Since being brain injured, I've been shocked at the lack of awareness and knowledge the general public have on this topic. However, to be fair, I didn't know much about brain injury before it happened to me.
The biggest cause of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is trauma to the skull and brain. This can occur in motor vehicle accidents, assaults and in various sports and recreational activities. According to what I've learned at the Prince George Brain Injured Group (BIG), the trauma can include objects penetrating the skull and brain, crushing of the head and open or closed wounds. Upon impact, the brain moves back and forth in the skull, which can cause tearing and bruising of the neurons and bleeding. Secondary effects are swelling and chemical changes in the neurons.
One of the myths is that if you didn't hit your head, you won't develop a concussion or brain injury. This belief is far from the truth. Some of the causes of brain injury are strokes, aneurysms, surgery, exposure to toxic substances and explosions. Other causes are lack of oxygen (heart attack, drowning, drug overdose), infections of brain coverings and tissue such as meningitis and encephalitis and tumours.
I had mentioned in a previous article that routine scans such as MRIs and CAT scans only pick up on fractures and bleeding, not swelling and damaged neurons. Swelling and damaged neurons are hugely problematic because when neurons aren't firing properly, faulty signals can cause disruption in the entire system. The brain governs every function of the body - physical, cognitive, thinking and emotional balance.
Another misunderstanding is that brain injury lowers a person's IQ (Intelligence Quotient). Assumptions are often made that because a person has difficulties speaking or can't function at their previous cognitive level that their intellect has decreased. Not true.
Brain injured survivors often beat themselves up for no longer being able to "make the grade.” I have fallen into this hole many times. In the early days of my injury, I had struggles getting words out and I was easily confused. I had someone say to me "I guess I can't have an intellectual conversation with you anymore." The comments and judgments that us survivors experience can be very hurtful and emotionally damaging.
Having an invisible disability can often feel like a curse. Medical professionals have often dismissed brain injury and have diagnosed patients with a psychiatric disorder such as depression and anxiety. Many survivors including myself have been pushed back to work by insurance companies who have little knowledge about brain injury.
My return to work plan was cancelled after three months when it became clearly evident I could not manage 10 hours of work per week. I used to put in a 60-hour work week.
I'm very fortunate to have an excellent employer and I know I'm one of the lucky few. Many survivors are not only bullied by insurance companies but also by their employers and co-workers to return to work. Pushing a brain-injured survivor back to work can be dangerous. Without proper rest, the brain will not be able to heal.
I've had many folks ask me how I can write a column for the Citizen when I have a brain injury. The truth is what would have taken me half an hour to write an article prior to injury now takes me a week to complete. I definitely can't bang out a story like I used to. I can only write for short periods of time because I develop a headache and/or become fatigued. With my horrible short-term memory, I can't remember writing some of the content. So I'm constantly second guessing myself and rewriting my copy over and over. Small price to pay for doing something I love.
Another myth I'd like to debunk is that just because us brain injured survivors look and talk "normal" doesn't mean we are faking symptoms so we don't have to work. We are not lazy, fraudulent parasites milking the system. I have made many friends at BIG who, like me, were once high-functioning, well-respected professionals. And now we can only accomplish a small fraction of what we did before.
Which life would we prefer?
