Welcome to the TBI-HELP Live Chat

Today's topic is: "Accepting and Dealing with the Change After a TBI."

Our Guest is: Mr. Robert Plante TBI Survivor, Physical Therapist

[19:05:31] Mod: Welcome! Tonight we are pleased to have as our guest speaker Mr. Robert Plante, Survivor of a TBI, Physical Therapist from Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Welcome Bob
[19:06:19] bobplante: Good evening Thanks for inviting me
[19:07:00] Mod: Rail: What kind of injury did you have, what happened?
[19:07:41] bobplante: I was bicycling home from the gym & I was hit by a four by four.. I sustained a basal skull fracture, bilateral templar fractures, most of my facial bones were broken, my left eye socket was smashed with the optic nerve entrapped, I sustained a coupe- contra -coupe injury, a hearing brain injury, with a bifrontal hemorrhage, a sub-frontal contusion in the left frontal lobe , a right ventricular bleed & a left intracortical bleed...
[19:11:16] Mod: Buffy: How long did you stay in a vegetative state?
[19:11:42] bobplante: Buffy, I was comatose for six weeks...
[19:12:20] Mod: What changes did you experience right after your TBI?
[19:13:33] bobplante: Rail that question is hard to answer because right after the TBi I was comatose, & then emerging from a coma is a slow sequential state...
[19:14:48] Mod: What changes did you experience after your TBI?
[19:17:26] bobplante: After my TBI, I was left totally blind in my left eye, I lost my sense of smell, I was paralyzed on my left side my speech was hard to understand because of a nerve injury my memory was negatively affected... I don't remember anything while I was comatose- ...
[19:19:04] Mod: Arnie: Do you remember anything while you were in the coma...i.e. voices, feelings, etc.
[19:19:43] Mod: Rail: What was your experience as you emerged from the coma?
[19:25:19] bobplante: Rail, my experience as I emerged from the coma was One of confusion of not knowing who, or where I was or what had happened... The biggest aspect was that there was this incredible quiet in my mind of someone who had previously been an intense young man...
[19:27:37] Mod: Ellen: How did you cope with the deficits that you encountered because of your injury?..
[19:29:06] bobplante: Coping with my deficits is something I still go encounter but I utilized all the love and support I found in my family - ut it was & is very frustrating -I cope as I go and stay verbal & expressive...
[19:29:44] Mod: Buffy: Can you hear while you are in a vegetative state and where can you go for help when you have a TBI and are vegetative?..
[19:31:31] bobplante: Buffy I believe that those in vegetative states can hear ..
[19:31:54] Mod: Ellen: Was rehabilitation difficult and did you sometimes feel that you would never get better?..
[19:32:49] bobplante: Rehab was incredibly difficult & quite frequently I felt that I wouldn't get better , wouldn't be a whole person ever again... still sometimes when I'm faced with difficulties because of my TBI I grow frustrated...
[19:34:23] Mod: Ellen: How hard was the rehabilitation...physically and emotionally?..

[19:35:53] Mod: Buffy, I am sorry but this is not an area that Bob feels comfortable answering. We will have another guest speaker to discuss this very important topic you addressed this evening. If you leave us your e-mail address I can advise you each week as to the speaker and topic. Thanks

[19:36:32] bobplante: Ellen it is so hard to separate the physical and emotional aspects because they feed of of each other.. The difficulties physically compound the emotional distress- ...
[19:37:40] Mod: Ellen: What keeps you going?..
[19:38:42] bobplante: What keeps me going is the importance I've rediscovered in my life - the love I have in those around me... Also I want to use my experience as a TBI survivor to give back by helping those have been involved in TBI experiences just as I was helped...
[19:40:17] Mod: Ellen: What advice can you give to professionals about understanding better the treatment and feelings of a person with a TBI?..
[19:42:00] bobplante: Advice to those professionals dealing with TBI pt's is to remember that this experience can rob a person of so much physically and emotionally - treat them with dignity as you work with them,,,
[19:42:29] Mod: Lamont: What methods have you used to compensate for the deficits you have encountered because of your injuries?..
[19:44:36] bobplante: Compensatory skills .hmmm, utilize those around you who have info you can use, realize that if an ability is lost and you can do it another way, then it isn't truly lost be open to modifying what you do to gain success...
[19:45:03] Mod: How has being a TBI survivor influenced your work with patients and what insight have you gained because of your expeience?..
[19:47:23] bobplante: My experience as a TBI survivor has allowed me to completely identify with the experience - with not just the physical aspect... but also the emotional aspect of re identification of self; It's given me a wonderful sense of patience, the ability to understand the importance to a person of what may look like small victories but are truly huge accomplishments to them... It has also given me an understanding of what the significant others go through, their frustrations their fears their anger , their pain... I consider myself fortunate to be able to give them someone with whom they can identify...
[19:51:23] Mod: Lamont: Did you find that your friends did not understand your situation and because of this has your circle of friends changed...how do you deal with this?..
[19:52:27] bobplante: Great question Lamont. I found that my friends didn't understand a TBI - it wasn't like broken ankle or anything... After I could walk and was starting to get stronger, they didn't understand the differences I was going through cognitively and My circle of friends did change somewhat... But also what I found important in life also changed - my wants & needs changed ...
[19:55:37] Mod: Do you ever over identify with a TBI patient? ..You must give them a great deal of encouragement!
[19:57:32] bobplante: I'm not quite certain by what you mean by "over identify" & thanks for the compliment...
[19:57:36] Mod: Were you a physical therapist before the accident?.. If not what made you go into this profession?..
[19:59:48] bobplante: Before my TBI I was an Emergency medical technician ; My TBI is what motivated me to become a PT. I thought that with my experience I could help people the way I was helped; Kind of like giving back...
[20:00:37] Mod: Well I see that our time is up and I want to take this opportunity to thank Bob Plante for a very enjoyable and informative session. I would like to invite him back in the future. Thank you all for participating and I'll see you next week. Have a great week and be safe! Good night!
[20:03:20] bobplante: I'd like to thank everyone for allowing me to speak and I hope I've provided some things that helped. I would be honored to come back in the future. Good night...