Mother to Mother - Complications

Mother to Mother #5

 

It’s not easy to be a survivor. Although others can’t see the scars from traumatic brain injury we feel the complications.  I get lost frequently, even if I have been to that place previously. It’s a scary feeling when you can’t find your way home. It’s embarrassing and very inconvenient. My sweet husband bought me a GPS (global positioning system) for my little car. Before GPS my travel was difficult. I could follow highway markers and drove myself and sons across the United States. Where there weren’t clear signs I’d miss turns. I’m sure I turned the wrong way 100% of the time.  I even navigated roads through Germany, France, Spain, Sweden and Denmark by myself. The signs were not in English but that wasn’t a problem for me. Going the right direction is a huge problem for me.   It’s always a surprise when I find the store I’m looking for. It isn’t something you want others to know about you especially if you are male. Remember it is an injury not a sign of retardation. Although it makes you feel stupid you are not.

                Explosions may cause broken ear drums. I found after my eardrum was broken I had no sense of sound direction. The doctors will tell you your ear drum heals by itself. My ear, nose and throat doctor says the scar tissue doesn’t always cause loss of sound direction discrimination. But it did in my case.

                With little driving experience and those two handicaps I finally had the freedom to drive everywhere. I have never had an accident. That is why I know the Lord looks out for his children.