11/17/2024
I came across this very personal Traumatic Brain Injury post in my Facebook memories from 2019 and had to share it. Incredibly grateful to finally be symptom-free 8 years later!
It’s coming up on the three year mark of a day that changed my life pretty dramatically. Thinking back to three years ago makes me reflective and grateful, so I thought I would re-share this updated post I wrote last November.
As many of you know I sustained a serious concussion in November 2016. It was not my first, but it was the first one to really take the wind out of my sails, and it’s been a journey in rehabilitation, life management and learning ever since. I’m happy to say that three years later, I have been mostly symptom-free for 6 months now.
Living with post concussion syndrome is a challenge in so many ways, and each brain injury is unique. I’ve come across a number of people lately who are in the same boat I was in, so I am sharing a few of my coping strategies here with those folks in mind. Please feel free to share or tag anyone you think might find this helpful.
Have a “brain kit” with you all the time. Keep all these items in a little pouch inside your purse or briefcase. Mine includes:
🧠Peppermint oil - put a drop on your temples and around, down your neck and along your hairline to cope with headaches. My favourite is Peppermint Halo from Saje.
👂Earplugs - go to the drug store and buy a bunch of these so you can always have them handy for loud environments.
😎 Sunglasses and a baseball cap - key for dealing with bright fluorescent lighting like the kind in stores and sadly, in many medical centres.
🍬 Strong hard candy - peppermint or spicy ginger. It will help calm the wobbly nausea.
🤢 Tylenol and Gravol for obvious reasons
💊 Here are the Supplements that I find helpful:
Magnesium Glycinate for improved function and sleep regulation
Omegas
Vitamin D - I take 4000iu/day
Turmeric for inflammation
Other important tips:
👀 Get your vision checked. Find an optometrist who specializes in concussions. Vision therapy made a huge difference in my rehab and was the missing piece of the puzzle for me for a long time. If you are in the Ottawa area PM me for my recommendation.
🧚🏼♀️ Seek out therapies that help your symptoms. I found my osteopath to be invaluable. He did a lot of cranio-sacral work to help with drainage and ongoing whiplash symptoms. Physiotherapy, massage, reiki....whatever helps!
🏃🏾♂️ Exercise. This is tough because elevated heart rate and body temperature can trigger symptoms. Start slowly, walking is good. Once I was able to walk short distances, I used ski poles for balance and actually wore a ski helmet (it was winter). I found swimming to be particularly calming because the water took away external sensory input, and also kept my body temperature lower than other cardio. And, obviously as a Pilates teacher, I eased myself back in with the help of a fellow teacher and friend.
😴 SLEEP - your brain needs sleep to heal. You also may just require more sleep than usual with post concussion syndrome. I know I need 7-9 hours per night. Sleep deprivation sets my symptoms off big time.
🌡 Learn to steer clear of the RED ZONE
What’s the red zone? It is any environment or situation that sets your symptoms off. You know what they are...maybe it’s the grocery store, driving in a car, open spaces, bright lights or social situations.. You need to build your endurance up for these situations slowly; test the waters...and always have an escape plan. Don’t worry what people will think if you suddenly leave - you can explain later if you care to.
🙅🏻♀️ Learn to say NO. It’s really hard to miss out on the stuff you want to do but can’t do or won’t enjoy due to your brain injury. I began to feel like the serial canceler of social plans. I would start feelingly positive after a good day or two and make plans which I’d then inevitably cancel. You ultimately need to listen to your body and your brain and go with it, as un-fun as it might be.
🙏🏻 Get comfortable asking for help. It sucks to feel needy but if you can’t get housework done, make food, drive your kids, walk your dog, etc, you NEED help. This is where you learn who your real friends are.
🧠 You only have one brain. Take care of it. If you had a broken leg you wouldn’t expect to “sometimes” walk on it; you’d wait until it had healed before carefully putting a bit of weight at a time on it...then you’d move to cautious walking, then more robust movements. Treat your brain with the same care.
Best,
Danielle
