Brain Injury: I hit a concrete highway divider going 80 miles an hour (without a seatbelt) because the person merging next to me was on their cell phone.  I panicked and over-corrected.

Explanation of Mask: I have painted the entire mask bright gold, nothing can hide my inner bright light.  You can’t get depressed if all the colors around you make you smile.  That’s why I love rainbow tye-dye (not on the mask though).  Pre TBI – headed up the stair steps of life – nice, neat and organized.  When you are a teenager and have a pimple, you feel like it is the center of a bulls-eye on your nose.  With a TBI, you often feel like your whole body is a big boiling pimple ready to explode.  Chronic fatigue, uncontrollable emotions and unbelievable headaches to name a few.  TBI – complete and utter chaos.  My stair steps have blown up to pieces.  I had to give up a good job at an army hospital.  I had to give away my cat and dog – can’t take them with me to rehab.  Sometimes I think I have cob webs instead of my brain in there.  Or is it a pain empty skull in there.