Part 5 — The New Normal: Living With a Rewired Brain

Coming home after nearly four months in the hospital felt like stepping into a life I recognized but no longer fully fit inside. I was grateful to God for the chance to even return home at all, because the truth is, the statistics for severe brain injury survivors aren’t generous. Many never return to anything close to their pre‑accident life. I knew I had been given a second chance, and I tried to carry that awareness with humility in everything I did.

That gratitude extended to everyone who touched my recovery. The people who visited me in the hospital. The ones who came by the house when I finally returned. The friends who checked on me, drove me places, or took me to events that reminded me of who I used to be. Every gesture mattered. Every ride, every visit, every moment someone helped me feel “normal” again was a lifeline back to myself.

And even though I wished life would snap back to the way it used to be, I had to accept that my closest relationships — especially my family — were the ones holding me together. They protected me, watched over me, and kept me grounded when everything felt unfamiliar. As much as I wanted independence, what I needed in that season was support. The focus had to stay on me and my recovery, even when that meant letting others carry what I couldn’t.

But living in this new body was a challenge I wasn’t prepared for. Before the accident, I moved through the world with confidence and instinct. I adjusted on the fly. I didn’t have to think about every step, every reach, every decision. After the injury, everything became calculated. Planned. Slowed down. My processing time changed, and so did my response time. If you were used to being around me, I know I tested your patience. I know some of my choices probably looked strange. But I was learning how to listen to warning signs I used to ignore — and this time, I couldn’t afford to dismiss them.

Returning to work was its own maze. I couldn’t step back into the application I had mastered in 2000. Instead, I had to reach further back — all the way to the software I first learned in my job after graduating in 1995. It wasn’t that everything from 2000–2003 was gone; it just hadn’t been replayed enough to move from long‑term storage back into RAM. My brain needed repetition to rebuild those pathways, and repetition takes time. Meanwhile, the gaps in my memory, my history, and my experiences were real. They didn’t return on my schedule.

I loved what I did, but when I couldn’t pass the certification exam I had previously earned, reality hit me hard. I wasn’t ready to go back to work — but life didn’t pause for my recovery. The car note, the mortgage, the bills… they all kept coming. That pressure pushed me forward even when my body and brain weren’t fully prepared.

Day rehab was the bridge between who I had been and who I was becoming. I had to learn how to walk again. I had to rebuild physical capability from level one. I was still in a wheelchair, and the entire left side of my body lagged behind the right. I could hold things with my left hand, but I couldn’t use it for everyday tasks — brushing my teeth, combing my hair, buttoning a shirt. Movements were limited, awkward, unfamiliar. Day rehab wasn’t just about strength; it was about learning to feel comfortable in my own skin again.

When rehab ended, the next challenge was convincing myself — and any future employer — that I was capable. I had to look the part and act the part. I had to be transparent about my history without letting it define me. I didn’t want to set unrealistic expectations, but I also didn’t want anyone focusing on my deficits instead of my potential.

This was the beginning of my “new normal”:

A life rebuilt with intention.

A body relearned through repetition.

A mind that worked differently but still worked.

A future that required honesty, patience, and courage.

References

Bonfils, H. (2024). The Role of Neuroplasticity in Brain Injury Recovery. Research & Reviews: Neuroscience, 8(3), 001. This article explains functional and structural neuroplasticity and how rehabilitation techniques like constraint‑induced movement therapy help the brain reorganize after injury.

Browndyke, J. (2024). The Role of Neuroplasticity in Recovery from Brain Injury. Neuroscience and Psychiatry: Open Access, 7(5), 251–253. A detailed overview of synaptic and structural plasticity, long‑term potentiation, and how these mechanisms support recovery from traumatic brain injury and stroke.

MDPI Review (2024). Neuroplasticity and Nervous System Recovery: Cellular Mechanisms. A synthesis of current knowledge on cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive neuroplasticity and support neurological rehabilitation.