How did you acquire your brain injury?
In 2017 I had an accident where I was electrocuted. I did not find out that I had experienced a brain trauma for two months. I was experiencing headaches and my vision was blurred. When I had my eyes examined I was told that my eyes had not been damaged, I did experience trauma to my brain that was affecting my vision. This was the first time I was told that I had experienced trauma. Not anymore in the emergency room or my doctor had suggested that I may have experienced trauma.
Unlike most acquired brain injuries (ABI) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI), electrocution injury to the brain usually can not be detected by imaging. Symptoms can change and new symptoms can surface 5-10 years after the injury and can affect organs.
What are some things that have helped you throughout the recovery journey?
One of the most important things that I have experienced since my accident was realizing that I was not being heard by those that were supposed to be there to support me. Understanding this I learned that I had to be my own advocate.
If you could go back to when you first acquired your brain injury and tell yourself one thing, what would that be?
I think if I had the opportunity to go back to the time when I was first injured I would tell myself that this is your new life. Hopefully I would get to a point of accepting the injury and symptoms sooner.
What would you like people who don’t have a brain injury to know?
Managing a day with a brain injury comes with multiple symptoms. Many of the symptoms are energy draining and affect the ability to concentrate. Although we do not necessarily show it physically, we struggle.
