Hello, my name is Rachel Robbins, I got my TBI from a car accident in 2001 at the age of 17 (hit by a truck going 85 in a 55), had two bi-cranial surgeries to remove my skull plates/ bones for 6 weeks (so my brain could swell), was in a coma 6 weeks, had amnesia several months (to 2 years), and rehab 3 months. I had suffered a "3rd-degree GCS"
(Glasgow coma scale) -->
Severe: GCS 3-8 (You cannot score lower
than a 3.)
Moderate: GCS 9-12
Mild: GCS 13-15.
I've had 8 hip and femur surgeries since then, due to ongoing calcium imbalances (due to my brain) that caused bursitis in my hips and calcification in my leg muscles.
I did not have a lot of "mental" support from my immediate family, since they had a hard time dealing with my situation.
I went to Austin College (private liberal arts college in Sherman, TX) a year following my accident, and it was certainly the hardest 4.5 years of my life (mentally and emotionally). I had lost my first "real"/ serious boyfriend in my car accident, and that made everything even worse. I started working multiple jobs in college (mostly to distract my depression/ keep me busy), and worked 2-3 jobs following college, while I was trying to finish my prerequisites for pre-physical therapy school.
I married in 2013, and decided to stop working a month before giving birth to a baby girl in 2014. I had my second child, a baby boy on April 1st, via VBAC, since my first was an ECS (could have been avoided if I'd had good doctors! ). I was so afraid of managing 2 young children, but I wanted them both to have a sibling! It's SO exhausting, stressful and overwhelming at times!
I manage a Facebook group called "Parents with a TBI/ ABI." Since I was so afraid to become a parent with my difficulties, and I feel blessed to have recovered so well, I wanted to help others and let them connect in a "safe place."
Thank you for letting me join this helpful Family!
