Riding on the Sun

The tangled world of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and their effects on those who suffer them is not readily understood by those in a person's sphere of influence on the 'outside,' family, friends and others. This book chronicles the author's personal journey of over 23 years during which she had to learn not only how to survive but to thrive following a TBI. The author was a professor in education at a large university when she was involved in a traffic accident. Throughout her recovery and the years following, she learned a great deal about human brains, and the impacts of brain injuries on all areas of cognition. She learned how to adjust her workload and teaching to accommodate her disabilities. She had to be honest and open with her students about what had happened to her, and re-teach herself in areas affected by her injuries. As with all TBIs, the author's home life was negatively impacted as she could not continue to take on the same load as before. While 'functioning normally' on the outside, she was experiencing the terrible impacts of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on the inside. Operating in a world that seemed as alien as another planet was an everyday challenge for several years. Friends, families, and professionals will benefit from this book as it provides a view of what it feels like on a daily basis to be part of and yet not part of a familiar landscape. The good news is that TBI survivors can develop resiliency, while needing to readjust their ways of thinking, learning and doing. While they may not appear to be the same to those who knew them best prior to their TBIs, they can again learn how to thrive in their new lives with all of their uncertainties.