TBI True Believers

04/02/2026

How heavy is your mask today? What would happen if you set it down?
🎭

03/21/2026

03/21/2026

Hi, i'm Sarah, and I survived a traumatic brain injury in 2022.

I'd give anything to go back in time, alas, that isn't possible. If this were a broken leg, folks would likely be more understanding... Nope. It was a cracked skull, and injured brain. It's hard to advocate for yourself after a TBI, because well, you can't think/process/understand the same as before. And others might not advocate for you, because, welp... Because maybe you look "normal"?

I finally took off my mask, screamed into the void for help, and I am doing non-stop work daily trying to become a better version of myself. It's so hard. I feel like a burden, I feel forgotten, I feel unloveable, I feel SO stupid and slow, I feel lazy. Deep in my core, the depression and anxiety is overwhelming. ADHD + a frontal lobe injury = secondary ADHD, and I feel like a joke most days. NOTHING is simple and easy anymore. Fatigue doesn't begin to explain it.

If you, too, are a survivor, i'd love to hear your story! It matters. I see you, hear you, and believe you.

If you love a survivor, seek to ask questions, learn more about their injury, and help them find the assistance they need. Our brains are *EVERYTHING*. So just because you can't see it, doesn't mean that all is peachy-keen. The world would be a better place without bias. Kick assumptions to the curb, and listen to understand, not to respond or necessarily "solve".

03/21/2026

Patience and compassion are things I’ve always had for others… but NEVER for myself. Since my TBI, that’s only gotten harder. We really are our own worst critics, amirite?

The last few months have been special and I am so grateful to have had those experiences plus a solid care team - but they've also busy, non-routine, and exhausting. I’m pretty sure I ran out of spoons about a month ago and have been masking every day since.

Fatigue is real. Anger is real. And the need for self-reflection is very real.

Backslides really trigger me. I’ve probably put in more work this year than in my entire life combined, so when those moments happen my brain gets loud and mean:

What’s the point?
You’re an idiot.
Why aren’t you progressing?
You’re a burden.
People are sick of you.
This is so simple… why can’t you just do it?! JESUS, focus.

But when I compare today to one year ago, there has been progress. Even in areas that were difficult long before my accident.

I’m trying to remember that healing isn’t linear, and to offer myself the same compassion that I so easily give to the people I love.

So in case you needed to hear this today:
Trust the process.

And sometimes… don’t listen to your brain.
It can be a bully.
And our thoughts aren’t always the truth. 🌺

03/21/2026

🫳🎤

03/21/2026

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. 🧠💚

Brain injury can change how someone thinks, feels, moves, and navigates everyday life. Many of these challenges are invisible - but so very real and difficult to explain to those that haven't experienced it.

Survivors. Caregivers. Support systems. You matter, too.

Help spread awareness:
💚 Share this post
💚 Tag a survivor or caregiver. Feel free to use the slides that matches your personal journey.
💚 Keep the conversation going

Comment 💚 if you’re part of the brain injury community.

Understanding starts with awareness.

03/21/2026

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month 💚

The time is now -

to invest in prevention.
to strengthen education.
to strengthen support and resources for survivors and families.
to move the conversation forward with compassion and understanding.

Brain injury may be invisible -
but resilience grows in powerful ways.

Progress happens when we act together.
The time is now. 💚

03/21/2026

12 spoons 🥄 Endless expectations 😩 Limited energy ⚡️
This is what energy budgeting looks like.
How would you spend yours?

03/21/2026

Just a few minor inconveniences that let me know my brain has called out sick.
Nothing serious. Nothing dramatic.
Just my entire ability to function softly unraveling. ☕

03/21/2026

After my TBI, things that used to be automatic… aren’t anymore. Multitasking? Gone. Body cues? On mute. If I’m focused on one thing, I lose track of everything else- including eating, drinking water, and realizing I need to p*e until it’s a five-alarm emergency. 😂
So yes- some days, “I ate three meals today” is a genuine accomplishment. And when my partner tells me he’s proud of me for that? He means it. And so do I. 🧠💙 Let's be real though, its a rarity 😜