Hi everyone. I found this site while looking for something else. HealthUnlocked has just about everything I need. I joined Headway because of my own issue. July 4th, 2017 (my un-independence day) my entire world changed forever. I had just gotten home from my night-shift at the county jail medical department. I was building a treasure chest toy box for my son and wanted to paint it. Yep, worst mistake of my life. Spilled the paint, slipped, fell backwards into my bathroom and the base of my skull landed on the edge of my vanity (it's only 16 inches off the ground). The result was devastating. I have not been able to return to my nursing position. I was diagnosed with coup-contracoup, occipital and frontal lobe brain damage, ripped muscles around the circumference of my neck, damage to my shoulder, executive functioning deficit, mental and physical processing deficit, personality changes, PTSD, anxiety disorder, zero immediate recall ability but my delayed is still intact, so that helps. I have to wear special lenses in my glasses because of strabismus in one eye and nystagmus in the other, I call them my Prism sentence..lol. I am extremely photophobic and noise sensitive. I feel sounds now, yep that one is creepy. Oh, occipital seizures and migraines like nobodies business.
After being denied to be seen by the fifth neurologist I decided I wasn't going to go to the doctor anymore. My short term memory sucks (pardon my french), but my long term is still intact and I decided to nurse myself back. I have gotten to the point where I am back in college (online cuz I don't handle crowds anymore, I used to be a center of attention person, now I don't ever want to leave the house) re-training so that I can get back into the workforce and stay in a field that allows me to help others.
I am studying integrative health and plan to do nothing but holistic alternatives to traditional treatment. Oh, with the help of my sister-in-law I am training my own service dog (that's what she does for a living), his name is Mr. Pants and at 5 months old he is absolutely amazing.
Thanks for letting me share my story and letting me join this community.
Written by
kjharvey
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I refuse to give up. My sister hurt her back and it took her out of work. She wouldn't do the PT, she wouldn't go for walks, all she wanted was the pain pills and she just gave up on life. She is angry and depressed all the time. I definitely have my days where my brain locks up and I lose my words or I get upset and have tremors, but I refuse to quit. There is always the choice in life to find the positivity and that's what I have done. Just passed my first two college class with a lot of screaming and throwing things, but I ended with 95% and 99%. I refuse to let my brain hold me back from being my best, for myself, and for any one out there I can help. It's my calling.
Wow can you be my friend - I can exchange genuine compassion(positive stuff none of that por poor you stuff) for a little bit of sharing your positivity and enthusiasm for life. My my you have been through the wars quite a bit, but there you are shouting at the world "I am not going to be beaten and I am still here!!!!" Bravo bravo!!!
The bottom line is - we all of us know it is tough and people who have not been in our club can empathise as much as they like, but the reality of it is, sadly until you are one of the gang (often reluctantly) you really don't know what brain injury does to your general sense of well- being and how very often it is one big fight. And for those of us who cannot manage that fight, I personally do not dismiss them one little bit - we are not all champions and for me it would be far too competetive if we all were! At the end of the day all we can do, each one of us, is the best we can. Having said that in the variety of life it is very wonderful to meet a person such as yourself with such a positive outlook. Keep going KJ. Oh and a big welcome.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Living witg a Short Term Memory/ Retaining New Information.
Feeling sorry for myself.....AND I shouldn't 
Introducing myself 
First time painting again
I really don't know anymore. 
