A Nurse's Experiences with a Traumatic Brain Injury

July 11, 2016 MY Birthday!!!!! Yaaayyy!!! I'm so grateful God blessed me to live to see my 36th birthday.  Yes, I have no problem revealing my age because I'm blessed to even be alive.  This could be a day or mourning my memory for my family and friends.  One thing this brain injury has taught me is to live life to your fullest and to NEVER take people, things, acts of kindness, or your life for granted.  Prior to my accident, I lacked the depth I have now.  I had many plans that I was adamant about completing, yet I still lacked my focus; or my purpose.  Since the accident I have to remain aware of my new self, my altered plans and letting go of what will not work.  This was a very hard concept for me to adapt into my manner of thinking.  Then to add insult to the injury, I struggle keeping it all together in a sequential manner that helps me prioritize my areas of greatest priorities.  Last year on my birthday I cannot remember...

Well, it’s my 10 th month update and boy have I been busier than normal.   I guess it’s good but it can also be really bad too.   Having injuries to multiple sections of my brain impedes my judgment a lot of the time.   For instance, I know I need to budget my time and energy wisely, so I am detailed in planning my activities.   Last weekend I was a part of a wedding; well I was one of the wedding singers.   The wedding was to start at 6 pm but the party was asked to be at the church by 5pm.   This was not really an unreasonable request being that I like being early to events to get a good seat, figure out what I’m supposed to be doing, and take the edge of anxiety off.   I arrived on time at 5pm as requested.   Next I went inside and greeted the other singers of the group, and waited and waited for the ceremony to start.   Heaven only knows what was going on behind the scenes with the bride and groom because the wedding didn’t start un...

I cannot believe it's been 9 months since my accident.  In preparing to write about my progress I kept pondering on the number 9.  What's striking to me is what this number means in terms of an ending before a beginning.  For instance, a woman is pregnant for 9 months for a full-term pregnancy.  In this time, she has to stretch, endure morning sickness, cravings, mood swings, and ultimately prepare for a new life.  I have never given birth to a child, but I feel as if I'm preparing to give birth to something great.  The past 9 months have been super challenging and I've had to accept an altered life and way of thinking to survive it.  Just when I'm tired of going back and forth to doctors and therapists wanting to throw in the towel, God sends someone to encourage me to keep pushing.  So, that's what I'm doing:  pushing.  I will push until my purpose manifests.  A woman in labor needs encouragement because the pain is g...

April 29, 2016 Today is my 8th-month post-concussion anniversary.  Each month I like to reflect on what progress I've made from the previous month and share any new information I've come across.  First, I'd like to share a scripture that has truly blessed me. You see, the mind of a person suffering from a concussion goes through many challenges.  We first have to navigate our normal world with an abnormally functioning brain.  Our brains are healing and making new pathways and sometimes they don't always match up quite right.  For instance, as I'm typing Grammarly is a huge help.  I used to be a terrific speller and now I misspell words and even type them backwards.  What the fudge?  LOL!!!   Meditating on the Word of God is a huge help for me.  I don't know what other people rely on to pull them through, but my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is everything to me.  When I ask for his help, guidance, wisdom, peace,...

I shared with you in my first blog that I didn't know much about concussions or mild traumatic brain injuries with my 10 years nursing experience.  This is because nurses and doctors focus on major injuries when learning about traumatic brain injuries in school.  I have worked in the emergency room before and if you're not bleeding, have limbs falling off, or unconscious, your injuries are not serious to the medical staff.  Yes, I'm just putting it out there.  We have a process that we follow in how we prioritize those needing care.   Concussions are the trickiest of injuries because it can take days and sometimes weeks for serious symptoms to form.  This is due to the ongoing neuronal injury or shearing of important cell pathways in the brain.  What cannot be seen on cat scans and MRIs shouldn't dictate to the treating provider if you have sustained a brain injury.  However, in my case, my symptoms were a dead give away that something was terri...

I never suffered debilitating headaches before I was in my car accident August 29, 2015.  Headaches have been a regular nuance for me ever since I was diagnosed with a concussion.  I experience them sometimes 3-4 times  a week.  I've even figured out the patterns, what triggers them, and what helps to get rid of them.  A dear friend of mine posted this migraine article with a simulated video by the Huffington Post.  I had to place this on my blog. Until I experienced a migraine, I had no idea the misery sufferers were going through.  When I get them, I feel like my whole body just wants to shut down.  I run to my cave (bedroom) where my blackout curtains shield me from any glimmer of sunlight. I cannot wait for the day I can report I am no longer experiencing such debilitating headaches.  I trust God is hearing my prayers.  I know he is fully able to do more than I could ever ask or think. Emotional Video Shows People Experiencing ...

Hello, everyone.  I'm back with a post, but this time, it's a poem.  It came to me as I reflected how our concussed brains can impact our thoughts.  I hope you enjoy this poem. "When Thoughts Betray You" Thoughts are powerful.  They are things, so I've been told. You can control them, mold them, and even reject them. They are inside of you, so they come from you. Well, this is what I thought until my thoughts betrayed me. I thought I would never sustain such a life altering injury. I thought I would never be sick this long. I thought my strong will and determination was all I needed to conquer the world. I thought people would understand why I am behaving and speaking differently. I thought I would never be so "needy" and feel so afraid. I thought I could just snap out of this fog and get on with things like people expect of me. I thought I could sustain my relationship with my boyfriend after my injury. I thought I could get...