Since I got my injury at a young age, my parents needed to explain to me what happened. Of course, they had to wait until I was old enough to understand and process it.
Before that moment, I remember thinking to myself that something ‘wasn’t right with me.’ I had this feeling that there was something that made me different. When kids are growing up, being different can be a big deal.
When my parents decided it was time for me to know, my mind went blank. I don’t really remember what I thought or how I reacted. It was big news.
This news was tough to wrap my head around. I am sure it is no matter how old you are when you get your injury. There are a lot of questions going through your mind.
Fortunately for me, I was able to take time to process it. I was young enough when I initially heard the story that I kept adding details as I grew. This made for a much slower time to process.
My questions came with that and not all at once. The question that appeared a lot was why. Why did this happen to me?
I am still trying to answer that question, but I have to believe that there is some reason it happened. There is a reason for everything.
Process and Acceptance
Accepting what has happened to you will take time. It requires time to fully process and understand what your life is going to look like now.
This takes time, and everyone will have their own timeline for it to happen. It is a huge change. Allow yourself to grieve and be mad.
After that step, you need to be willing to learn what your new life is going to look like.
If you are interesting in the story of my brain injury please click here.