By: Kiley Como with Shane Smith Law
For many traumatic brain injury survivors, recovery is not just about healing physically. It is about figuring out who you are after life changes forever. The career you loved may no longer be possible. Everyday tasks may require more energy. Friends and family may expect you to be the same person, even though everything feels different.
In this episode of Mind Matters, Kiley Como continues her conversation with brain aneurysm and concussion survivor Kim Justice. Together, they explore what happened after the medical recovery, how Kim found a new purpose through advocacy, and why peer support can become one of the most powerful tools in the healing process.
“You Look Fine”… But Everything Has Changed
After surviving a ruptured brain aneurysm, Kim’s doctors considered her surgery a success. She could walk, talk, and looked much like she had before her injury. To everyone around her, it appeared that life could simply return to normal.
But that was far from reality.
Like many brain injury survivors, Kim was left with symptoms that others could not see, including:
- Short-term memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating
- Mental fatigue
- Sensory overload
- Aphasia and word-finding difficulties
- Balance problems
- Fine motor skill challenges
- Difficulty reading for extended periods
She describes waking up every day feeling like a phone battery that starts at only 75 percent. No matter how much effort she puts in, she never quite reaches a full charge.
Trying to Return to the Career You Loved
Before her injury, Kim had built a successful career in finance. She had just completed one of the biggest projects of her professional life and was at the peak of her career.
Following her recovery, she returned to work and continued for nearly a decade. But she quickly realized she was accomplishing the same work much more slowly than before. Fortunately, because she was self-employed and worked on commission, she had flexibility that many brain injury survivors do not have.
Eventually, changes within her industry required her to learn new systems and processes. She found she could no longer absorb and process new information the way she once had. The stress became overwhelming, affecting both her physical and emotional health.
After developing shingles, experiencing increasing emotional strain, and recognizing she could no longer sustain the workload, she made the difficult decision to walk away from her career.
A Simple Suggestion Changed Everything
When Kim left her career, she had no idea what would come next.
Her husband reminded her of something her mother had been saying for years: “You should write a book about your experience.”
With no more excuses about being too busy, Kim sat down and began writing.
Publishing her memoir opened doors she never expected. As people read her story, she began receiving invitations for interviews about brain injury, recovery, and near-death experiences. One interview led to another, eventually introducing her to the world of internet radio.
What started as sharing her own story soon became something much bigger.
Discovering the Power of Peer Support
One of the turning points in Kim’s recovery came when she discovered Brain Injury Radio.
For the first time since her aneurysm, she heard someone describe living with brain injury in a way that perfectly matched her own experience. She realized she was no longer alone.
That experience highlighted something she believes every survivor needs: peer-to-peer support.
Friends, family, and healthcare providers can offer compassion and encouragement. But there is something uniquely powerful about talking to another person who has lived through a brain injury themselves.
As Kim explains, survivors immediately understand one another in ways that are difficult to describe. That shared experience brings comfort, validation, and hope.
Becoming the Host of “A Recovery Now”
Not long after discovering Brain Injury Radio, Kim was invited to become one of its hosts. At first, she hesitated. She had never hosted a radio show and did not see herself as an expert.
The network founder reminded her that lived experience was exactly what qualified her.
She accepted the invitation and launched A Recovery Now, a program dedicated to sharing the stories of brain injury survivors, caregivers, healthcare professionals, veterans, athletes, and others affected by neurological injuries.
Seventeen years later, she continues helping thousands of listeners realize they are not alone in their recovery journey.
Why Community Accelerates Healing
Looking back, Kim believes becoming a radio host actually advanced her own recovery.
Interviewing other survivors exposed her to strategies, perspectives, and resources she had never encountered while trying to recover in isolation.
She encourages every brain injury survivor to find community, whether through:
- Local support groups
- Online survivor communities
- Brain injury organizations
- Podcasts and educational resources
- Peer mentoring relationships
Recovery is difficult enough. No one should have to navigate it alone.
Looking Ahead
Kim continues to advocate for the brain injury community while expanding her work into broader conversations about mental health. She hopes to continue writing, interviewing survivors, and educating the public about the lifelong realities of brain injury.
Her message is one of resilience. Brain injury may change your life, but it does not have to define your future. Sometimes the path you never planned becomes the one that allows you to help countless others.
Final Thoughts
Brain injury can close one chapter of life, but it can also open another.
Kim Justice’s journey reminds us that healing is not just about recovering what was lost. It is about discovering new purpose, building meaningful connections, and using lived experience to help others facing similar challenges.
Whether through writing, advocacy, or simply sharing your story, every survivor has something valuable to offer.
If you or someone you love is living with the effects of a traumatic brain injury, remember that support is available, and you do not have to face recovery alone.
In pain, call Shane. 980-999-9999
Shane Smith Law is committed to helping injury victims navigate both the medical and legal challenges that follow life-changing accidents.
Related Post:
A Ruptured Brain Aneurysm Changed Kim Justice’s Life Forever
