A medical, legal, and
informational resource
for persons dealing with
traumatic brain injury.

STORIES OF AMAZING RECOVERIES

Submitted By: Tshepiso Chokolo
Submitted On: June 27, 2005
Contact Via: tshepisoc@axiz.co.az

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE AND AFTER

I started working at Axiz on 1st of March 2003. I used to normally get employment in small (-50 people), black owned companies, so it was a challenge for me to work in a medium company (=/- 300 people and five other branches) I used to work in sales and I really enjoyed myself, and working in what I always thought was a big company (Axiz), was a big step for me.

I used to travel by taxi (sometimes by car), to work then back home I used to travel with Devika, becuase she would drop me off at Beyer's Naude's off ramp, and then I would catch a taxi to my place.

Then one Friday, on the 16th of May 2003, we decided to travel with *Neo (she used work in marketing as a temp), because we were going to Achill at Melville that evening. We agreed that we will first fetch her child and her maid and then drop off her child at her mother's place and then drop off her maid to catch a taxi. It was five of us in the car (a green Golf III)-*Neo's car. On our way, we decided to firstly go and buy the child some take away food.

*Neo was driving; *Boitumelo-she also works in Axis as well, in Sales-was sitting on the left front;me on the right back, the child in the middle and the maid on the left back. The child said she wanted McDonald's, so we went there first because it's on our way-Southgate was on our left McDonald's was in the front on the right. As *Neo was driving close to a robot, she was driving slowly because the robot was red for her.

The cars driving on the right where rushing because the robot was green and then turned orange for them . As we were about 100 meters away from the robot, then the robot turned green for us, so we had the right to go. Unfortunately, the person that was driving coming from the right side was in deep speed that he didn't look if there was a car coming through the robot that has turned red for him.

Because it had turned green for *Neo (us), she put the gear into two and drove on without noticing that the guy was coming from the right. Unfortunately, when they saw each other, it was too late. The worst was a bout to happen, I was sitting on the right, and that's when I had a bad car accident, around 18:30. I t was five of us in the car, but the only person that got so badly injured was ME.

After about 20 minutes, the ambulance came and I had to be taken to a hospital because I was unconscious and they were scared that anything can happen. Before I was unconscious I told *Boitumelo to call my mother -as per my mother-and then after that I became unconscious because I had internal bleeding in my brain, and that's when I was taken to Mulbarton Hospital for a first aid.

When the ambulance got there, they performed their first aid, when they thought I was stable, I was then taken to Union Hospital where I had to be urgently operated. They operated me at about 2 am. After I was operated, I was then taken to an ICU where I was unconscious for about 3-4 weeks, because they had to operate my brain, at least the size then got smaller and smaller and I was eating by tubes when I was unconscious.

Unfortunately on the second week, I couldn't breathe because I had some water on my lungs, they had to operate me to open my throat so that I can breathe with a tube and they can slowly extract the water in my lungs.

When I woke up (after 3-4 weeks), I couldn't talk, feel anything or make sense of anything. I then felt that my right side (both my arm and leg) was heavy - I was right handed, then later I figured out that because they operated me on the left side of the brain, hence my right side doesn't work - my mother told me. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me ! I could see life, but I had no idea where I was and what it was all about.

When I woke up, the first person I saw was my mother. She was there with me almost everyday, even when I was unconscious, she was always there with me. Her prayers really worked, she said she never lost hope.

In Alberton Hospital, I have learned that I have had one complication of ling infections - Commonly caused by breathing in stomach contents and a weak cough reflex. A tracheotomy (a procedure to make an opening in the windpipe) was performed, so that the lungs can be suctioned more effectively and if there is water, so it can be drained as well. - that's why they had to operate on my throat, MY MOTHER TOLD ME ALL THIS.

Two to three days after I woke up, then I was taken to a rehabilitation centre in Auckland Park. When I got there, I was welcomed then I was taken to where I will be for the next six weeks from then - close to a reception and I got there on a Monday. I got there in the morning and I was in the bed all day. The following day after breakfast, then I was given a wheelchair. I was in bed the whole day including lunch and supper because I couldn't do anything for myself- my right hand was weak hence someone had to feed me.

The following week on a Tuesday, we had a family meeting - it was myself, my family and my nurses (neuro-psychologist, physio-therapist, speech therapisr and occupational therapist.) They agreed that for the first six weeks, from Monday to Friday, I would attend the neuropsychology, physio therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy at most an hour each day, and then after six weeks. They would do some tests and see if I could be out-patient. , and luckily, I became one.

From Monday then I attended my classes (therapies!) During therapies, it was very difficult because initially I could not understand anything. , but in time, after 2 +- weeks, I started to co-operate with my therapists, and they were good to me.

I was there as a full time patient for 6 weeks, attending five therapists per hour each and every day from Monday through Friday. The first 4 weeks I was a full time in a wheel chair then I was in crutches for the next two weeks. When I went form a wheelchair to a crutch, it was so very difficult to move in a crutch, my therapist showed and help me how to move. It took me a week to get used to it.

Then after six weeks, my family had another meeting with my therapists and that's when they agreed that it was ok for me to be an outpatient. I had to then learn to walk without holding anything; the last Friday was my last day to use a crutch. It was so very difficult, but I had to start somewhere I used to find it very difficult to walk, I would prefer to be sitting down or resting on the bed.

As an out-patient, for about 4 weeks, I used to be there three times a week (attending all of my therapies once an hour) - after about 10 weeks - I was there twice a week (still attending my four therapies once an hour) till the beginning of December.

PHYSIOTHERAPY

An hour a day was mainly spent on my back and doing a lot of leg exercises to try and increase the strength in my legs especially in my right leg. I also used that time to do other exercises to regain my balance e.g. picking objects off the floor which involved leaning forward and backward and from side to side. I would also sit in my chair with the foot plates off and have weights strapped to my ankles and I'd move my legs forward and back to get them used to the forward and back to get them used to the walking angle but also strengthen them at the same time. Doing all this in the morning, would prepare me for the walk in the frame so it was all up to me. After quite a few weeks of using the frame and being assisted by my physio, I did finally take a few steps by myself. . I was in a wheel chair for 4 weeks, then I was holding a crutch in my left hand for a week (because it was only my left properly working) - to help me walk- then I was in another even smaller crutch for another week. Then I had to learn how to walk by myself, even though I was limping, slowly but surely, it was a good start.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Occupational therapy to me was good in a lot of ways but I thought that your everyday living was all it was e.g. getting changed/feeding yourself and so on but it led to many tasks I really hadn't thought of. Most of my first few days were virtually just spent on what I couldn't do and after that, the person teaching me had a better idea of what areas to concentrate on to help me. In the time I went there I went through tasks that such as jigsaw puzzles, placing blocks in the order they had them in, spelling and punctuation where you would learn the basics of a computer that's if you had trouble actually writing, it feels as if you were back at primary school. It really sounds easy, but at the time, it was so very difficult.

SPEECH THERAPY

My speech therapist said that the first week that she saw me I was just quiet on the wheelchair - I don't know what I was thinking about, but I was thinking anyway. Speech therapy was lat on my schedule for the day and certainly the easiest thats for sure, at least that's what I thought. The first few sessions were set to try and get to know what areas I was strongest or weakest in therefore giving the therapist a better idea of what areas to concentrate on just like with occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Firstly, I would look at pictures (come to think of it now, easy pictures)and then tell the speech therapist what those pictures were all about. This was done to test how my speech and my thinking ability are. Sometimes I would have to write what the pictures were, though I found it hard to write because my hand couldn't write so in a way it was to encourage my right hand to write again.

I remember the first time I went home, on the 11th July 2003 - I got home late around 20:30 on a Friday, I just ate and slept, I was in a wheelchair and everything I did; I had to do it with somebody, especially going to the loo and bathing. The following day I wole up around. If I was going to the loo, no matter what I was doing someone will have to take me and then put me on the toilet - because I was in a wheelchair, I couldn't do anything, and then the person would have to wait until I am finished - so that she can wipe me off and then take me back to the wheelchair, if was going to take a while, she will go out and then come back in when I have finished - at least ne go sa nkge (it wasn't smelling bad).

When I wake up in the morning I would have cereals for breakfast, and then around 11:30 I would take my bath, my mother would wash and dress me up. It would roughly take about an hour and a half just to bath and dress me up.

Then after, I would have had lunch, I would relax until about 15:00, I would then feel so very tired and then sleep for an hour - if I slept for more than an hour and a half, I would not sleep at night (it would be very difficult for me to fall asleep), so the maximum time I needed to sleep was an hour. Then I would wake up latest 16:30 and back to my wheelchair. My sisters would cook earlier than usual - the food would be ready at about 18:00, and then my mother would feed me. When I have finished eating - it took 45 minutes to an hour to finish eating, around 20:30 I would be tires again and go to bed.

Then on Sunday late afternoon, I would then be taken to the hospital, that was my routine every weekend - for about six weeks because I was in a wheelchair.

After two weeks, I was then told that I would be ab out-patient, they had to take a crutch so I had to urgently learn how to walk on my own, though I would limp, they said that's fine, as long as I walk on my own. Then I had to learn how to walk on my own for the last week (of my six weeks). Then when I became an outpatient , I was walking on my own, though I was limping, at least I could walk.

AS an outpatient, I would attend three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). I would be there between 1030 to 15:00. I would attend the neuropychologist, psychologist, physical therapy and occupational therapy, an hour each.

PSYCHOLOGY

My psychologist said that I would do a lot of talking, he will say whatever whenever he needs to say something. Initially, I used to cry a lot whenever I was talking about anything and everything. It was even worse when I talked about the accident, never mind thinking about it!

I must say Athank you@ to my psychologist, because he has shown me that there is always light at the other side and now I can easily talk about my accident and everything else, though my speech is not all that well, but I'll get to the point someday. A lot of times we just sat and had a chat about the things that affected me during the week and the week before.

I must say that life is completely POSITIVE as compared to before and during the accident,. Though I cry because I feel so down and our (at least three times a month), I must say that it is a lot better everyday that it was yesterday-now I cry at most once every two months.

I came back to work from the 5th of January 2004 when the company re-opened for this year. I started in Human Resources, just to familiarize and remind myself with how the company is run and works . I'm back in sales now (from the 10th of March 2004). I'm doing orders and back orders and not yet answering the phone -because my speech is not all that properly for customers. (Dave, my manager, and myself, agreed on that.)

We have a meeting in a day once a month or two months - (as per arranged time), just for me to tell him what I think my improvement is and to tell him what I think I can do more. The good thing is that we just deal with one account and the orders keep me busy the whole day.

On the 3rd of May 2004, I had an appointment with the doctor (there was a form from Discovery Life he said he had to fill out and he said he can't fill it out until he sees me - the last time he saw me was a year in December.) He said that he sees a lot of improvement but unfortunately he cannot tell me when myself again.

I really do see or feel improvements, and some people see the improvement:

1. My right hand used to shake about the maximum of five minutes, three times a day (in odd time), but it doesn't shake anymore in the beginning of March.

2. When I sleep, it felt like air was taken away from me and I need whatever air I can get - from the 9th of August 2004, I can breathe properly.

3. My right hand and leg doesn't feel as heavy as they used to feel.

4. I still limp but a lot of people tell me they see a lot of improvement. , they way I walk it's getting better by the day.

5. A lot of people say my speech is improving as well, the way I speak is getting better compared to maybe three months ago. If you talk to me on the phone without knowing what happened to me, no one can really say that they hear something is wrong with my speech.

6. I can feel the way I think, it is improved as well, any person cannot see that, but I can feel it, I'm able to think now before I say something.

7. I don't cry as much as before (before August and November, I used to cry at least three times a month), I think when I criesd, I had lost hope of living - but I was NOT suicidal - but now I don't cry as much as I used to, in two or three months I maybe cry once. I think it comes with regaining your confidence and the will to live.

To work, there is a guy that picks me up to and from work to home because I limp and I do things a bit slowly, so I won't be able to use taxis because taxi people do everything fast.

I have met so many people and have learned so many new things. One of which is Ato live life as though there is no tomorrow, make the best and meaningful of each moment.

Thanks to hope, prayers and some medicine, look where I am today. I have always had a terrific sense of humour and now I am able to laugh at myself I have made some wonderful new friends and I've discovered that some of my old friendships were based on the old me (the person that only had a good time). I had to let go of a few of those friendships.

There are many disabled people; far less fortunate than me, and with determination it will be okay one day! Believe it or not I've traveled a long journey that has been frightening but I wouldn't change a thing. Why you ask? All I can tell you is that I don't believe in giving up, but I do believe in faith, hope, wonders, heaven and a higher power. I believe in Miracles!!

I must say that a brain injury can change your life in more ways that one.

(NB: Different names have been used to protect people's privacy)