Stories of Resilience: Mary Dvorak

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“I recommend keeping a journal while going through any sort of recovery; it’s even helpful for experiencing everyday life. And lastly, I advise that you wear a helmet!”

My accident happened a week before my senior year in high school – I was 17 and suffered a severe brain injury. I don’t remember the day of my accident or the week I spent in the ICU – and I still can’t believe what I hear five years later. 

I had to be under an adult’s supervision almost 24/7, barely getting a moment to myself, so I didn’t have much time to process my own thoughts. My days were consumed with cognitive and physical therapy and tutoring.

At first, while going through my recovery, I felt extremely detached from who I was. I shut down and closed myself off from friends and family. I became extremely depressed. I even questioned my life and my existence. Most nights I would not be able to sleep so I would sit outside, staring at the stars, pleading for answers like: why am I still alive, what is the reason for all of this, and why me? 

To cope with my negative thoughts, I would journal while asking those very questions in the hopes that writing my streaming thoughts and consciousness would find the answers. Eventually, I did find some answers. They weren’t the answers I expected, but journaling taught me that I don’t necessarily need a definitive answer to any of those questions. I’ll find those answers when I find those answers – simple as that. 

I also had to become more in touch with my mind and body: what it’s trying to tell me, what it needs, and so on. My desire for a sense of normalcy for my old routine and my drive to achieve the prior goals I had set for myself also kept me going. For those that are going through a similar situation as I did, I advise people to trust their minds and bodies. They know what is truly right for them. 

I also recommend keeping a journal while going through any sort of recovery; it’s even helpful for experiencing everyday life. And lastly, I advise that you wear a helmet!

Are you ready to share your story of RESILIENCE? You can do that HERE.

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