This is a part of the Hot Topic podcast series from the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center on Relationships After TBI. Hugh Rawlins, TBI Survivor, discusses Insight Into His Cognitive and Physical Changes.

I realized the difference in the relationship with Rosemary was really when I started understanding how screwed up I was, you know, and that came while I was in rehab, day rehab, because that’s also when I realized I had an issue, I had issues, more than one. Because I was thinking of well, who can’t do this or who can’t do that. And they’d ask me to try it and I was the one who couldn’t. And that’s what started to get me to really realize how screwed up I was when I couldn’t do things, for example, put a nut onto a bolt and turn it, you know, things that I would never take for, never even think of, that you just took for granted.

Writing with my left hand. That was probably the biggest thing during the admission into the rehab was they asked me to sign my name and I couldn’t hold the pen to write my name. But the woman was great, techs were great. She just said oh, we’ll get it next time. And you know it was just that encouragement, in a positive loving way. And the people where I was rehabbing did the same way as my wife did.

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