Becoming a Person Again

After surviving my AVM bleed, and then the craniotomy at the hospital, I didn't expect to survive long, but I was wrong. I slowly emerged from my deficits, but the worst problem seemed to be my messed up facial expressions. I really looked like a person who was intellectually challenged. Now, it is not like I was ever a genius or anything of the sort, but I looked much worse than I used to, for sure! This was seen in the photos of me at the time, and people did reject me and ignore me just like they did for others who appeared to also be challenged.

I found that people who had survived these horrific brain
injuries and had problems with facial expression had
the most success in rising above them with the help
of physical exercises, involving transportation, like jogging, hiking, bicycle
riding, horseback riding, etc. So, I got into hiking and
even horseback riding and later car drving also was very
helpful. In time this solved all these kinds of problems
and once more I could go outside and not be stared at
or as I used to say "discriminated against". That has not
happened since 2007. I asked a neurosurgeon about these
exercises and if they really do help people who are like
I was and he said yes, that it is very helpful in
encouraging blood flow between the two sides of the brain, and that does help people like us.
If you have this, know that it can leave you as it left me. I hope that it will also leave you.

Good information, John. Thank you for posting, and have a lovely holiday weekend!

Great posting, John, and I am a huge exercise advocate and now you've provided more substantiation.