In my early twenties, , I woke up after a month long coma not being able to speak nor move a muscle. Eventually, improvement came as A speech therapist came to my bed daily almost to help me start talking, saying numbers, letters. People I knew came by sometimes just standing at foot of bed . I recall some people there and friends afterward say I must of been dreaming. I couldnt sit up right in wheelchair at first . They turned the TV on so I could watch the super bowl. Years later , I recall that game and people look at me weird , Howe could you recall that?
Funny thing, they put my old glasses on my eyes and my vision was really bad at first but as they say , my eyes adjusted.
After a while , the physical therapist came to my room sometimes twice a day , stretching my legs , pushing my arms back and forth. then lifting my legs and pushing them all around. It took several nurses to one day get me in a wheelchair and down to physical therapy and the real work began but I enjoyed moving so so much. After I got stronger I used to go up and down the halls of the hospital in my wheelchair just exercising my legs.
It was a couple months of the 2 a days in physical therapy plus my own exercising in my chair before several therapists in PT stood me up..Wow. It was tiring. I was wobbling but they had me up. Once up, they just stood me for a while, weight bearing exercise I guess. I did this whenever I could, wheel chair locked (I had help) and somebody there, always. After 5 months of being in the chair or on bed, many there commented on my height so much..
skipping detail here
……. I eventually walking with a quad cane p to maybe a 100 feet at a time then using a wheel chair. When I was released from the hospital, I could walk a few hundred yards with a quad cane slow. I stayed an out patient for over a year but kept up my physical therapy , joining the YMCA and walking in pool daily, kicking legs, using arms in water. Water can be miraculous. I kept up with weights after wards for years, first anlke and wrist weights then machines . The bike was a mainstay and years later still is. That is a stationary bike, Note that at first, the therapist had to tie my one foot on the pedal since I really had no grip but could make the motion with gross leg movement.
The occupational therapist helped me immensely control my body better plus speaking and fine dexterity…
Subsequently I spent the next half year or so in the spinal cord and head injury unit of a hospital known for its superior work with helping trauma patients . In the early days in the trauma unit , seeing my new roomate with a very close injury as mine die in his first couple days there, followed by several others with injuries much much too gross and debilitating to have to remember or share in this venue; I asked God to help me find a way to live again despite whatever injuries or brain damage I am left with. I know many people the world over make promises like I did sometimes even being humorously as ” Oh Jesus, if You help me get through this, I will never do ‘*this or that*’ again ! And then the next day they do whatever vice they have again…But my promise was a little different. You see in my rehabilitation process in the spinal cord, head injury and trauma unit, also saw amazing strong will stories of love and miraculous recoveries. And I created my own.
I vowed to put one together myself and not only become a stronger, person but to use the rehabilitation period to launch a personal development program for me in mind, body, spirit and finances that I could eventually share with other crime or accident victims and their loved ones. That is how this started but as I began my research into never ending self improvement, I was able to help many more people worldwide develop their mind, body, finances and yes even share in a better spiritual relationship with the ‘big guy’.
I found much knowledge that I may not have been able to optimize because of some of the physical damage that was left after I was released from ECMC in a wheel chair. You see, having been miraculously left with only hemi-paresis ( I say miraculously because I was one out of a 100, 000 . My injuries to others have resulted in full lower paresis or even death. as a crime victim Actually how this ‘accident happened and I ended up with nerve damage and hemparesis’ … I was shot in the head and neck by a man who was out of control because of some drugs he put in his body. After a month and a half coma state, I was blessed with benefits of some nerve damage recovery following the emergency surgery that occured from expert neurosurgeons just minutes after the injury and lasting through the night into the next day.) and of course the effects of trauma and brain damage from injury , not being able to use the one hand nor leg slowed me down some where others with health and a ‘clear’ brain function could benefit more. By this I mean, and as an example; Head injured may lose focus at times, get confused; short term memory lapses, poor communication because of several reasons as slurred speech, inability to think fast, not being able to recall , even losing track of the conversation itself. Early in the morning, late at night, whenever I was tired or as I found out as I aged the effects in all these conditions worsened. Maybe some of those seem familiar if you have been injured or know of someone injured . It’s easy to rattle them off , since I’ve lived and succeeded through these effects for many years.
The definition for moderate to severe injuries, the short- and long-term effects may also include physical, cognitive, behavioral and emotional issues such as the following: (note I have had all and still experience some years later)
Physical effects:
- Paralysis (partial or full)
- Seizures and convulsions
- Persistent headaches
- Repeated nausea or vomiting
- Loss of coordination
- Slurred speech
- A change in sleep patterns
- Physical and mental fatigue
Cognitive effects:
- Trouble remembering
- Trouble concentrating, thinking clearly, organizing thoughts, and reasoning
- Difficulties handling multi-step processes
- Trouble adapting thoughts to changing circumstances
- Impaired judgment
Behavioral and emotional effects:
- Changes in personality
- Depression, mood swings
- Trouble behaving appropriately (loss of impulse control)
- Aggression
Continuing the physical rehabilitation after the release in the wheelchair that summer, advancing to a quad cane then regular cane , I also could no longer be perform the work I had been doing I a chemistry lab and lost my job of course . The company offered me a desk position shuffling ‘papers’at a second location but I chose to use th time healing and during rehabilitation the next “few years” at least to go back to college and attain an engineering degree and replace my small social security disability which they ‘rewarded’ me with was mostly sent to my now ex wife to support my two daughters that were living with us at the time of the crime. I loved my daughters and of course wanted to support them but splitting up a small SSI check , then not leaving the apartment except for outpatient rehab was not the way I was going to spend the next twenty years or so. I looked for ways to earn money from my apartment despite any limitations. I also looked for ways to improve my brain function and neuromuscluar activity. Every one of the gurus and scientists all wanted more money than I had . Personal Development Training also seemed out of reach financially.
The Office Of Vocational Rehabilitation in my state at that time helped me return to a college part time at first. Over the next year , I was able to but a couple used audio training sessions by the ‘gurus ‘ in the field. I found an excellent buy at a flea market for only a couple of bucks where I picked up a classic “The Psychology of Achievement” from Brian Tracy and for another $5 , the ‘Neuropsychology of Self Discipline’ from Nightangale -Conant. These were both picked up at a fraction of what they cost. Wow, I wore these out and made it through a Mechanical Engineering Degree at SUNY then graduate management and applied statistics Study at RIT, a successful professional career despite the communication issues and physical limitations … ( I did have to get my notes taken from another student who helped out as part of the OVR) At times I needed more tyime to get between classes too that was worked out in scheduling plus transportation. I thank the OVR again for helping out and recommend them for any injured person you know getting back in society)
After I had a personal injury in my early twenties, I could no longer work in the way I have and was trained in. , I had to find some extra income and ways to earn money from home replacing my old income from a job plus cover my increasing health costs and provide a comfortable life for my family. I also wanted to take care of those who had helped me along through what some may consider a struggle or comeback.. I received help in finding easy ways to legitimately earn money online in my own internet home business. Now that I have successfully developed multiple streams of internet income not only with my home business site but several personal development and family information websites; I give out free information and training online and in my newsletter so that others can easily make money from home using a computer.
I had some extra motivation in getting to this current lifestyle …
Plus along the way have been able to start and grow successful streams of income from a home based businesses, keep current with brain research and improving iq, continuing with personal development traning
Now after a successful career and learning much on the web by either trial and error or bits and pieces from successful internet marketers; I’m helping many others for numerous reasons as extra income, retirement funding, financial independence, career success, getting smarter through my growing informational and resource websites or Free newsletter subscriptions below
– Leon Edward
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Years Later from SelFGrowth.com page
“Mind Brain Health Expert Author Leon Edward helps others keep their brain healthy, optimizing brain function at any age and maintain health aging of mind body and finances. He committed himself to optimizing the brain, mind power and healthy aging at conscious and subconscious levels after recovering from a serious neck and head injury from a gunshot at an early age, . With an accredited Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from S.U.N.Y. followed by graduate study at RIT in Management and Applied Statistics, he went on to study cognitive thought processes and the power of the mind. After a successful 25 year career, he shares information on improving the mind freely as tips and the latest breakthroughs in mind power.
Leon Edward helps people improve IQ, focus, memory, concentration, creativity, speed reading, public speaking , time management while reducing stress. Download his IQ Mind Brain Memory Self-Help library at
Leon Edward helps people in Career Development, Finding Employment in a poor economy, Leadership, Goal Setting, Success, Motivation, Self-Improvement, Happiness, Memory Improvement, Stress Reduction and more at his Personal Development Training website at AwesomeSuccess.org
His About Thinking Mind Brain Improvement Website with articles , news, top blog guests is at IQMindBrainLibrary,com
Articles published on SelfGrowth.com –
Acquired Brain Injury Can Result In Behavioral and Emotional Consequences For The Victims
