Hello, my name is Teresa Rubenstein and I live in New Orleans, Louisiana. The year after graduating high school in 2012, at 19 years old I was in a tragic car accident on July 6, 2013 that left me to go through a Traumatic brain injury and only had a 10% chance of living.
I was in an old 2 door mustang and was going to drop my friend off at her house. I was leaving from a stop sign at an intersection when a lady in an Expedition t-boned me, I ended up all the way on the other side facing oncoming traffic. I was knocked out and in a coma, the ambulance had rushed me to University Hospital where I remained in a coma for 2 weeks.
I had swelling in my brain, short term memory loss, left collar bone broken, stitches in my right eyebrow and stitches put behind my left ear. Once I got out of the coma I was transferred to Touro Rehabilitation; I had a feeding tube, was in a wheel chair and had to learn everything over again as if I was a newborn child. I was doing occupational for my coordination, physical and speech therapy, I was so determined I was able to be discharged from Touro in a month.
So, blessed that when I got discharged from the hospital I did not go out in a wheel chair I walked out, I remained going to therapy at a hospital closer to where I lived for all therapy's again, so I was in the hospital a total of three months including all my therapy's. I am now 23 and live with short term brain damage. It's very hard to live day by day with my anxiety, my speech and crazy mixed emotions but I continue to live because I know it's what God wants he kept me here for a reason.
I believe in myself I'm very blessed if I can go through that horrible situation and make it I can do anything with faith, determination and God by my side. You must be determined and believe in yourself. I am so blessed and so thankful for all my nurses in the hospital they are amazing people and I'm so very thankful to be here. I'm so proud of myself for being a strong fighter even when I didn't want to fight I kept fighting.
Thank you for ANYONE who is taking time out of their day to read my story it means a lot!
I hope to encourage people that are going through a Traumatic Brain Injury or whatever it maybe you're struggling with to be thankful and to be happy that you're still here you can do it! Just be determined and set your mind to it!
You've conquered so much there's more to your story! Thank you TBI One Love for the opportunity to be a part of this!
