march

March is always a special month to me. March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. This past December, I celebrated the ten year anniversary of my TBI. Why would I celebrate that type of event?! To me, it is like celebrating a birth date. Most people are only lucky enough to have one birthday, a brand new beginning. In my case, I had a second beginning at life. I know I'm taking an extremely terrible event and just molding it into something semi-positive, but that is how I have been able to cope with it.

I've gotten to the point, where the only times I mention my TBI, is if I'm having an off day, or have medical visits related to it. I feel that without experiencing a brain injury, I would not be able to cope so well with my Crohn's. I have been living with an un-curable, "silent" illness for so long before my Crohn's diagnosis that once it was added into the mix, nothing substantially changed. Maybe that is why I have so much acceptance to my diagnosis. I have learned that asking "Why me?" is not going to change the illness, or the diagnosis.

It is also difficult to be active in both causes. Working in public health, I have a passion for advocacy. Crohn's is supported by the wonderful Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. Traumatic Brain Injuries are supported by both the Brain Injury Alliance of NJ (where I reside) and the Brain Injury Association of America. I feel pulled to be apart of both, yet time-wise it has been difficult. I am going to try the best I can to advocate, to raise awareness, to fundraise, and to speak of both. I can't, and won't choose between the two illnesses, since they both play equally important roles in my life.