Glitched: My Story of Overcoming a Traumatic Brain Injury Part 2

The Hopeful Perspective

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How do you rebuild your life when everything you thought defined you is suddenly stripped away? My journey through traumatic brain injury reveals the raw, unfiltered struggle of having to reinvent yourself while grieving who you once were.
Following brain tumor surgery that left me with permanent cognitive limitations and central pain syndrome, I found myself unable to work or function as the husband, father, and pastor I had always been. The neuropsychological evaluation one year post-surgery delivered devastating news: my brain simply couldn't sustain the stamina required for employment. This reality crushed me, sending me spiraling into the darkest depression of my life – sleeping for days straight, contemplating suicide, and seriously questioning my faith for the first time despite decades of ministry.
The physical pain was relentless – a constant burning sensation across the right side of my body that, at its worst, felt like someone drilling into my bones. But equally painful was the isolation. While support flowed freely immediately after surgery, people gradually disappeared from our lives. Only one spiritual mentor remained consistently present through my darkest days.
Everything changed through an extraordinary spiritual experience that occurred, surprisingly, during a late-night Xbox session. This profound encounter with what I can only describe as an angelic presence initiated my painful but transformative journey back to hope. It led me to implement life-changing spiritual disciplines, most importantly daily Scripture reading that revolutionized my relationship with God in ways my previous 25 years of ministry never had.
The most challenging part continues to be grieving the man I was before – with all his abilities, personality, and purpose. Yet through this ongoing process, I've discovered a new calling: sharing authentic hope with others facing their own seemingly impossible circumstances. I've learned that true strength isn't found in independence but in vulnerable surrender and that purpose can emerge from our deepest pain when we allow ourselves to be transformed by it.

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Chapters

1. Welcome to Hopeful Perspective (00:00:00)

2. Living with Traumatic Brain Injury (00:02:25)

3. The Dark Night of Soul (00:04:40)

4. An Unexpected Angelic Experience (00:09:30)

5. New Spiritual Disciplines and Healing (00:12:51)

6. Grieving My Former Self (00:17:08)

7. Prayer and Invitation to Faith (00:21:29)