Lost in My Mind: Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Reflections of America

By: Kelly Bouldin Darmofal

Narrated by: Lisa Negron

Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Lost in My Mind is a stunning memoir describing Kelly Bouldin Darmofal's journey from adolescent girl to special education teacher, wife, and mother - despite severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Spanning three decades, Kelly's journey is unique in its focus on TBI education in America (or lack thereof). Kelly also abridges her mother's journals to describe forgotten experiences. She continues the narrative in her own humorous, poetic voice, describing a victim's relentless search for success, love, and acceptance - while combating bureaucratic red tape, aphasia, bilateral hand impairment, and loss of memory.

Listeners will:

• Learn why TBI is a "silent illness" for students as well as soldiers and athletes
• Discover coping strategies which enable TBI survivors to hope and achieve
• Experience what it's like to be a caregiver for someone with TBI
• Realize that the majority of teachers are sadly unprepared to teach victims of TBI
• Find out how relearning ordinary tasks, like walking, writing, and driving require intense determination

"This peek into the real-life trials and triumphs of a young woman who survives a horrific car crash and struggles to regain academic excellence and meaningful social relationships is a worthwhile read for anyone who needs information, inspiration or escape from the isolation so common after traumatic brain injury." (Susan H. Connors, President/CEO, Brain Injury Association of America)

©2014, 2019 Kelly Bouldin Darmofal (P)2019 Kelly Bouldin Darmofal

TBI Survivor Enjoyed Book

this was a very good story and provided information for those of us with TBI's. It gives hope to those of us suffering. Thank you Kelly for sharing your story.

I LOVED IT!

I absolutely loved it! This story was heartbreakingly beautiful and gives you different perspectives on the struggles of all family members. The narration was superb and gives the story that extra flair! The author did an excellent job with her story. I am in awe! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

More than just a memoir

Kelly's story is poignant yet full of hope and informative. Even giving coping strategies and hope to other survivors. Her journey is unbelievable yet encouraging for others, highlighting the lack of education for TBI in the US. It's told from the voice of her mother as well as herself giving an extra perspective.
I highly recommend it.

This audiobook was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Very Inspirational

I was gifted this audiobook with the understanding that I would leave an honest review.
I was not familiar with TBI Traumatic Brain Injury. This book is written from two perspectives. The first half is Kelly's mothers journal entries from the time of her accident throw her recovery. This part was not written with a book in mind. It was written so that Kelly could know if she ever choose to read what she and her family went through. This is because Kelly had no memory of it. I really enjoyed this part of the book.
The second part is written by Kelly and gives the world an insight to what a person with TBI has to deal with on a daily basis. I found this book to be very real, very inspirational and I hope gives hope to those who suffer from TBI.
Lisa Negron is the narrator in this book and she does a wonderful job.

Enjoyed it

As a parent with child with severe TBi..I really enjoyed this book. It help me with my child

A subject that needs to be talked about.

As a mother of a TBI survivor, I found her mother to be very selfish. I almost stopped listening because so many comments her mother made were stomach turning to me. I have a 25 year old that is 5+ years into his TBI recovery and I’m glad I never acted the way she did.

Frustrated by the beginning of the story

Don't get this book if you've had an actual severe TBI. She talked in the first few weeks, walked in the first few months............granted I've not gotten to the part written by Kelly, but the part by the mom is upsetting to me. She's acting like her daughter "needed to learn how to talk", but yet a paragraph later quotes her daughter talking in complete sentences. Then acts like she's walking b/c she's so determined, so everyone else with a more severe injury isn't as determined as her? Um, maybe they haven't emerged, like Kelly did a few weeks after her injury. They give made up, rude names to other people less fortunate than them and refers to the "more injured" as objects, not people. The worst line so far, and I'm in about the 2nd chapter, is when the mom gloats about how she "is going to experience life as Kelly is experiencing it"....so "she doesn't go to the hairdresser" while Kelly is recovering...........Um what??????? And then she implies that Kelly has ten hours of grueling therapy..........UM, NO, PATIENTS DO NOT HAVE TEN HOURS OF THERAPY A DAY. Then she (the mom) talks about the other mom's "that have to get their shopping done"..and leave during therapy as if they are less than her. She in her own words had the money to hire someone to sleep overnight w/her daughter so she could sleep. Maybe these ladies had to shop for food for their families..................seriously, hope I learn something when this book is over.