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Every Friday at 11am Eastern
Email me if you want to join us! hillaryrhartnett@gmail.com

I feel like life #1 died on the day of my accident and life #2 took over, like an alien took over my body. I’m proudly alien now.

I was told today from a close family member-my retired baby boomer mother in law- that it has been talked about in the family behind my back that they “miss the old me” that was pre-accident. I’ve had a terrible feeling ever since then. They” just want the old me back” acting like it’s just simple.
I’m honestly offended by that as a survivor who could have easily died, and don’t want to hear it.

I told her I’m sorry to disappoint them all, and sorry they’re not able to accept me as I am now. She said that I “used to be a happy person” and now sees me as an angry, bitter person who needs to go see my priest. How I feel about myself is in complete contrast to all that. Funny enough this is infuriating..

Before this experience I felt happy with what I’m achieving in recovery and have worked really hard. I’m still not even a year out from my accident and this kind of pressure is being applied to me. I survived miraculously and truly having incredible healing. That’s the truth. I have a lot to be grateful for.

Dealing with assholes is way harder after TBI.
Even without strong impulse control I was able to keep my disgust in her to myself, but did smack myself once I was at home afterwards, just to have a way to express the frustration.

Living life with a TBI and being misunderstood like this is really rough.

My conclusion is not to waste my breath talking in any further detail to someone so stupid that will never understand. I’ve learned the hard way with her how simultaneously arrogant and idiotic she is.

She told me that she never visited me in the hospital when I was in a coma because she “couldn’t deal with it” and if I didn’t know she was there why would it matter.

She watches my kids for us during the weekdays and because of the cost of childcare I have to deal with her on a daily basis. I’ll continue to ignore her as much as I can and keep doing what I’m doing. There is more to benefit than there is
to lose at this point.

Hoping someone can understand this shit show. Can someone give me their support? I need it.
Even if we’re around others it can be isolating when they don’t understand even the first thing about TBI