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Life-Altering Injury



When we receive a significant injury, sometimes we have to put our life on pause for a few weeks or months while our body recovers. But sometimes recovery takes longer—or never gets us back to “normal” at all. Whether we suffer from a loss of mobility, a change to our sensory perceptions, an inability to sleep or breathe well, chronic persistence of pain, or even memory or personality changes, our sense of self, identity, and purpose can all be challenged. Our ability to move through previously comfortable spaces or interact with others can be suddenly limited, and how we’re perceived by others can drastically change overnight. Transitioning to a “new normal”—and discovering what it even looks like—can be scary and discouraging, but we are immensely adaptable and capable, with care and compassion, of recentering ourselves and moving forward.

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The Long Run: A New York City Firefighter’s Triumphant Comeback from Crash Victim to Elite Athlete

On the morning of December 22, 2005, Matt Long was cycling to work in the early morning when he was struck by and sucked under a 20-ton bus making an illegal turn. The injuries he sustained pushed him within inches of his life.

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‘Take My Brain Out’: The Artists Awakened by Brain Injuries

Thirty extraordinary artists who survived brain injuries, but found a new craft, are exhibiting their work in London this month, many for the first time.

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02:22

Paralyzed Veteran Uses Fitness to Help Others

An Arkansas Soldier, who was active for his entire lifetime, suddenly hit with a life-altering injury. It struck while he was in sniper training three years ago after falling into a pond, hitting a concrete brick.

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When Life Grabs You by the Baseballs: Finding Happiness in Life’s Changeups

When dreams collapse . . . Jon Peters had it all: record-breaking high school baseball pitcher, on the cover of Sports Illustrated, a beautiful girlfriend. He was going to play professional baseball. He was going to have everything he’d ever wanted.

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How Does Acquiring a New Disability Affect Mental Health?

There’s no right or wrong trajectory for adapting to disability.

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01:18

Women Veterans Build Healthy Life, Overcome Injuries

32 female veterans from the Wounded Warrior Project, participated in workouts and attended classroom sessions led by EXOS coaches at Mayo Clinic.

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Still Me (with a New Afterword for this Edition)

“When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked ‘What is a hero?’ I remember the glib response I repeated so many times.

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The Mystery of Why Some People Become Sudden Geniuses

There’s mounting evidence that brain damage has the power to unlock extraordinary creative talents. What can this teach us about how geniuses are made?

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10:27

Paratrooper Veteran Talks Life-Changing Injury // Moving Forward with a Positive Mindset

In the third episode of ‘The Vet Files,’ a Paratrooper Veteran, Luke Morrison, who lost his leg while touring in Afghanistan, talks about his goal to become the first amputee skydiving instructor in the UK and how his positive mindset has helped him to adapt to life after his injury.

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War and Moral Injury: A Reader

Moral Injury has been called the "signature wound" of today's wars. It is also as old as the human record of war, as evidenced in the ancient war epics of Greece, India, and the Middle East.

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