When I was at my aunt’s house last weekend, she game the stuff I left before I came back home. There I found two binders; one had information about Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital in Schenectady, New York, where I went after I left the hospital in Syracuse. The other had my schedule for everyday I was there; from day 1 to goodbye messages from my therapists.
Every page in the binder has detailed information about what I did every day; from breakfast and getting ready in the morning, to dinner. These include what therapy I took at what time, where I took it, with what therapist, and what we did during that therapy session.
Everything I did was there, from getting dressed, eating, what I ate, who was there with me, who I talked to that day, and what we talked about.
The therapists also commented on how well I did that day, or at least noted if I did well that day.
This daily schedule also shows how I went from only eating liquids, to when I started eating solid food with Titi Margo’s help, and got my port removed.
These also show everyone who visited me:
I drew elephants.
I used social media and watched TV.
I played Wii and was good at it.
And after all my hard work, I got to leave Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital and go stay with family.
In addition to the schedule of my time at Sunnyview, I also found papers they gave me; I don’t remember if it was homework or just some stuff I could do after I left the rehab center. But looking at it now, I can’t help but laugh at some of my answers. Like this one:
I think I saw this and just thought, Nope, I’m not answering that.
And I think I’m better at math now than I was before the accident.
I thought it was funny how, even after a traumatic brain injury, I could still automatically switch from English to Spanish and Spanish to English without thinking about it. The questions were in English and sometimes I answered in English but others I just went straight to Spanish; and doctors thought I would loose one of the two.
*Pay attention to how I wrote Statue of Liberty.
*Y fíjense como escribí pulsera.
I remember doing this last one. I’m not sure where I was, but I remember this one more than all of the others. I really have no idea why but I just remember this one.
Reading my therapy schedule and all the work I did was really something else; I thought I really didn’t want any memory of that time, but it kind of helps me fill in some of the gaps in my memory and understand better when people talk about that time I just blurred out.
It’s great seeing once more that people I care about were there and have always been an important part of my recovery.
I can’t thank you enough foe being a part of that!
Unstoppable María 