Matthew Thomas- Never Accept Failure (The Recovery Process) (Movie In the Making)

Edition One- Week One:

By Mercedes Barreto

Why does recovery seem like such a challenge, and sometimes, an impossible obstacle? Why do we praise those who have overcome such obstacles, and why should we? Why do we feel quite honored to do so? Matthew Thomas talks about his recovery process, and a movie in the making in this guided yet informative article.

“My name is Matthew Thomas and I am survivor of TBI (“Traumatic Brain Injury”). 30 years ago, when I was 19 years old, I received a severe head trauma, when my friend, who had been drinking and driving, drove his vehicle off a bridge, located in Lake Sherwood, California, landing 30 feet below in a rocky ravine. I was a passenger. I went through the windshield and my head landed on a pile of rocks resulting in life threatening injuries. I had swelling of the brain, including global hemorrhaging on the left frontal, temporal, parietal, lobes with a basal skull fracture. The right side of my brain had hemorrhaging of my thalamus and damage to my occipital lobe. Forty minutes into my golden hour, I was taken to a non-trauma hospital where two of the country’s top specialists for head trauma just happened to be there treating another patient when I arrived. Dr. Chan and Dr. Amosie put a shunt, trachea, G-tube and catheter in me. I was in a coma for 3 months…”

What does the word ‘recovery’ mean to you, and why is this significant? What has been your story, and your mission, in the eyes of your own recovery process?

“Recovery means “things can happen”. Through the recovery process you can improve each and every day, if you do the work. When you suffer a traumatic injury even the smallest amount of progress is still recovery. It is a process that you must take one step at a time.

Recovery also means “repetition”. You must never feel sorry for yourself and never accept failure. When people say “you cannot do it”, you must accept those words as a challenge. Recovery means being able to do today what you could not do yesterday. There are many types of recovery. There is mental, emotional, and physical recovery from a severe injury.

The medical professionals informed my family that I would not survive from my injuries. When I woke up from a coma, they told me my prognosis was poor. I took this as a challenge. Nothing is impossible through the grace of God. God helps those who help themselves.”

Where do you feel is that one place that got you to start your journey to recovery? What sparked your motivation, or who, if applicable? Could you describe in detail why this influence was such an important factor in this?

“I started my journey at Northridge hospital after waking up from a coma. They had a program called T.G.I. care house. It was a head injury day treatment program. The people who were there at the time did amazing work. Sadly the program no longer exists because of budget reasons. I was blessed to have been able to benefit from the program. It was the start of my recovery and what I learned there has stayed with me to this day.

God sparked my motivation. All things are possible through God. This belief continues to play a huge part in my on going recovery. When I came out of a coma, the doctors, nurses, Physical therapist, occupational therapist, recreationally therapist, and speech therapist were all great. They were never negative. They were always up lifting, A chearful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirt dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

Prior to my head trauma I had always been motivate to succeed in life. This did not change after my injury, it just made it more difficult. My injury made things harder to do, but not impossible. I had to relearn the most basic functions because my brain was damaged thus effecting my motor skills. The right side of my brain was not relying message to the left side of my body. When the right side of your brain is damaged it effects the left side of your body. On top of that the hemorrhaging on the left side of my brain (frontal lobe) caused problems with my emotions, memory, and problem solving.

Hydro-bikes have played a huge roll in my recovery. Hydro-bikes are bicycles with pontoons. When I first started my recovery process I could not ride or even sit on the Hydro-bikes because of my lack of coordination due to my head injury. Since I could not ride the Hydro-bikes, I started out cleaning them. Over time my coordination got better and I slowly learned to ride them. In 2011, I set a world record when I road my Hydro-bike from Catalina to the Port of Long Beach. I have plans this summer to set a new record on my Hydro-bike.”

What are some highlights of success and encouragement for you in this year 2022?

“First, I feel grateful that I have great people behind me.”

Why do you feel this is of interest or important for the reading audience here? Why and how so? How is it relevant, possibly?

“My successes are huge after 30 years of living with a head injury. I keep moving forward in my life through the blessings of God. Everyday I work on my own self-improvement. I always keep it real. The encouragement this year is that I have been working daily on my recovery and documenting my story so I can share it with others. My story will be of interest and importance to the reading audience because it is a real life success story that shows the triumph of the human spirit. It is a story of perseverance and victory over adversity.

Most people have had to deal with a handicap or disabled loved one in their life and they will be able to relate to my experience. I can encourage and inspire the reading audience by showing them how I over came my injuries. They will be able to see there is always hope and light at the end of the tunnel. A debilitating Injury can happen to any person, at anytime. My story is relevant to all persons because injury and disability effects us all.”

If you could speak a message of truth or motivation to the reading audience here, what is the main thing you would say, something that you might keep saying to people when your recovery comes up in a conversation? What is the theme here regarding the emotion or sensation that people feel when discussing this?

“I would say that you must have faith and continue to be spiritual regardless of your adversities in life. You need to always keep trying. Repetition, repetition, repetition. When you are recovering from a serious brain injury, you must reteach and retrain your brain. Recovery is not easy and it takes lots of work. You get what you put into it. You must be motivated to do things “over and over and over” in order for it to have the maximum impacted on your brain. The brain is a wonderful organ and it is interesting whether it is damaged, or not, Your brain continues to work even when you are in a coma.

When I was in a coma for three months, I could still hear those talking around me, I did not fully understand what they were saying but I could hear the voices around me.”

When you think about your success and your overcoming of the past, what is the simple reality of it? In other words, what is the reality when it comes to your life, and how things in it have manifested in certain situations, whether this involves a shocking or inspiring truth, or a simple yet tough understanding of this reality? How so?

“The simple truth is that you will never be exactly the same person that you were prior to your injury. This does not mean you cannot be better than you were before the accident. You are just different. Recovery is a learning process. I did not learn my recovery process from a book. I learned as a went, I took every struggle associated with my injury as a challenge to better myself. I also learned that giving back to others is the most important thing in life. Helping others. In the beginning it is hard to remain positive when you cannot tie your shoes, shave, shower or do things we usually take for granted. Severe brain injury remains with you every day. You learn that you cannot take anything for granite in this life. Your life can change in an instant, like mine did. I continue to be impacted by my injury. I walk, limp, talk with a slur, drool and my left eye is permanently dilated. A lot of people assume I am drunk or on drugs.

After they get to know me, they realize that the way I walk and talk is the result of my brain injury, not alcohol or drug consumption. In fact, I do not drink or do illicit drugs.”

Where can we learn all about your message, this recovery, and why should we, ultimately?

“On my webpage at positive-matters.org or on my YouTube channel at “Matt Thomas Coma-dentials”, Instagram at “comadential” or IMDBPRO “Straight out of a coma”

What will make a difference in the lives of readers when they read about you? Why and how so?

“I am living proof that the impossible is possible. Actions speaks louder then words. Life is fluent and one must approach every challenge put in front of them with faith, dedication and hard work. I am producing a documentary about my injury and the reward of recovery.”

Anything you would like to add here?

“I have trademarked the terms “Putting ability in Disability”, “Straight out of a coma” and “Trippin ain’t Eazy”.

I speak to young kids through the local probation department and schools. I speak to the kids about the dangers of drinking and driving and the dangers of using illicit drugs. I also speak at nursing schools and teach them about “Coma Therapy . This includes visits with students to various hospital subacute units where the coma patients are being treated. I demonstrate to the students how to perform coma- therapy on real coma patients.

A big part of Coma-Therapy is stimulation. This is achieved by stimulating the patient’s dopamine. This is done through singing, stretching, dancing, speaking to them like they are answering, using a loud voice ,and getting them involved even if it is through a simple blink of the eye, eye movement or finger movement.”

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