The Road to Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury (Episode 238)
Productive Flourishing Podcast
Occupational Therapy
"There are days where i felt devastated, just to be honest. The emotional it was so hard to hold at times," she said. "It is exhausting on the physical level, but on the emotional and mental level too."
In this episode, Angela joins Charlie on the show after a long hiatus to talk about her concussion rehabilitation process and what she has been going through since July when she experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Angela has been going through an intensive rehabilitation program, and it has been an exhausting experience for her. Her history with TBIs has impacted her in more than one way, and she and Charlie share how her neural deficits have inspired them both to change and adapt, as well as to ask and receive help when they need it.
Key Takeaways:
[2:16] Angela experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI) in July and has been going through concussion rehabilitation since then. It has been a journey of learning to navigate the changes Angela has experienced in her thinking and thought patterns, both for herself and Charlie.
[5:37] Team discussions have also taken on a different dynamic within PF with more neurodiversity. This has encouraged the team to become more reflective and introspective about how they share their material.
[7:28] Angela’s recent concussion is likely her eighth serious TBI. She talks a little about her experience with previous TBIs and how they have impacted her.
[13:24] It is possible to have a TBI without blacking out, or any of the other common symptoms doctors screen for. Additionally, having TBI makes you more susceptible to additional TBIs.
[17:11] Concussions and TBIs are a lot more common than people think they are. Oftentimes, changes that people, especially women, experience because of TBIs are misattributed to hormonal changes.
[20:56] Angela has been on an intensive concussion rehabilitation program working with multiple specialists. It has been an exhausting experience for her, and she explains why.
[27:30] When dealing with TBIs, it is important for the medical team to have a baseline of what the person's original level of functioning was. It makes all the difference in how they’re evaluating the person’s progress. Having someone else to advocate for you can help in this situation.
[36:02] What are some things Angela and Charlie have learned from this journey? The first thing they realized was how much Angela was in charge of care work in the home, and how that had to change after her injury.
[44:30] The second thing they learned was that Angela’s schedule had been lying to her. Charlie and Angela talk more about how they helped her get into momentum planning to schedule her time.
[49:54] Angela is still deep in the throes of her rehab, but there are already things she is grateful for.
[51:05] Something that has helped Angela in this process is “sense naps.”
[55:23] Knowing how to ask for help and how to accept it is one of the hardest things to do.
[59:58] While most of this conversation has been focused on Angela’s journey, Charlie has also experienced some catalytic changes.
[64:14] Angela invites listeners to be honest with themselves about where they are and where their capacity is. It starts from there to let the people around you know where you are, so they can engage and interact with you as you are.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done, by Charlie Gilkey
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