Nothing about that update feels lucky. It sounds like Liz is not currently in a state where she is able to even make decisions about her horses. That is dire. My heart breaks for her and her family/friends.
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Itâs sounds very serious and very daunting. Letâs hope there is a good recovery in store for her, even if the road is long.
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Nothing about that article seems positive which is really sad to read.
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The sad truth, using my experience with experts in TBIs, the situation is one where she will likely never return to the level at which she competed, if even to riding. BUT, any small progress towards a semblance of independence is a HUGE success and should be applauded and we should take inspiration.
What happened affects us all and should remind us this is a dangerous activity (any horse sport). We should be thankful Liz is alive and cared for and someday she will be in a position she can convey to the world her perspective and future wishes.
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Thank you for this knowledgeable, honest assessment.
It has struck me that Liz hasnât yet issued any statements or comments of her own. Others are speaking on her behalf, and thankfully so as they are sharing information with all of her supporters.
Liz will always be held in special regard by all who have known her, and who have known of her. Itâs time to give her, and her closest family and friends as well, the space to progress at her own pace, while continuing to stand strong in support of her next directions, whatever they are. You go, Liz! 
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I might be reading between the lines too much, but for the riders taking on her rides, there almost seemed a tone of sadness, not just for Liz, but I think there is always the knowledge of how precarious things are in this sport.
Iâm a long-time fan of eventing but as someone who rides dressage, I admit that participating has always been something that I know is beyond my level of bravery. The two falls discussed in Phillipâs article I admit have given me pause even as a fan. Not to make this into a âwhat are we doingâ piece, but itâs just very sobering when two such highly skilled riders whose competence is not in question and who were riding practiced mounts had such serious, and in one case, fatal falls. (I am not âbashingâ anything, btw! Just very sobering, although I have continued to watch/follow eventing closely.)
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I think itâs a safe assumption that she canât.
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These thoughts are natural and inevitable when a hero of the sport comes to such grief. We need to explain something to ourselves.
It doesnât seem right or fair that someone who has given so much of herself to this sport, who has had such a record of success, should suffer an accident of this gravity. But so many things that happen in the world arenât right or fair, in all endeavors.
Liz hasnât lost her cheering section. And she seems to be surrounded by all the love and help that she could need.
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I felt the same way 
Keep Fighting Liz. What an incredible community she has based on the article alone.
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I agree. If she was able to have a 30 second âIâm doing great thanks for caringâ video they would have done that. Thinking good thoughts for her.
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I remember Nicola Wilson did that fairly soon after her terrible fall. Prayers for Liz and the team supporting her.
When I hear that an injured person has âtransferred out of hospital to rehabâ, that is information that their healing progress was no longer continuing at a rate that merited staying in a hospital, as evaluated by the hospital. It means things are moving toward a new normal condition, whatever that is, and however long it lasts before there is a significant change (if there is one).
In the case of a patient who has a disabling injury or illness, the journey is through a series of transitions, based on the type of progress, or lack, that they are showing in a given period of time.
Hospitals for initial healing > rehab for getting stronger and learning to cope > home / nursing center / assisted living facility to live oneâs new life. Generally speaking, this is the progression. Each step signals a point of progress, or non-progress in the patientâs condition. (And ⊠insurance. Of course.)
Govât regulations, hospital & rehab center policies, and also whatever insurance is in the picture, all have a good deal to do with the decisions of the facilities, and of the patient and the family, on this journey.
Eventually there will be a transition out of rehab. That will be a signal that a sort of ânew normalâ has more or less been reached. (Also that insurance is influencing decisions). It doesnât mean that there is no further progress. It does mean that progress has slowed to the point of defining a consistent routine of daily care, going forward.
What happens then for long-term living, whether it be home, assisted living, or a nursing facility, will depend a lot on daily care needs and personal resources.
Just some things Iâm keeping in mind as information is (or is not) shared about Lizâs progress. I do wish her all the best that can be, with what she has to deal with now.
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@OverandOnward Rehab for severe TBI is different in the sense that itâs not a quick stop to pick up skills or because they plateaued. A patient with TBI is often transferred to rehab when they are stable enough that they no longer need immediate medical/surgical intervention. Rehab handles the intensive nursing care and specialized therapy to help them regain their cognition. A TBI patient heading to rehab is not a sign that normal is almost achieved; itâs often quite the opposite.
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For many injuries and health conditions, rehab is where the real progress begins. The hospital gets you stabilized so youâre not in imminent danger of a life-threatening crisis. The rehab center works day by day with physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists etc. helping you regain strength and skills you have lost. Often these patients are getting many hours of therapy per day for weeks or longer. Sometimes the patient moves home, but continues doing the PT, OT, and ST.
We had a local teen who got a TBI in football. He continued to rehab and improve for what seemed like a couple years. It was an incredibly slow road-- but he has recovered enough that he now has a meaningful lifeâworking part time, active in his church, but still dealing with some effects including seizures.
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I continue to pull for Liz and hope that whatever her recovery looks like results in a good quality of life for her. I recently had a bad fall with a concussion (at least #3 for me) and even though I am âfineâ, the side effects are very apparent. Iâm so grateful that she has access to good healthcare and that her horses are being cared for during this difficult period while she continues to heal. #keepfightingliz
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This has been my experience with a family member (not a TBI injury, however).
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Thank you for the clarificatin re TBIâs.
Sounds like a TBI transition to rehab is good news in that it is a less dangerous phase.
By ânormalâ, I was referring to ânew normalâ â that was the modifier in my post. Not the usual ânormalâ. The ânew normalâ might be very, very different from what we might think of as âstandard normalâ life abilities.
I thought Iâd ask what you intended to convey by âA TBI patient heading to rehab is not a sign that normal is almost achieved; itâs often quite the oppositeâ, in case it wasnât quite the same as what I had in mind. To understand better what is happening for a TBI in rehab. The TBI situations I have been most familiar with were nothing like Lizâs. Thanks!
Iâm not sure if anyone here remembers Dr. Kent Allenâs son who had what sounds like a similar injury to Lizâs with a similar surgery but his progression which his family and subsequently Forrest himself, blogged about (https://forreststoneallen.blogspot.com/?m=1 )? It would probably be very insightful if youâre trying to understand the incremental steps someone with a severe TBI goes through for years afterwards. The incredibly hard thing with any brain injury (stroke, traumatic, tumor, etc) is each one is unique to the individual. Liz most likely has an incredibly long road ahead of her (think year to years) but that doesnât mean the road leads to something negative. Itâs highly unlikely anyone can truly say they know what Lizâs ultimate end state will look like but whatever it looks like will take significantly more time than a few months. Everything her family and loved ones have posted is incredibly positive and I hope it stays that way. #keepfightingliz
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Recovery from a severe TBI is slow. Think years. As @Horsegirl_s_Mom said above, progress often doesnât start until the rehab phase.
Given the slow recovery, being admitted to rehab doesnât mean the patient is adapting to the ânew normal.â It just means the patient is medically stable enough to begin the therapy needed to (hopefully) recover abilities over the long term. âNormalâ is going to be ever changing over the next months and years.
Every case is different, though.
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