NEURONS IN GRAPHITE

What happens when the thread of consciousness is suddenly cut?

This book grew out of a personal experience of survival and rehabilitation following a severe traumatic brain injury. It brings together memories, graphite drawings, readings, and reflections built up over the course of my recovery.

Between clinical terms like "ischemia" and "edema" and the sensitive stroke of graphite on paper, I guide the reader along a path of reconstruction that brings together medicine, rehabilitation, and art. Neurons in Graphite shows how drawing became, in my experience, a complementary tool for exercising concentration, coordination, and the ability to rediscover possibilities after trauma.

On July 31, 2023, a routine 94-kilometer commute turned into a defining moment: twelve days in a coma, followed by a diagnosis of severe traumatic brain injury. When I woke up in unfamiliar surroundings, my body weakened and my cognitive functions impaired, I found not only limitations but also a new starting point.

In this book, science and art come together to tell an intense story of rehabilitation. Along the way, drawing, multidisciplinary care, family support, faith, and persistence became part of my path. Every stroke of graphite became, for me, a step toward restoring autonomy, identity, and hope.

My intention is not to offer a formula for healing but to share one possible path of expression, active participation, and hope in dialogue with multidisciplinary care.