Hello everyone, I haven’t posted in a while but I want to share a positive post with you all. I had my brain injury in December 2016. I was very lucky in that I did not need surgery and it was managed conservatively. I suffered a lot of symptoms and my life changed considerably in the few months following. Before my injury I was out at least a couple of times a week and I loved socialising. I’m only 24 and a nurse, so I worked hard and I played hard. After my injury, I felt I lost a lot of confidence and didn’t feel myself for a while. I had been drifting in and out of sleep, quite unaware of everything going on around me and in a lot of pain for 2 weeks and in the next couple of months I spent a lot of time in bed and resting, meaning I missed out on a lot. Where I hit my head, my hair also started falling out in clumps which wasn’t great and affected my confidence. I was lucky in that I was able to go back to work after 3 months. This was very daunting, especially considering the nature of my job however it was not nearly as hard as I expected to get back into it. I still suffered with a few symptoms though and felt a lot less motivated and felt I had a lot less energy.
Apart from a few dizzy spells here and there, a headache now and again, some days when I feel tired, a very small bald patch and a frizzy tuft of hair, I feel I am now exactly how I was before the injury. I have joined a gym and after easing myself in I feel it really has helped me a lot. I used to run before my injury but that really hurt my head so I stopped but I feel that now I have a better routine that is both good for my mental and physical health. I feel more motivated in life in general and a lot fitter. I lost nearly 2 stone in hospital and have now put that back on and am keen to stay slim but in a healthy way this time. I definitely have my confidence back and feel completely myself again. I now look at my experience as a positive thing as it has definitely made me stronger and also made me realise how lucky I am to have so many fabulous people in my life. I know my mum and dad felt this too.
So to anyone out there, who at the moment is scared about what’s to come, I want you to see my story and have faith that you too can make a full recovery. Also to any family members/friends out there. I was really scared about what was to come and a post like this at that time in my life would have really helped me. I would also like to thank everyone for their kind and helpful comments to me on here, this really is a great place to talk. Love to all, Jen x
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jentwistle
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It’s difficult to turn something negative to a positive so well done for that as I also believe with great will power you can really achieve a lot more. I have had very similar symptoms to what you have described but I had a SAH in March 2015 with 3/4 brain operations and still recovering but I try and stay very positive, please see my video blogs that I have created to help others:
Well done Jen. Hopefully I've got your gender correct (a lady?). I say that because although things between us are similar they are not the same. My first BI came when I was youngish, 31. Don't worry about that, it's only a number. As I said, similar, I was a fireman. That was the worst 'cos I loved the job. I started to lose my hair. So what ( for me anyway). It's not too bad for a fella to lose it, just a bit nippy in this weather. Flies using it to skate on in summer. I'm deaf but that means I don't have to listen to worse nutters than myself. Last but not least, it started epilepsy. That is quite well controlled. So once you get your confidence back, keep it and take care in future. Dave x
Yes I am a lady haha. Yeah the cold winds were a bit of an issue for the bald patch! And it still matters if it affects you. I feel I have my confidence back now and I will deffo hold onto it and try not to go somersaulting down any stairs haha. I hope you continue to recover well Dave x
That’s a great story you got there and positivity is always a good thing too :).
I prefer to see my background in a positive way as well. I have been through a lot. I’ve practically been to hell and back.
Anyway, to cut it a bit short, I was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 96 (when I was 11, nearly 12). I had a shunt installed too.
After complications, I had another op in 97.
I was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 98 and had radiotherapy on this.
After even more complications I had another op in 99 and in 2000.
I was alright for a while until 2005 where I had to undergo an op on my back and some dork of a surgeon dislodged my shunt and I had to have emergency surgey on the shunt.
I had further ops in 2006, 2008 and 2 in 2010 all on the shunt.
So I have been through the mill but have not any hospital visits in a long time now and hopefully never again either.
I am now a member of a few charities now and I have met a lot of nice people. Because of my neuro problems I lost lots and lots of confidence but these charities have helped me a lot.
I look back on the past and I sometimes think, as hortible as it is to have had 2 brain tumours, I am in some ways glad that I had to go through all that. If I never had a BI then I wouldn’t be going to these charities and I wouldn’t have met the beautiful people that are in my life right now and I most certainly would not be writing this comment.
I also have more faith in nature now and I look back on my diet when I was little. I used to have a terrible junk fod diet, lots of sugar, very acidic. Then I had the neurological problems. Growing up, late teens, early 20s is when I started to come away from a lot of sugar and started to feel better in my health too. Probably 4,5 years ago was when I really started to look into what I was consuming and I try not to have a lot of sugary foods at all now. I eat a lot more fruit and veg now and I feel so much better for it too.
I know you may not believe and I would think many, many other people would not believe but I would not be surprised one iota if my terrible diet I had as a kid resulted in me having neuro probs.
You really have been to hell and back! It’s great that you see your experience in a positive light. Changing your lifestyle really can make a difference and it’s great that we can all take positives from such trying experiences! We should all be proud of ourselves. And I wouldn’t look back and beat yourself up, I had had a drink the night I fell and beat myself up for weeks but I’m young and I could never have known what was to come. I think it’s best just to look to the future, learn from our mistakes and live a better life now
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