of disappointment. Our children have grown up with the realities of brain injury, having been only 10 and 12 when their dad was injured. I’ve progressed from stay-at-home mom to part-time work, to full-time plus a side gig to meet our financial obligations. Life as we knew it before that June day exploded and it became my job to find the pieces we could still use and forge ahead with a new normal. It hasn’t been an easy road, yet I’ve learned a lot about being a steady advocate for my husband, the necessity of taking care of me, and the importance of community among those of us who are walking this uncertain road.
“Join me as we encourage each other through community, compassion, and courage.”
Join me as we encourage each other, share things that are working (and not), and find ways to actually enjoy the journey. While I write to you from a place of faith in God, please know that everyone is welcome here. This is an inclusive community built around our shared experiences with traumatic brain injury and learning to be exemplary caregivers to our loved ones.
Community, compassion, and courage….that’s my wish for this website. I want you to know you are not alone. I want you to know there are others who understand and want to help you in your journey. And I want you to leave here strengthened in your role as a caregiver to someone with a traumatic brain injury.
Blessings to you today and always,
Melanie