TBI Recovery Advice

I hope that none of you reading this are suffering from a tbi (traumatic brain injury) but after my recent progress I was inspired to share my experience with you on the off chance that it may be helpful to someone.

First, a quick disclaimer. This is only my personal experience and your results may vary. Always consult with your doctor before starting anything new. 

Now on to my advice. I have started noticing that after I have been exercising repetively and intensely for six days a week, and walking with my walker for five days a week, that my brain is finally starting to wake up and reconnect again. 

I cannot even express to you how overjoyed I feel to be back in control of my recovery. I am no longer a passive prisoner of my health conditions. I don't have to just accept my fate and think that I will never get any better. I must continue exercising intensely six days a week for the rest of my life. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it. 

I must continue doing the repetitive action which I want to retrain my brain to do. I also don't want to allow it to go dormant again and lose all of my hard earned progress. 

Now the part that you have been waiting for. Firstly, after reading a book given to me by my uncle Richard (my mom's younger brother) about brain plasticity, I started doing a mental visualization technique where you visualize the outcome of the thing that you want.

I started off just telling myself that I will have a good exercise session. I noticed about a 10% increase of good things happening for me. However, I refined my technique even further. For example, when my arms and legs wouldn't cooperate with me, I started to image myself floating on the elliptical machine on the top of a cloud.

In addition to this mental visualization technique, I started to mentally picture each individual part of my body and I started commanding it to work. I didn't ask it politely to work or beg, negociante or plead with it to work. I simply don't give myself room for failure. 

This technique doesn't last forever. My body eventually gives out. However, I have noticed a huge improvement in my mind and body working together. At first, I didn't understand what was going on. I was just happy that it was working. 

I did some research, from everything that I have been reading, it turns out that mentally visualizing the outcome that you want, not only releases positive chemicals in your brain. It also allows you to will a particular outcome into existence. 

By commanding my body to work w me and not against me, I am activating neural pathways in my brain that allow things to work together. 

Additionally, when you mentally visualize something, your brain activates the neural pathways as if you were actually doing the action even if you never physically do it. I won't lie to you, I dismissed all this as hippie, new age stuff that could never work. 

However, intense, repetitive working out releases a chemical in the brain which scientists have nicknamed fertilizer for the brain. It repairs damaged neural pathways and additionally, it has been shown to protect against Alzheimer's disease. It is only released when you do enough exercise to break a sweat. The experts recommend that you do 120 minutes of any form of exercise which allows you to break a sweat. Currently, I am doing at least triple that. 

That was until it really started working for me. I am a believer now. I don't truly, fully understand what is happening. I just know that something positive is going on. I have also been seeing a chiropractor who has been doing all kinds of adjustments on me and giving me a ton of pills, potions and supplements. I don't understand any of it. However, I do believe that it is working. I am also doing red light therapy. Finally, I am taking the last minute of my daily shower, ice cold. I don't enjoy it but it is supposed to naturally boost the dopamine levels in your brain. That is the chemical that gives you motivation, reward, drive and happiness Again, I don't understand it all and I don't know that it will make a difference but it won't hurt me either. 

Til next time, Tyler 

I Did a Thing

So, I just wanted to quickly inform all of you dear readers, that I wrote a short book about my recovery from all of my brain surgeries and all of the ups and downs that I have had over the past six years. For the past six years I had given up hope on making any real progress. Almost all of the doctors whom I saw told me that my two year recovery window was closed. 

Because my progress was so slow and small, I believed them. I just accepted my bad luck and I didn't believe that I could make any further big progress. I regret that it took me six long years to realize that I could recover at least some functionality. Better late than never, right? 

That was my situation until I got back home in January of 2026. I started working out six days a week. Repetively doing the things that I wanted to retrain my brain to do. My brain is slowly starting to wake up after six years of inaction. I am no longer a prisoner of my medical conditions but I am slowly but surely actively working on trying to change my fate. 

I understand that I will need to keep doing this intense, repetitive exercise, six days a week for the rest of my life. I don't enjoy it. I wish there was an easier option. However, the alternative is to let my brain go dormant again and lose all the progress that I have worked so hard for. I refuse to let that happen. Both for myself and everyone around me. 

I already put this on my Facebook page but I figured that I would also write something here. If you are interested in reading my book, I am happy to send you a digital copy. It is only sixteen pages long. Just send me your email address if you end up wanting a copy. Feel free to share the book with anyone who you think that it may help. I am hopeful again for what my future holds. I don't know my limits yet, only that I have not reached them yet. 

Thank you all for your kind words, love and support. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. Especially, to my loving, supportive and very patient wife Jenny Mojica and my daughter Eliana Valentina. Along with my parents Mark and Eileen Horton and my in laws (and all of Jenny's family) and to all of my extended family, friends and anyone else whom I might be missing. 

Til next time, Tyler 

Extra May Update

All of you my dear readers, are getting an extra update in May because I was too excited to wait until June to tell you. Here goes : As most of you know now, I have been training hard in the gym six days a week with my dad for between 1-2 hours at a time. I do a mixture of cardio and strength training trying to improve my balance and general health.

I have been reading an excellent book given to me by my uncle Richard (my mom's younger brother) it is entitled The Brain's Way of Healing by Dr. Norman Doidge. It is all about brain plasticity and the ability for your brain to repair itself, slowly but surely and with effort from you.

The brain can restore neural connections after a stroke, tbi (traumatic brain injury) or other illness. I was told by my doctors in Spain that I had brain damage and it would never get any better. For six years I just accepted that fact. I just agreed with what I was told and because I didn't notice any big progress, I believed them. However, I now know that they were wrong. I don't hold any ill will against them, they were only telling me what they had been taught in medical school. 

However, since coming back home to Texas in January and working out six days a week with my dad plus walking with my walker, five days a week with my mom (for an hour a day). I have proven that you can retrain and reactivate a damaged brain. 

You see, I was using the elliptical machine as a barometer for my progress. I started out going barely a half of a mile in 33 minutes (. 85km) and it took me 7:15 to do one lap. However, I was eventually able to get my lap time down to 2:06 and do 3 miles (4.7km) in total distance.

When I began reading my new book on brain plasticity, I read about a mental technique that is used for chronic pain patients. They look at brain scans of healthy, pain free people and then they mentally visualize themselves as pain free. In this way, they slowly retrain their brains to turn down or off their pain receptors. The vast majority of them were able to decrease or completely eliminate taking their pain medications.

It sounds like hippie mumbo jumbo right? Well I decided to give it a try even though I don't have any chronic pain. While on the elliptical machine, I would have only brief windows of time where my mind and body would synchronize together perfectly without my arms or legs involuntarily locking up.

Well I decided to try mentally concentrating on "good time" where everything worked correctly between my mind and my body. Guess what? It really works! Now, I go slower and do less total distance than before. However, using my new mental technique I no longer have just flashes of "good time" but extended good time.

I don't understand how any of this is working. I only know that it is working. I have to keep working out intensely for the rest of my life. Because medical science has proven that when you work out intensely and repetitively, not only can you rewire a damaged brain, but during intense workout time your brain releases chemicals which heal damaged neural pathways. 

This topic always makes me extremely emotional. I cannot even describe how happy I am to know that I don't have to passively accept my condition but 90% it is within my control to minimize my symptoms and 10% a limit of my body. That is an incredibly empowering feeling. 

I have to keep trying hard. Even though I will likely never return to how I was prior to all of this, there is a big difference between Jenny and Eliana (and all of my family and friends) having to care for me intensely or having to only lightly assist me. I need to do all this effort not only for myself but for them. 

Well that's it for now, Tyler 

My Reason Why

Edit:This is actually outdated. I posted this yesterday, today (Wednesday May 13th 2026) I have actually done one lap in 2:06 and 3.08 miles in 33 minutes (4.96 km). However I still wanted to share it with you. 

I took this from my Facebook page but I wanted to put it here for posterity. I wanted to briefly explain why I am doing all of this exercise. 

Today I reached my goal of doing 3 miles (4.84km) in 33 minutes on the elliptical machine. When I first started back in January, I struggled mightily to go a half of a mile (0.85km) in 33 minutes.

For so long, I felt like my health conditions were just bad luck and that I was stuck in the shape that I was in. However, I now know that my progress is up to me. I may very well hit a limit to my progress. However, I don't know where that limit is, I only know that I have not hit it yet. It is empowering to be back in control of my own recovery. After being passive for so long, it feels good to be in control of my progress.

I did not ask for any of this. Nor did anyone expect it. I would not wish this on my worst enemy. However, you have to play the cards you were dealt in life. I believe now, it is 10% a physical limit of how far that I can push my brain and body to recover and 90% my willingness to put in the effort. I am very grateful not to be completely paralyzed or in a coma. My life is hard. However, it is still worth living. I have excellent family and friends. I hope to be around a lot longer. 

It is hard work doing all of this repetitive exercise six days a week. I don't like doing it. However, I know now that I have to keep doing it for the rest of my life if I don't want to lose all of the progress that I have made. It will keep me healthier for longer. So I might as well learn to enjoy it, not dread it. I lost a lot of time due to my own lack of motivation. However, I am now motivated to try and get in the best possible shape not only for myself but for my family and friends. I do regret not realizing this sooner, but you can only change your future not your past.

I have gone through cycles my whole life of being really motivated at first but then slowly losing my motivation and stagnating. However, this time I want it to be different. I want to show my wife, my family and friends that I'm really a changed person. As I mentioned before, I am not working out because I want to. I am working out because I have to. I don't want to make all of this progress, only to get lazy and lose it all. I am motivated to keep pushing, not only for myself but for everyone around me. 

I am doubtful that I will ever get back to 100% normality. But there is a big difference between being cared for lightly and having someone (most likely Jenny Andrea) care for me intensely. I owe it to her and everyone around me (and to myself) to try and regain as much independence as possible. Better late than never. If you are reading this, thank you for your support for the past six years.

That is all for now, Tyler 

Brain Plasticity

I thought I would share my thoughts with you dear readers, on brain plasticity. For many years, I heard the now outdated advice that you had a 12-24 "recovery window" after experiencing a tbi (traumatic brain injury), which is effectively what I have.

For the past six years since all of this happened, I have made a slow recovery. However, nothing dramatic. After all this time, I had just about given up hope on having any big changes. I was resigned to the fact that I have a tbi and I was just going to have to live with my condition as is. 

I returned home to Texas on January 27th. Since that date, I have been walking with my mom (using my walker) for an hour a day, five days a week. I have started using a traditional walker in addition to my walker with forearm support. It is my goal to transition to using only a cane. However, to do that, I first need to master using a traditional walker. 

Plus, I am going to the gym with my dad, six days a week for between 1-2 hours each time. In that time I have: decreased my lap time on the elliptical machine from 7:15 to 2:17. In addition, I used to struggle with going barely half of a mile in 33 minutes. Now, I am up to 2.88 miles in 33 minutes. The elliptical machine automatically shuts off after 33 minutes of continuous use for some weird reason. 

Additionally, I have recently have been having windows of "good time" on the elliptical machine where everything works correctly between my brain talking to my body. These "good times" never last long. Then, my body starts to give up on me. My arms and legs lock up etc. It is never bad enough to end my work out but it is bad enough to be annoying and throw me off. 

The first time it happened to me, it took me a minute to understand fully what was happening. Then, I got so emotional, I started crying like a baby out of relief. I did manage to make it to the truck before I broke down. Whenever, the "good times" repeated themselves, I had a different reaction. I had the urge to laugh out loud. I managed to stifle it though. I didn't want people to think that I was going crazy! 

However, just the fact that these "good times" are happening for me at all, after six years is encouraging. Not only that, but I have managed to have these "good times" two separate times, minutes apart, before everything starts to fall apart again.

I have increased the speed of the treadmill from 1.0 to 2.0 (it increases 0.1 each time you level up). I have also increased the incline to 8.0. I started out at 1.0 incline. I am at 150 lbs on the ab machine. I have maxed out the stationary bike and on a machine where you move your arms and legs at the same time. I have also maxed out the water wheel. It is a circular wheel filled with water which you pedal with your arms to strengthen them. I am in as good of shape (or better) than I was back in high school. 

I don't tell you all of this to brag. I am telling you, to encourage anyone else who has a brain injury, not to give up hope. After 12-24 months, your body has done all of the healing that it will do alone. However, if you put in the time and effort, you can make progress, slowly but surely years or even decades later.

I don't expect that I will ever get back to the way that I was before all of this. However, if I can eventually walk with a cane and have 75%\85% of my pre tbi quality of life, then I will be over the moon. I am doing all of this effort, not only for my benefit but for my wife and daughter back home. They don't deserve to be prisoners of my health conditions when I still have the power to improve my life and be more independent. 

Before I end this, I want to give a special shout out to my parents, They are both 71. They have supported me unconditionally throughout all of this. Even if this doesn't get me back to normal life, just the fact that they both work out along with me, allows me to keep them healthier for longer.

All of this exercise is not easy However, it is certainly not hurting me. I consider myself very lucky not to be paralyzed or in a coma. My conditions are not degenerative. I am very lucky to have a loving wife, daughter, parents, brothers, in laws and extended family and friends who love and support me.

That is all for now, Tyler 

May Update

I thought that it would be a good idea to put down all of my progress in writing. I arrived here in Texas on January 27th from Spain. I started working out at the gym almost immediately. I go with my dad six days a week for more or less two hours at a time. Although, when I first started working out, I was only going for about 30 to 45 minutes.

I am now in the best shape that I have been in since I was in high school. I might be 41 years old but I can still get in a good workout. To his credit, my 71 year old dad works out right along with me. So, even if this doesn't help me (although it can't hurt) then at least I can keep him in good shape.

I have made big progress on the treadmill. I started out at 1.0 speed with 0 incline. Now, I have progressed to 2.0 speed (it increases by 0.1 each time you increase) and 8.5 incline (maximum 20).

I have reached the maximum level of resistance on the waterwheel, which you pedal with your arms to strengthen your forearms. I am also doing lunges and squats (without weight) to improve my physical condition. I am up to 150 lbs/68kg on the ab machine. I also alternate between doing the leg press, leg extension exercises and arm pull down exercises.

However, I am most proud and excited to see my progress on the elliptical machine. Starting out, it was really a struggle for me. Because of the brain damage, my brain will send a command to my body, for example, move your right leg. Then, my body will either: A) ignore the command completely B) Respond too slowly or C) Respond in the wrong way. 

So, at first I was struggling through just ten minutes on the elliptical. My knees would lock up or my arms would lock up. I struggled to coordinate my arms and legs together. However, now that we are in May, I have noticed big improvement. 

At first, I was struggling through ten minutes only. I could barely get through .25 of a mile and two laps. Now, I can go for 33 minutes and I can do nine laps and around 2.8 miles. That is not the most exciting news though. The most exciting news is that I have gotten my lap time down to 2:25 and I fee perfectly normal and able bodied for the first time in six years.

The first time it happened to me I cried like a baby because I was so relieved to feel like I was normal again. Luckily, I have now increased the amount of time in which I feel normal, from 2:25 to 3:15. I hope that it will continue to increase.

Even after 3:15, when everything starts to fall apart with my body, it is never dangerous to me but it is enough to be annoying and throw off my rhythm. Having this normal feeling, gives me hope though that my brain will eventually heal itself enough for me to walk with only a cane. Even if I never walk again totally unassisted.

In addition to going to the gym with my dad six days a week, I am also walking with my mom up at the local basketball court five days a week for an hour a day using my walker. I am trying to transition to using a cane. However, in order to do that, I need to first get off my walker with forearm support. So, I have started using a traditional walker with no forearm support. 

In addition to all of my exercise, I am doing short term memory training online via the Texas Workforce Commission for three days each week. My short term memory is terrible now due to the brain damage. Although, my long term memory seems to be unaffected. I feel like my brain training is helping. 

I use a separate brain training app, daily to help keep me sharp. 

Additionally, I practice daily with some AI apps which are meant to teach people English. However, I use them to talk and have my pronunciation graded. I am also teaching three students from Spain, online. I teach them English. Not to make a ton of money for myself but more to stay busy and improve my pronunciation. I am happy that I can do it as a benefit to myself, but also to their benefit.

Still no work for me online but I have not given up looking. Honestly, right now I am concentrating on getting in the best shape that I can because I can deal with having either a defect in my speech or limited mobility but having both at the same time is hard and the girls (and all of my family and friends) don't deserve to have to constantly care for me when I still have the power to better myself and gain more independence. 

Well, that is all for now, Tyler