You may wonder how I came up with the name of this blog, for awhile I referred to my injury as "Scrambled Brain". Following the coma everything was scrambled, my walking, my talking, my thought process, my eyesight, I do mean everything! I think that the word souffle is much nicer than the word scrambled and seeing as I am a former pastry chef, "souffle" just makes sense in my world, as well as in my own humble opinion... a souffle tastes better than scrambled anything.
I started writing this blog in April 20010 but I wasn't able to post it right away for fear of not being approved for services such as social security disability or therapy permitted by my insurance company - I know it is smart to hold my tongue and not say what I really want to say to them, ultimately I know that these are businesses and they are trying to do their jobs - I don't have to like them or their ridiculous decision making process.
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| Kona Brewfest Pipeline Porter Chocolate cupcake with Bailey's Icing |
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| Sheraton Keahou Bay Chocolate Cake |
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| Vnilla Scented Belgian Waffle Strawberry Shortcake |
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| New York Cheesecake with Mascarpone Icing, Vanilla Bean Scented Orange Segments and Fresh Mint Compote |
[soo-FLAY]
A light, airy mixture that usually begins with a thick egg yolk-based sauce or puree that is lightened by stiffly beaten egg whites. Souffles may be savory or sweet, hot or cold. Baked souffles are much more fragile than those that are chilled or frozen because the hot air entrapped in the souffle begins to escape (causing the mixture to deflate) as soon as the dish is removed from the oven.
Think about the brain as a baked souffle' that has just been removed from the oven...it always helps me to put things in perspective if I think about them as a food item. Yes, I am aware that I have issues...
I don't remember the first several weeks after my accident, but what I now know I have learned from family, friends, nurses, and my mom's notes from the time of the accident. Apparently I was a passenger in a jeep, I was somehow thrown from said jeep and thus begins my incredible journey of fighting back. The accident was on the Big Island of Hawaii, where I had been living for 2 1/2 years. Following the accident I was taken by ambulance to the Kona hospital where it was determined that I needed more help than they could offer. I was life-flighted to Oahu and ended up in the neuro-ICU at Queens Hospital. It turns out that I knew one of the EMT's on my ambulance run in Kona, I hadn't seen him in years and didn't even know he was living on the island, but he recognized me and held my hand until he was no longer allowed to do so. In general I am not a very religious person but I do believe in miracles, and thanks to Ryan and numerous medical professionals I am here today to tell you about mine. The accident left me with several major injuries: 4 broken ribs, a broken left clavicle, most of the bones in my face were broken, as well as two skull fractures and a traumatic brain injury. As if that weren't enough I was in a full coma for 3 weeks (not medically induced), and deemed semi-comatose for the next 5 weeks. Over this time the ribs and the facial fractures healed but I was still unable to speak and tell the doctors what hurt, from the very beginning I was placed in a cervical collar (neck brace) to protect the spinal chord and neck from any more potential damage - although they were uncertain what damage had already taken place.
