Hi everyone! I was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury on July 28th 2017. A little over 2 months ago I took some kids to the water park with me. The rule there is that if it is a child’s first time going down a water slide their “swimming buddy” has to go with them. As I was going down the water slide I hit my head on one of the corners. This caused me to be in a daze. I was able to get out of the water on my own and I went to get ice from the first aid station when I passed out and hit my head again on a concrete curb. I was taken to the emergency room with head trauma and spinal trauma. I was unable to move or feel my legs (spinal trauma) I didn’t know who I was who my family was or anything. (Head trauma). I spent about 2 weeks in the hospital learning how to walk and talk and function like a human being. I went home with a good friend so I had someone to help me. That was so embarrassing. After about a month I was walking again and could speak in full sentences. I still am doing speech and cognitive and physical therapy along with seeing a neurologist and a neuropsychologist. I recently started dancing again with my preproffesional ballet company and am finding it hard to balance everything amd still be able to function. I feel the need to just push through the symptoms and not listen to my body. I feel like I am hurting my head more then I know. Any suggestions???
I can guarantee that if you try and push through anything and your brain dont want to follow, you will get very frustrated…You are so new in the injury dept. rest is the only thing you should be doing till, or if you start feeling “normal” again…
Ive been dealing with this to now close to 11 years, in my case things never got back to normal…We are all different, but either way rest for that injury is most important right now! Sure hope you start feeling better soon…we all care around here!
Adilyn,
I suggest you limit your time on the computer for one year, as computer screens are hard on the brain. Your doctor or others here may have more information on this, as I am usually swamped and overwhelmed from the computer screen — old brain injury of 43 years.
Also thank you for choosing to live a better life and choosing to learn from your difficulties.
Give yourself some room to get mad about your progress and at the same time give yourself some credit and enjoy that progress. It is really bizarre how pushing ourselve hard both helps our recovery can easily tip the scale to hurting. It is hard to self-assess on a good day at the BI makes it even harder.
The fact that you are up and dancing again is freaking awesome. That brain pain means you are over-doing it. If you are a high-achiever then you gotta be super diligent about taking it easy. This recovery is unlike every other situation you have ever lived. This is a situation where you gotta be gentle and slowly learn on your progress unless of going at 100% to make it happen.
That was and is my ultimate battle. And it is only with myself haha. Seriously, this whole recovery has been the most frustrating thing that I haver ever experienced. And I am the only one who can control how I feel and react. And with a brain injury it makes feelings and reactions even more crazy. So all the trips and tricks to calm down and enjoy life helped me.
Hanging out with other survivors is a great place to vent, share ideas about what helps, and have fellowship. That changes it from impossible to possible and I love that.
You might get that much out of here too so don’t hesitate to reach out and even read old posts to pick up whatever you find helpful.
If you push through the symptoms you are going to get hurt. I can not freestyle ski no more but I still ride my motorcycles.