I was referred to the Brain Care Centre in Edmonton by my doctor. The monthly Support Group Therapy was such an essential and beneficial aspect to my recovery journey. I felt so alone and confused in the dark for so long and I never knew other people, especially in my own city, were going through what I was going through. It was so validating to have someone say, “I experience that, too!”.
In April of 2018, I was on vacation in Mexico for a girls’ surfing trip. While surfing, a wave pushed me off my board and my board whipped back and struck me on the LHS of my head underwater. To this day, I can still feel the leash pull at full force around my ankle, but I don’t remember my board hitting me in the head.
I struggled to get back onto my board, had zero energy, was disorientated, and panicking as the waves just kept coming at me. I was extremely lucky another surfer in front of the waves saw me, swam over to help me get back onto my board and helped me paddle out of the waves. I didn’t feel right, I just knew something was off and I paddled to the boat and didn’t surf again that day or that trip.
When I got back to my rental an hour later, in the elevator mirror I noticed I had a black eye forming and the LHS of my head was starting to swell. That’s the moment I knew my board hit me.
The word “concussion” or “brain injury” never crossed my mind until days later even though looking back, all the signs were there. I thought you had to be knocked out to sustain a concussion, and maybe I was for a brief moment, that I will never know but please know a concussion can happen without being knocked out.
It wasn’t until I stepped onto the plane two days later to come back home that I would step off the plane a completely different person. My personality flipped upside down, I had a headache which I didn’t know would be the start of a 2-year 24/7 headache and head pressure so strong it felt like I was living in a balloon. I was told the plane ride activated my concussion symptoms, but I had no idea they would last for as long as they did and do.
My concussion turned into Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS) which led to persistent concussion symptoms, a symptom list that was at one point, an entire page long. I am now over 3 years into my uphill battle of a recovery journey, and I share my story to create awareness to help others so they don’t have to navigate PCS in the dark like I did.
I am so thankful to have been part of the Brain Care Centre’s Concussion Program. They are so kind and understanding and I highly recommend anyone experiencing a brain injury to get referred and utilize their services. You do not have to navigate concussion recovery alone. You are not alone! You CAN recover! KEEP FIGHTING!
