Mason Branstrator’s work

      When I became a paraplegic the first thing I told my loved ones and friends was “I’m still me”. At the time it was all I wanted anyone to know about my accident, I didn’t want people to view me differently. My family was learning about my disability at the same rate as me, so there was not much confusion of how they should help or treat me. When I came home from my rehab hospital my friends greeted me with open arms and things were great, but as much as I wanted to pretend they were normal they weren’t. My friends didn’t understand how to help or what to do, but why would they? they wanted to pretend things were normal just as much as I did.         As I had to do in many situations after the accident I took charge and lead the way. I told my friends how to help and what I needed. I found myself reflecting on the words that had left my mouth when the accident first occurred “I’m still me”. I knew now that I wasn’t and I wanted to be treated differently, I wanted help and I wanted

One year ago today I was in the midst of my stay at the icu after my life changing accident. Everything still felt like a dream, but I was making the most of it. The day following the accident I remember receiving the news that I might never walk again. I didn’t even flinch, I said “ok I’ll just be in a wheelchair then.” I wasn’t going to let that phase me.   I insisted to my parents that we should start a gofundme and that I needed to go to the best rehab hospital, mind you I didn’t even know what a rehab hospital really was, all I knew was I was going to get better. My mom took charge and with the help of some new friends we landed on Craig Hospital in Colorado.  Over the next few days I lied in agonizing pain doing interviews for the news and coming to terms with what little I knew about my new life. Even with my family, friends and favorite nurses Steph and Batman, the unknown was encroaching. At times the ICU was peaceful. Through the long dark nights faint noises of medical machi

​ If you give yourself an option in life you choose the easier route, unfortunately the easy option is often the worst option. Breaking bad habits and replacing them with good habits is not an easy feat, It takes perseverance. In order to break my bad habits, be more productive, less impulsive and healthier I decided to go on a dopamine detox.  A true dopamine detox is not possible as our brain produces dopamine regardless of our actions. Although we can limit the amount of dopamine we produce by abstaining from various activities for short to extended periods of time.  When I came across the idea of a dopamine detox I was so interested that I immediately made a list of activities to abstain from, logical for my life. This list included video entertainment, music except for classical as it can help you focus, social media, sex and junk food. I allowed myself to edit my YouTube video and watch informational videos if I needed help troubleshooting on my computer. I committed to a week. 

​ My name is mason branstrator and last year January 18, 2021 I was paralyzed from the waist down. After a year of uncertainty, grief and learning more than I could have ever imagined things are finally starting to feel somewhat normal. I have a routine, I have ambitions, I am happy.     I have decided to document my journey for myself and anyone who might benefit, I will be writing a blog once a week for the year 2022. That’s 52 blogs to be exact, starting with this one.  It was a normal day at my go to ski hill, my favorite jumps had just opened up for the season. Just as I was about to take off in a glorious fashion I thought to myself, “dang I’m going a little fast” but this was nothing new. Except this time it was. The next memory I have is waking up in the icu not being able to move my legs and feeling excruciating pain in my back. I had burst my t12 vertebrae, which sent shards of bone into my spinal cord paralyzing me from the waist down.  In this kind of situation it seems unf