by Sam B.
The accident
When the paramedics found me, they didn’t think I was going to survive. I lay unconscious on the street. My legs were stiff and straight out, my wrists bent, hands curling in. This position is called “posturing,” a sign of severe, often fatal brain damage. Minutes earlier, a friend and I were sailing down a neighborhood hill on skateboards, (without helmets) on a beautiful spring day in May. The police report described the accident as “car vs. skateboard.” As I careened down the hill, I saw a car starting to make a turn in front of me. I tried to swerve to avoid the car, but the trucks on the borrowed skateboard failed, and I smashed full force into the moving car, my head striking the windshield. My skating buddy called 911 and stayed by my side. Some neighbors on the scene covered me with a blanket.
The ambulance took me to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, and I was diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Against the odds, I did survive and begin my long journey to recovery. This event happened nine years ago, and reviewing my history, it’s fascinating to see the connections along the way that led to my current path. I aspire to become a healer, using the healing power of touch as a Massage Therapist.
Which way?
Often, high school students are confused about which career path to follow, and I was no different. I was a fifteen-year-old sophomore at the time of the accident. I was a diver on the swim team and part of the drum line in the band, but those activities came to a halt after the accident. I had no clear direction academically. And another obstacle loomed–post head injury depression–a common and debilitating side effect of TBI. As I recovered both physically and mentally, I fought to continue my education. I went to community college after graduation and earned an AA degree–gradually but persistently. I took fewer classes at a time to compensate for short-term memory loss as my brain healed. It took four years to complete my AA in General Studies. After that, I floundered, confused by which direction to go. I started at a four-year university, but what was the point? I didn’t know what I wanted to study, or what I wanted to do as a career.
Seeds of inspiration
As I struggled with these decisions, memories of some of my experiences during the recovery process kept creeping into my thoughts. During the first week after the accident I was in a coma, dependent on others to take care of my medical needs, as well as my basic needs for survival. Someone fed me, bathed me, dressed me and later helped me learn to talk and walk again. Dozens of people, including my family, worked to help me recover: doctors, nurses, physical therapists, speech therapists, and massage therapists. They massaged my legs and arms to keep my muscles working. As I reflected about these professionals who helped me, I was filled with gratitude and admiration. I realized that a motivation was growing in me to follow in their footsteps. I would seek a profession that would allow me to help other people as I had been helped.
A global example
Last year, I had the opportunity to travel to Nicaragua to do volunteer work on an organic farm and also receive college credit for learning Spanish. I discovered that one of my favorite fellow travelers was a massage therapist, and his wife was a yoga instructor. They taught me a lot about the energy of bodywork and wellness. As I talked with him, I realized that a massage therapist can take their helping profession anywhere in the world and have a job! This allows for a good amount of independence, and that is appealing to me. People, no matter where you go, can enjoy benefits from the touch of a massage therapist.
Confirmation
When I returned home to Bellingham, Washington, I started looking into training programs and was thrilled to learn that my alma mater, Whatcom Community College, offered a Massage Therapist certificate program! As I started the application process, it dawned on me that I hadn’t ever had a professional massage. Before continuing, I did some research and made an appointment for a one-hour hour session. The experience was life-changing. When I got off the table and went blinking back out into the sunshine, I felt as if I had been reborn. The mind-body connection and the energy I felt after the massage was powerful and restorative. At that moment, I knew my instincts were solid, and I was on the right path.
Never give up!
When I went to apply for the program, the deadline had passed and the program was full. Rather than slinking away in despair, I asked if I could apply anyway and be on a waiting list. They agreed. Never give up! When someone dropped out, I got in. The classes are exciting and fresh to me, and the material all new: my first anatomy and pathophysiology class; my first kinesiology class; an avalanche of new terms to learn. The program has 18 students, and we will study, learn, practice and grow together until graduation. We are getting to know each other well and have built trust and camaraderie into our relationships. We do exchanges, (practice massage techniques) on each other–a great way to learn! I am a visual learner, as well as a hands-on learner, so one of my favorite strategic moves was purchasing laminated posters of the anatomical systems of the body–skeletal, muscular, lymphatic and fascial. I tacked them to my apartment wall. While I practice my drums I can also study the vocabulary and location of different parts of human anatomy.
Onward
Each day I wake up with a sense of purpose and enthusiasm. Learning about the interconnectedness of the systems of the human body and mind is energizing and motivating. I don’t know exactly where this journey will lead, but I am confident that I am following the best path for me. As an artful and skilled Massage Therapist, I will be able to help others on their path to well-being and wholeness, as others paved the way for me.
