It’s that time of year again—the season of open enrollment.
A time when we sift through health plans, weigh our options, and try to predict
the unpredictable. Sometimes it feels like you need both a college degree and a
crystal ball just to make sense of it all.
Most of us end up choosing something similar to what we’ve
always had—something familiar, something that worked before. But as I scrolled
through the endless list of plans and providers, I couldn’t help but notice how
much this process mirrors the journey of living with a brain injury.
Like open enrollment, a brain injury can feel overwhelming.
You’re suddenly faced with choices and decisions that used to be simple, now
layered with complexity and uncertainty. Each step requires extra effort—more
patience, more clarification, and more support.
From the outside, open enrollment seems easy enough. A few
clicks, a few boxes checked, and you’re done. But those who’ve gone through it
know the truth—it’s draining, confusing, and mentally taxing.
A brain injury is much the same way. From the outside, we might look fine. But
inside, we’re navigating layers of invisible work—processing, adjusting, and
striving to make sense of a world that no longer feels intuitive.
Just as employees turn to HR reps or online comparison tools
for guidance, survivors too rely on support systems—caregivers, therapists,
friends, and communities who help us piece together what once came naturally.
Healing, like enrollment, isn’t something you do alone.
And the impact? It lasts far beyond a single decision.
The health plan you choose today shapes your care, your finances, and your
peace of mind for the year ahead. In the same way, the daily choices a survivor
makes—how to rest, how to cope, who to trust, what boundaries to set—quietly
shape the course of recovery.
Neither process is one-size-fits-all.
There’s no perfect plan and no universal path to healing. What works
beautifully for one person might not work at all for another. Both require
patience, personalization, and the courage to keep trying until something fits.
So, as we enter this season of decisions, may we remember
that—whether we’re choosing a health plan or choosing hope—every step toward
understanding ourselves better is a step toward healing.