A Change in Functional Status

"You become what you think. Think happy thoughts. "

I remember in grad school when we spoke about change in functional status. It seemed like something so distant and not applicable to my personal life. During that time in my life, functional status was written in my text books and affected Mr. Blue who recently had  an accident resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Fast forward to now.....

Anything in life can cause a change in functional status; from having a fever to spinal cord injury. For those who don't know 'functional status' is a fancy way of saying:

             (Thank you google.)

One of my professors  drilled the idea that 'motivation' can be the driving force to performance of normal daily activities status post injury.  Aside from the medical complications your attitude can have a huge impact on recovery. How is it that a 10 letter word can determine a person's capabilities? It's simple really...on any given day a person wakes up and determines their very mood. Before even getting out of bed an individual can dictate how they are going to deal with that day's challenges. The same idea applies when living with a life altering disability. Whether your disability is short-term or long-term the level of motivation a person carries will mold their   recovery along with how they are perceived by others. 

Back in the day when I was an orientation leader, also know as a Preview staffer at UF (p-luv '08) we lived by the principal of choosing your attitude. To this day I live by that. If you choose your attitude it will affect your perception. Perception is reality. Having a disability will change how you navigate life but your attitude and motivation will determine the next steps. 

As I say to my friends I may have a splint on my left hand but I am still young and fun! There will be days I feel sad and there will be days where I'll feel unstoppable. I am what I think; today I think I'm happy.  

(Me with my new accessory, my cool splint)

Until next time!

Any thoughts or ideas please share!