Thursday January 28 post lunch

I am a TBI survivor. I came at CNS on January 2012, this makes it about  four years ago.

My injury is an acquired brain injury, it is a congenital defect of my brain, that is  I was born with it.

It is called an AVM (Arterio Venous Malformation).

An AVM is an abnormal connection of the capillary of the brain to the vessel of the artery.

It is a very rear congenital malformation.
 it is said about 1% of the population is affected by an AVM.

I have practically won the lottery without even buying the ticket.

Here is a pictorial representation of an AVM, courtesy of the Toronto's source.

I clearly have a weak capillary system.

 I have a few birth marks distributed on my body. They look to me like AVM or like

surface capillary: on my stomach, on my left back arm, on my left back legs.. obviously my capillary system was meant to be that way..and I was meant to be injured this way.

Here is  a side view of the brain.

The bleeding of the AVM generated me an ischemic stroke. In addition the ruptured blood vessel  affected also my right eye.  

The pressure on my eye increased.  

I had the crystalline removed to release the right eye pressure.

Quite a long medical history. 

The AVM affected many aspect of my body. My cerebellum got upset by my injury. 

The result is that my balance, my walking and my physical capability have all been affected.

Many years ago I was on a wheelchair, then on a walked and finally I am walking.

Right now you will notice I am walking in a funny way.

I sense it, people in the community sense it.

As a result of my injury I keep my feet far apart. Technically I have a large base.

My legs and my body does not responds well as much as I wish. 

Well enough as much as I remember.

I remember I loved running and loved doing exercise.  I used to run in  the evening coming back home from work. I used to train for a marathon.

Simona mentioned I run half a marathon in Boulder Colorado where she was doing a post-doc at ENCAR. 

Our younger son Lapo was born in Boulder Colorado. At the time I left Simona alone over there with Chicco and Anna her mother. I was working back in LA. I made the choice of letting her standing by herself in Boulder. She called me one morning to let me know she was going to the hospital as Lapo was about to be born.

I took the earliest plane I could and flown over there.

Obviously as I landed Lapo was already born..

I regret it all, Simona mentioned that it is OK.

You see I  made some choices that at the time appeared sound to me.

We are talking of about 7 years ago.

Time to forgive oneself?

I went through this story many time, with Simona, with Miss Amanda.. 

Well, what is done is done..

Let's move one one more time.

The more interesting part is about my TBI

What is done is done.. being a nice person and a very pleasant one is what matters in life.

Enjoy the reading

Sincerely