Reflecting on my Cognitive Development
Reflecting on my Cognitive Progress. Thanks to Dr. Schutz, Rachel and Sarah
Hey to all of my readers and followers out there. I’m sorry that I haven’t been keeping everyone updated on how everything has been going here at Casa Colina TLC. “Transitional Living Center”.
Alright lets starts with my cognition “cognitive processes” which is “the way that you would process your thoughts” in which I will have to admit when I first got to TLC it wasn’t the best and trust me I’m not saying my cognition is all the way there now but I would probably have to say that I’m about 50 % there. All thanks to Dr. Schutz, Rachel and Sarah they are my cognitive therapists and also the best thing with cognition therapy is that they are getting me prepared for the real world and also work!!
For my PT “physical therapy” well I have felt that I have been so plateau. Mainly the reason is because of my Baclofen pump. It set me back a lot more then I was expecting, but hey on the bright side. I will be able to walk without any assistant device some time down the road. Also in PT I have been using NESS L300 for foot drop. It’s designed to benefit people with Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Spinal Cord Injury. This product uses an electrical stimulation to help me regain mobility and independence, to improve quality of life and productivity. I also walk to just about everyone of therapies classes this week besides pool therapies. That’s because it’s about a 300 yard away, and if I were to walk that far I wouldn’t have time to do any pool therapy and I would also be zapped out by time I got there.
Then there is Dr. Larry Schutz. He is my Sysco Neurologist. He helps give me with the tools for myself recovery for an example I use this every day. GPA “Goal Plan and Anticipate “in which I would most likely recommend it to everyone I know. With or with our a brain injury, it helps slows down your life so much more and also it helps you stop and think before you do anything and it also helps you from making so many mistakes. He also gave me another awesome tool to use called a ANALYSIS FORM FOR A HEAD-INJURED MOMENT and that has helped me out in so many ways. Mainly for the reason is cause you to slow down and make you think before you do anything, that also where the GPA comes into play and I defiantly recommend it for everyone to start feeling everyone out there, even if you don’t have a brain/head injury. I know that everyone out there is living there life in a rush.
ANALYSIS FORUM FOR A HEAD-INJURED MOMENT
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good job on this post…and wheres the brittany therapy? i know u get lots of therapy with me pushing u? haha…wells just wanted to let u know u are doing great and walking better…keep it up…
Donny
I’m Very Proud of you. I know that you’re much more than 50% back. Keep up the hard work and I’m behind you 100%. Remember that the future belongs to those who believe in their dreams.
I liked it. So much useful material. I read with great interest.
Donny-
So glad you’ve sent out your update! I always enjoy what’s going on with DONNY WINN!! Since I don’t see you everyday like I use to, I enjoy reading about your progress and what’s new with you.
Regardless if you know it or not, you are a messenger from God… You have helped so many people not only at Casa Colina Transitional Center, but many of your readers and followers. Just knowing what you’ve been through for these many many months I’m sure gives others out there hope and hopefully inspires them to get through what they are going through.
I have always looked at Life as a learning lesson… However for the life of me, I can’t understand why learning it has to be so hard for so many of us and our families.
So many of my friends who have met you in some fashion or the other have made comments on how their lives have been forever changed just having the opportunity to have met you…
I can’t wait to hear more of your progress…. Hope to come to visit you again soon.
I LOVE YOU DONNY!!
Patrick’s Mom-a……Gloria
Donny-
So glad you’ve sent out your update! I always enjoy what’s going on with DONNY WINN!! Since I don’t see you everyday like I use to, I enjoy continuing to read about your progress.
Regardless if you know it or not, you are a messenger from God… You have helped so many people not only at Casa Colina Transitional Center, but many of your readers and followers. Just knowing what you’ve been through for these many many months I’m sure gives others out there hope and hopefully inspires them to get through what they are going through.
I have always looked at Life as a learning lesson… However for the life of me, I can’t understand why learning it has to be so hard for so many of you and your families.
So many of my friends who have met you in some fashion or the other have made comments on how their lives have been forever changed just having the opportunity to have met you…
I can’t wait to hear more of your progress…. Hope to come to visit you again soon.
I LOVE YOU DONNY!!
Patrick’s Mom-a……Gloria
Life is only for those who have full confidence in themselves and you have got the stuff. I am looking for more brain injury help and information. By the way, you have mentioned about the product – NESS L300. Will it really help in Traumatic brain injury?
Hi donny I came across your website and was amazed at the improvement in recovery tou have made. I was always wondering how you were doing I used to work with you unfortunately during the time your accident happened I had to leave on emergency without notice.. however for the short time I did know you I knew you were speciall you have a great heart at that time you liked going out a lot and every Monday you would tell me about your weekends and I would always be so excited and anxious for that moment because there was always something new even tho sometimes I would get worried at the things you would do and then this happened.
I can honestly say it happened for a reason maybe you were headed down the wrong path with the lifestyle you had and I believe its a sign that you are here for a reason and god wanted to prove to you he exists. Not everyone is given a second chance you have a purpose in life.
- remember you had no faith in god at work you would always argue and debate with justin about does god really exist you would always say god doesn’t exist I would just sit back and hear both sides to be quite honest I sometimes felt the same way as you but after seeing what happened there is no doubt in my mind there is a god up above. And I am glad to hear you feel the same way.
I wish you the best in life for you and your family and your new life towards recovery you are a new and improved donny god chose you for a reason. Don’t loose faith always remember your family will stand beside yyou thru the good and the bad they are your backbone and they want only the best for you. Keep strong donny there are a lot of people behind you that care for you and love you never forget that say hi to your parents for me. Take care.
-Andrea
I had what seems a similiar injury about six years ago. I had a series ( about 16) of grand-mal siezures which happened in my parking lot out of site and no one found me for quite some time: this resulted in a series of events although I don’t know what caused what! When I woke up in the hospital I ha lost all of my memory. I didn’t know who I was and I could no longer understand language. I remember this moment and as I look back I imagine it must be as close as I as an adult can know what it was like to be born. Just this time I had no family to help or protect me, i had been living in a new city and had just fineshed school and couldn’t remember even one person I had made friends with. After this guy came up to me calling my name, with arms out for a hug and I had to ask him” uhhh do I know you ” t o which he replied ” But Gabrielle we dated for 6 months… you’re kidding right” or something like that, I was so humiliated and afraid of having any thing like that happen again that other than one abusive jerk who took advantage of my helplessness I became completely isolated for 5 hideous years. During the next 7 months I felt an increasing pain in my back and when I woke up unable to move my legs I called 911. It turned out I had an abscess in my spinal column the size of my fist. I had been to the ER 3 or 4 times complaining about how much pain I was in, but they told me I just pulled a muscle and to get rest… finally after they took an x/ray after which they sent me home, but before i even got back home I found an ambulance there waiting for me. They Took me all the way from the East Bay to Stanford and in under one hour I was having emergency surgery. They kept me there on my stomach for 6 months with a shunt in my spine. I could still barely remember my own name from my brain trauma and now I couldn’t walk, talk, use language, or remember anything longer than 15 seconds. I feel I have lost everything a person has to lose and this journey has been so lonely I could not have imagined in a hundred lifetimes how that pain has changed me over the years as I oh so slowly seem to be regaining my neurological and physical resources.
Thank you! You often write very interesting articles. You improved my mood.
I am a miracle brain injury recovery. I was never supposed to walk or talk again. I am doing both and have all my memory and no brain damage. I did years of therapy because I was in a coma for a year and was very contracted.
Donny, I have not read all of your information on your brain damage. I plan on reading and trying to get a clearer picture of how my husband must feel. He is 52 and fell of a 10 ft. ladder and is working very hard in physical therapy, as you are, but he and I, sometimes get frustrated. You keep up the spirit and work hard for your therapists and always for you.
Families have a difficult time understanding their spouse’s condition at times. I know I have been so sad for him and miss what he was before the injury.
So glad I found this site – thank you for all of your information – this will surely help others experiencing the same situation.
Good luck and God Bless!
Roberta Mitchell
Poulsbo, Washington
Hmm… I read blogs on a similar topic, but i never visited your blog. I added it to favorites and i’ll be your constant reader.
Hi Donny, so glad to hear about your progress. I was worried about you, since you hadn’t posted any information about your condition. Keep up the hard work and it will pay off for you. God bless you, your family and all of your medical staff.
Hi Donny,
I guess you are still at TLC. I had to leave after only 4 weeks. I’m happy to hear you are walking again!
We miss you at the support group. If you have more info on Dr Schutz’s therapy or maybe Dr Schutz could mail it to me, I need it! I’m back at school full time and its hard trying to keep up.
Take care and I will call you soon.
Love Anthony
Hello Donny,
How are you doing? As for me I am back in my home town of Cuba, New Mexico. I am waiting to the begin
outpatient therapy in Albuquerque New Mexico. It is hard to get adjusted because I am not used just to stay inside and not doing any physical activities which I am used to doing. We have a lot of snow so it makes it even harder to go outside and enjoy the fresh air. I really appreciate the help at Casa Colina. We were all like a family and I miss all my firends. Let’s keep in touch. I really enjoy your website. Marty Vigil
Gabrielle,
I had a similar brain trauma years ago and lost my complete memory. Maybe can share our experiences and ways we learned to live life again.
Margie
I was curious about what happened to you after seeing you for the first time in so many years on Sunday! I looked you up on Facebook and found all this info about you! I am honestly floored that this all occurred but I am inspired by your story, I want you to know you will be in my prayers! May God help you with the best recovery possible and always watch over you!!
This is my first try at ‘finding information’ on my TBI. (CO poisoning WRECKED my life in 1973.) That is one lon time to live ‘disabled’. I hate it still, and have not been really able to accept the fact I am ‘LIKE THIS.’
BEFORE, WELL, BEFORE, I LOVED MY LIFE. I LOVED MY JOB ( I WORKED FOR A SENIOR PARTNER IN ONE OF THE TOP LAW FIRMS IN OUR STATE) ANDI LOVED GOING TO WORK! I WENT EARLY, STAYED LATE. LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT MY LIFE… EXCEPT MAYBE THE FACT I HAD JUST MADE A FAIRLY STUPID CHOICE AND DECIDED TO END MY RELATIONSHIP WITH A WONDERFUL, SWEET, HANDSOME, AND WELL-OFF MAN WHO LIKED ME for ONE OF OUR ATTORNEYS, WHO WAS ‘NOT QUITE DIVORCED’..
THIS STUPID CHOICE LED ME TO THE NEXT STUPID DECISION: THAT OF USING CO TO KILL MYSELF. WELL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, HOW DUMB CAN YOU GET???
I DID NOT MAKE IT.. IN CASE YOU NOTICED. BUT MY SHORT-TERM MEMORY, MY COGNITION, AND MANY OTHER ‘NORMAL THINGS’ ABOUT ‘NORMAL’ PEOPLE ARE JUST NOT WITH ME ANY MORE. ‘THE WORD ‘COGNITION’ REALLY SPELLS IT OUT. I HAVE LOST IT.
I CAN TYPE REALLY FAST, THOUGH, AND STILL TAKE SHORTHAND. BUT MY SHORT-TERM, IMMEDIATE MEMORY IS TOTALLY SHOT. I CAN’T WORK, AND I HAVE A STUPID HANDICAPPED PARKING PLAQUE AND I HATE THAT MOST OF ALL.
IN FACT, I HATE EVERY SINGLE TH ING ABOUT BEING ‘DISABLED’. REALLY, I DO. I OFTEN SCREAM OUT AT GOD AND AS HIM WHY HE SAVED MY LIFE IF HE ‘LOVES’ ME???? I THINK HE IS LAUGHING HIS ‘***’ OFF AT ME ……….
I USED TO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD ATTITUDE, AND LOVE MY LIFE, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. UNTIL A FEW PEOPLE (FRIENDS??) CONTINUED TO ‘USE ME AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME’ AND NOW, I AM NOT QUITE AS ‘FUN..’
I HAVE A FAIRLY GOOD ‘SHAPE’ (LOL) BECAUSE I GO TO THE GYM MOST EVERY DAY, AND I WORK IN MY YARD AND GARDEN; AND I EAT THE FIT-FOR-LIFE DIET, THE PERRICONE PROMISE, AND I PRACTICE T.M. I HAVE BEEN QUITE HAPPY UNTIL RECENTLY, WHEN I REALIZED, I AM NOW (: REALLY GETTING OLD (I WILL BE THE SAME AGE AS THE YEAR I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL SOON!) 64! AND I HAVE DECIDED THAT ………. LIFE……… IS VERY HARD..
AND NOT MUCH FUN AT ALL.
LONELY, EVEN MOST OF THE TIME.. AND, UHM, I MISS THE ‘GOOD PARTS OF LIFE A LOT’…. (YOU KNOW, SEX?)
LOL