My first flash of a headache occurred while still in “emerg” at the first hospital when they moved me from one room to another. I asked the E.R. doctor whether it was possible I had a concussion and he simply said, “It’s possible”, and that was the end of the discussion. No additional information about concussion/brain injury was provided when I was discharged. My brain injury symptoms then appeared again suddenly and with a vengeance a couple weeks after my accident. They included a brutal, seemingly never-ending, pounding headache, dizziness, nausea, and unbelievable light and noise sensitivity. Suddenly, all I could do was lie in bed in complete darkness and silence. I have since learned that it is not uncommon for symptoms to be delayed for hours, days or weeks after a head injury. When I was finally seen 3 ½ months later by a doctor in the hospital’s Head Injury Unit, she indicated her experience has been that patients with a delayed onset of symptoms typically do worse in their recovery.
My Accident
Several years ago I was in a non work-related accident, in which I was hit in the head violently by an object causing a brain injury and many facial fractures. I had facial reconstructive surgery done at a hospital in a large Canadian city and have several plates in my face. The plastic surgeon did a wonderful job and most people can’t tell I have had all this work done but I have been left with chronic pain in my face. I also continue to suffer from Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS) symptoms.
Introduction
Hi, I’m Chantal. This is not my real name; rather, it is the pseudonym I will be writing under. I was in an accident several years ago and received a “traumatic brain injury” (TBI), which is also known as an “acquired brain injury” (ABI), a “concussion”, and, if the symptoms last longer than three months, “Post Concussion Syndrome” (PCS). I will tell my story as briefly as possible because I definitely don’t want my saga to be the focus of this blog. I want to spend my time and energy providing what I feel is useful information to help others with a brain injury.