My psychiatrist, who in the past I’ve simply referred to as an expert, specifically works with survivors who’ve experienced near-death injuries or illnesses. Predominantly she works with survivors of cancer or severe TBIs. She’s extremely experienced. Years before starting her private practice, she was a psychiatrist at UW medicine. (That’s the hospital I was sent to, once I could be transported with very little fear of my death, from the primary hospital that I was sent to, in Nor Cal, at which they saved my life). Due to my lack of cognition when the firefighters came to my rescue, as well as the obvious demolition of the left (driver’s side), including the left window of the car I was driving, my primary injury was clear to the medics.
As the image above elucidates, TBIs that are classified as critical (like mine) from which 80% of patients die, are very few & far between. See that sliver of red? That = severe TBI survivors & critical is a slight subset of that! I’m 1 of the individuals that makeup the .66% of all TBI survivors that incurred a critical Traumatic Brain Injury.
Most people continue to remain unaware (particularly those unaffected) that the severity of the TBI (how it was incurred & to what extent ((what parts of the brain were damaged as well as to what intensity))) makes all the difference.
In fact, in my most recent session with my psychiatrist (last month) she shared that new research has validated what Tese (my dad) continues to tell me: Our brains can and do, if we remain cognitively active, continue to progress lifelong. My grandma (Tese’s mom), Gene (a devoted & beloved librarian) validated this truth for me. She continued to read until she became unable, which marked the speedy prelude to her demise.
The UW hospital, which I eventually attended, specializes in TBIs + it’s located in my hometown! Sam (my psychiatrist) continues to not only affirm that my TBI was quite severe (very near death) but also that I’m exercising it (EX: this blog. Compiling posts is wonderful stimulus for my brain, in various ways, as I write on various aspects my own TBI). As a result, I’m propelling continuous healing with each post I publish.
This makes allot of sense to me. When halted from doing what I love to do in life, there’s much less incentive for the body to fight to remain on this plane. As a result, the body acquiesces to non-existence.
Hooray for reclamation!