Brain Injury Association of Maryland (BIAMD)
Annual Conference: Resilience and Recovery
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Survivor | Speaker: The Power of Peer Support | April 2025
What happened?
I was a passenger in a motor vehicle accident in December 2022 in Portland, Oregon, USA.
Needless to say, I missed my flight back home to New York City two days later.
I lived! Though, I was unable to celebrate that fact right away. First came several months of hospitalization, numerous financial and legal battles, confrontation of a painful new reality filled with loss, an emotional, social, and physical relocation, and a (thankfully, temporary) discoloration of my achievements and goals.
The most severe of my resulting injuries was a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), which continues to impair my mobility, primarily, as I still rely on assistive devices to walk. Doctors and surgeons delivered me to health by immediately treating a plethora of other injuries (below), minor by comparison.
Disclaimer: Clicking “Remove” erases a listed condition from the tracking application. It does not free the patient of its symptoms.
My injury’s less-than-medical consequences demand to be felt to this day.
I now reside in my family home in Maryland for countless streams of rehabilitation.
I lost many friendships, my then-partner, and all those for whom my recovery was optional.
My sphere of pastimes is limited to stationary activities. No mini-golfing, no bowling.
An unsupportive work-environment led to my resignation as an active Product Manager, a title that I aim to reclaim.
What now?
Now, we adapt.
We practice patience, a gene that our moms insist that we did not inherit.
We share our discoveries with attendees of BIAMD’s annual conference.
At one point, my condition required continuous medical intervention, but I now qualify for outpatient care. Today, medical intervention is sporadic, while my at-home investment in my recovery is constant. These principles guide my modified pursuit of high-performance and contentment:
Repeat to learn.
Repetition is actively avoided in professional settings, but repetition is encouraged when attempting to move conscious processes into the subconscious mind —like staying upright.
So, every morning, I repeat a set of exercises prescribed by my Physical Therapist, no matter how difficult they are at times.
Stay active.
Running marathons is presently ruled out, but I prioritize creating impact through other avenues.
I keep my neurons firing away —and have verified that my capabilities are not reduced but altered— by engaging myself as CCMD’s Big Red Bookcase Coordinator and Zia’s English tutor, both roles taken on after my injury.
Be goal-oriented.
Diamonds now take a backseat to purpose on my list of best friends.
Whether it’s a goal to buy nail polish remover today, to finalize my Personal Statement this week, or build stamina for BIAMD’s 1-Mile Walk, goals concentrate my efforts and prevent hurtful speculation.
Lofty goals like traveling to Japan are acceptable!
