Driving is just second nature. NOT! Not if you've suffered a brain injury.

Everything that everyone does everyday automatically takes a serious hit for us that suffer a brain injury. Simple task like:

1. Getting dressed
2. Brushing your teeth
3. Walking a straight line
4. Driving a car
5. Heating something in a microwave oven
6. heating water on the stove.

This list can go on and on but I think you get the idea.

This all came to mind yesterday when I thought I would drive into town to pickup some things at the store. It's been almost 5 years since I had a brain aneurysm rupture. I had forgotten everything there was to know about driving a car:

1. Which key to use
2. where to put the key
3. what the little letters on the dash meant
4. the levers on the steering column

I've been practicing over the past 5 years over the past 5 years in the hope that I would master the simple task of backing our jeep out of the garage. Well, I got it. I can get in our car and start it, and back out of our garage, without the least bit of effort.

That sounds like a great feat, and it is. What I didn't do was practice driving down the road. I'm willing to bet that if you're a driver you do everything automatically:

1. Watch what's coming at you
2. glance at the rearview mirror
3. give a quick look at the dashboard indicators
4. apply pressure on the gas pedal.
5. put your foot on the brake pedal when needed.
6. take your foot off the gas pedal when doing number 5 above.

One other thing I forgot to put up there; Keep your car in your lane.

Driving is just second nature. NOT!

Not if you've suffered a brain injury. I've got a long ways to go before I attempt driving on a busy highway. My good fortune now is that I live in the country and traffic isn't all that heavy.

Those 6 or 7 tasks listed above are repeated every second of every mile driven. I've learned just about everything in everyday life over in the past 5 years. It takes time and determination.

If you've suffered a brain injury;

1. Ruptured brain aneurysm. (Cerebral Aneurysm)
2. Stroke
3. Car accident

Don't give up! You'll get discouraged and even PO'd sometimes but don't let it get the best of you. It's a great feeling when you stick a cold cup of coffee in the microwave and and pull out a hot cup of coffee.