Getting Back on the Bike

David Grant and his wife smiling into the camera

David A. Grant blogs about life after brain injury

My name is David A. Grant. I am a husband, a father, and a son. On November 11, 2010, I was unceremoniously forced to start closing the book on my old life and begin life anew as someone with a traumatic brain injury. My brain injury is singularly the most life-changing event of my life.

In this space, I will offer you the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a survivor. I'll share my victories, my defeats, my pains, and my joys. My hope for other people with brain injury is that they will see reflections of their own lives in my words and know they are not alone. Learn more about David >

The Latest from David

The Importance of Self-Care During Difficult Times

David and his wife smiling in a restaurant, in front of red drapes

It is with profound sadness that I share that someone very dear to me is nearing death. In fact, he may not still be with us by the time this is published. As one of the most cherished relationships in my life, his imminent death is kicking the legs out from underneath me.

Surviving My Flood of 2022

David and his wife smiling from a simulated space station

This is the month that I mark 12 years as a brain injury survivor. These “crash anniversaries” have pushed me to reflect; it’s hard not to look back at the “before and after” chapters of my life — sifting, shuffling, and reinterpreting the contents of each.

Staying in the Middle Lane

David and his wife smiling by a cabin in the woods

Almost 12 years ago my life changed forever as I joined the brain injury club, a club that no one ever expects — or wants — to be part of. And early on, the phrase “recovery is lifelong” completely and totally annoyed me. I had always been and remain a classic Type A personality. So, it comes as no surprise that I wanted no part of the “recovery is lifelong” model of living out the rest of my life. My plan was to get over my brain injury and move on.

Why I Chose Not To Listen

David gives a thumbs up while tandem sky-diving with an instructor in a clear blue sky

Last month, Sarah and I took a trip to rural Maine for another first-time life experience. I was more excited than fearful when I jumped out of a plane at 14,000 feet and I can now add skydiver to my life résumé! Had I listened to the advice I received from doctors a decade earlier, the thought of jumping out of a plane would have seemed preposterous.

Rediscovering Passions After Brain Injury

David Grant in a wet suit and snorkel holding a crab at the beach

None of us has a crystal ball. The fact that the future is veiled is a gift. What I can do is live my best possible life with what I’ve got. If I look at my life right here, right now, it’s hard not to be grateful.

Bumping into Joy

David and his wife smiling in a bright green garden

I know today — 12 years post-injury that time is indeed a healer of pain, a giver of perspective, and a bringer of joy.

The Dying Will Do What The Living Will Not: Applying Mindfulness and Meditation to PTSD

David wearing a blue t-shirt and his wife in a red shirt smiling outside in the sun

Being mindfully aware in the present moment meant that the past no longer owned me and that there really was no such thing as the future — there is just the here and now.

Leaning into Loss After Brain Injury

David and his wife smiling seated at a restaurant

Three of my four sons abruptly walked out of my life with no explanation and no communication. I was being ghosted long before that term even existed. It was, by far, the most painful part of my journey.

Ambiguous Grief After Brain Injury

David and his wife smiling in front of pine trees on a sunny day

To be human is to grieve, and everyone grieves differently and in their own time. But there is a type of grief that many people experience that is less common, less talked about, but none the less real and painful. It’s called ambiguous grief or ambiguous loss.

Brain Injury Recovery Realities and Reasons for Hope

David and his wife smiling in a wintery forest

Amazingly, this is my 100^th article for Brainline, and I want to share some of the things I’ve learned along the way — things I wish someone had told me early on. Some are painful truths that took me time to accept, others unexpected joys and blessings that have come with the journey.

Life After Brain Injury: No One Recovers Alone

David Grant and his wife wearing sunglasses, smiling in front of a tropical lagoon

It’s not a stretch to say that without my sife, Sarah, I never would have made it. While I can be overly dramatic — as she can attest — I need to get serious for a moment. No kidding around: the early years after my brain injury sucked. In fact, they were the worst years of my life.

Living with Neurofatigue After Brain Injury

David Grant and his wife smiling in a restaurant with brick and wood paneled walls

“The holiday are over. If I’m lucky, I’ll be recovered by February ...”

A Life-Saving Phone Call: Struggling with PTSD

David Grant and his wife smiling in front of palm trees and a small waterfall

When it comes to PTSD, you can only lie to yourself for so long ...

Living the Survivor Life: 11 Years Out

A photo of David Grant in a dark blue t-shirt and his wife in a heather rose t-shirt in front of tall bamboo and palm trees

My early year look-backs were filled with profound sadness, and a sense of loss so overwhelming that I felt smothered by it. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. It’s been long enough that I’ve all but forgotten who I was before my brain injury; that person no longer exists. The very fact that I’m no longer bothered by this is a sure sign that my soul is growing.

Struggling with Belonging After Brain Injury: Where Do I Fit In?

Graphic representation of a white figurine standing in front of a disabled wheelchair symbol in black

Like so many other brain injury survivors, I appear to be okay. And while many know of my past history, many others think I am well beyond my brain injury challenges and struggles. Why wouldn’t they?

The Overlapping Paths of Sobriety and Brain Injury Recovery

David Grant and his wife smiling in front of tall pine trees

Last month, I marked a significant milestone in my life as I celebrated 30 years of sobriety. And, in what amounts to a “whoever would have thought it,” moment, being a sober person in recovery has made my brain injury journey easier. In fact, it literally saved my life.

Mental Health Challenges After Brain Injury

David Grant and his wife smiling in front of a cloudy sky over a body of water

As my 60th birthday approaches, the internal emotions are ramping up. Over the years, I’ve heard the saying that health is one of those things you never fully appreciate until it’s gone. While this is definitely true, most often it’s used in reference to physical health. But what happens when your mental health is compromised?

Living Without a Memory – Creating a Life Worth Living

David Grant and his wife smiling in front of a brick building with columns

Here’s a TBI mind-twist: Looking forward to a holiday that just passed. All but forgetting that it’s already in the rearview mirror. “How does that work?” You might be asking.

Losses, Laughter, and Unconditional Love After Brain Injury

Of all my post-TBI challenges, it is the speech difficulties that most affect my self-worth. Lost in a sea of garbled words, I feel less than the rest of humanity.

Living That PTSD Life

While packing for our trip, I never suspected that PTSD would steal a ride with us, but two of our four nights away found me with the type of horrifying PTSD episodes reminiscent of the early years after my accident.

Life After Brain Injury – A Five Year Lookback

David Grant and his wife smiling in sunglasses

While five years may sound like a long time, I know today that I was still such a TBI Newbie. At some point, just before my five-year anniversary, I learned through our statewide Brain Injury Association that it was at five years that most people reached out for help.

Family Matters: Losing Friends and Family After Brain Injury

David Grant and his wife smiling in face masks

My verbal and emotional filters were shredded by my injury. I was, well… rather abrupt, unthinking, unfiltered, and a different person than I was before my injury. Did I say something offensive that drove him away?

Self-Care During Difficult Times

David Grant and his wife smiling at the camera in front of a lighthouse

These are difficult times. Life is challenging enough for the fully-abled, but add a traumatic brain injury to the mix, and things can get downright overwhelming.

Thanks For the Memories?

David Grant and his wife smiling at the camera, surrounded by snow.

Every year since my 2010 traumatic brain injury, I’ve taken the time to reflect back on changes that have come to pass during the prior year. This past year was no different, although what my reflection showed was not what some may call progress. Progress is not always measured with tangible facts.

Thanks to Our First Responders

David Grant and his wife smiling at the camera.

Members of the medical community literally take their lives in their hands every day they go to work. It’s hard not to feel a bit humbled by that courage. My first face-to-face encounter with First Responders was just over a decade ago. In November of 2010 fate saw fit that most of the First Responders from our Main Street Fire Station and I would meet.