Hi! Remember me? It has been far too long
since my last post, and unfortunately (or fortunately?), that means that I have
a lot to say now. Don’t get too excited though. This is going to be a ‘junk
drawer’ of a blog; a bunch of random items all conveniently located in one spot.
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| here's a photograph in case you've forgotten me |
A caveat: I haven’t been too well lately, so I imagine there are far more spelling, formatting and grammatical errors in this post than usual (I really need to work on getting that editor). I’m sorry!
GUEST BLOG POSTS
I have been writing for the Brain Energy Support Team (‘BEST’). If you’ve missed reading my blogs (Mom!), you can read two of my posts here:
We
know self-care is important, but why don’t we practice it regularly? Writer and
blogger, Kirsten Short, explores how language impacts our perception of self-care
in a fascinating article for the BEST blog.
Meet
writer, brain injury survivor and advocate, Kirsten Short! In a special article
for BEST, she explores her superpowers in her powerful personal essay.
TEAM UP, SPEAK UP DAY on 09.12.18
I want to introduce you all to a social
media campaign called Team Up, Speak Up.
The Concussion
Legacy Foundation (CLF) launched the campaign two years ago to raise
awareness of concussions and to convince athletes that it’s their
responsibility to report to a team leader if they notice concussion symptoms in
a teammate. Why is this so important?
CLF’s co-founder, Chris Nowinski, has the
following to say:
“For
the past 10 years we have been trying to educate athletes to raise their hands
to take themselves out. The research has shown that we can teach (athletes)
signs and symptoms – so now everybody knows when you get hit in the head and
see stars, that might be a concussion. But we haven’t been able to convince
them to come out of the game…
It’s
a lot to ask an 11-year-old to recognize when they’re suffering a brain injury,
and to recognize the long-term consequences of their health and pull themselves
out … It’s also sometimes too much to ask a coach to spot every concussion on
the field.”
In other words, athletes need to act as
another set of eyes on the field, court, rink, etc and look out for one
another.
But why? (I sound like an inquisitive toddler – sorry!)
If you have been following my blog, I hope
that at the very least I have convinced you that sustaining a concussion is a
very serious injury. Prolonging a diagnosis
and/or not treating a concussion properly, what happened in my case, can lead
to longer recovery times (studies have shown this!). Plus, second impact
syndrome, when someone sustains a second concussion before their first has time
to heal, can lead to permanent disability or death.
The lesson here?
Diagnosing a concussion early, sitting the athlete out immediately and getting them the appropriate care improves the athlete’s chances of making a complete recovery and returning to play sooner.
Diagnosing a concussion early, sitting the athlete out immediately and getting them the appropriate care improves the athlete’s chances of making a complete recovery and returning to play sooner.
How
can you participate in this campaign?
It’s simple and free! Do it. Click
here to find out how.
NEW
CONCUSSION PROTOCOL
I plan on writing a more thorough post about
what to do when you or a loved one has suffered a concussion. In the interim, I
wanted to share a link to the US CDC website as they have just published new
guidelines and resources. Click
here to learn more or bookmark the website in case you ever need it.
SUICIDE
PREVENTION DAY
Today is Suicide Prevention Day. I have a lot
to say on the topic (and it’s a subject that deserves and needs to be spoken
about), but I’ll try to keep this short as this blog is already a bit lengthy.
I have three things that I need to say:
1. Suicide
is not selfish
I am ashamed to admit that I used to think suicide was
selfish. I thought it was cowardly; an act that just passed the pain onto
someone else.
I know better now.
Since my concussion in February of 2017, I
have experienced paralysing and unbearable physical pain in the form of
migraines. And it is during some of these episodes, that I have thought about
dying. I have contemplated whether death was the only way to end my suffering. I’m
fortunate though because these thoughts never stay long. I have this positive
inner voice that quickly changes the dialogue by whispering things like: ‘This
will pass,’ ‘you’ve been here before,’ ‘you are strong enough’ and ‘you’ve got
this.’
I know, now, that my ability to stay positive during
so much personal suffering is a real blessing; many cannot pull themselves out
of their darkness. In the last year and a half, I’ve also seen this darkness up
close. I’ve watched a loved one and other brain injury survivors in my support
groups battle demons that those of us without mental illness will never
understand.
I do understand one thing though and that is
that taking your own life is not a selfish act. This is based on my own
experience and the observations I’ve made of others. If you don’t agree with
me, please count your blessings that you have never been in so much physical or
emotion pain or felt so much fear, sadness, guilt and/or self-hatred that you tried
to end your life. We never say that a cancer patient is selfish when they pass,
so why do we say it when someone battling mental illness succumbs to their
disease. This comparison may seem like a stretch to you, but is it?
2. You
are not alone
If you are struggling, please know that you
are not alone and that it is always okay to ask for help. There’s no shame in
that. Remember that you have made it this far; you are a survivor; you are
stronger than you think. Please keep fighting. Tomorrow needs you. If you know someone having a difficult time, please
tell them the same.
3. Let’s
talk about this
I know there’s a chance that you disagree with
what I’ve said above. I’m okay with that and I would love to talk about it. Every 40 seconds another life is lost to suicide.
This is a problem (and I’m sure we can at least agree on that). We need to find
a better way to treat mental illness. We need to end the stigma. We need to speak
up, stand up and start a healthy conversation.
On that note, I’ll leave you with a news
report One
Daughter Has Cancer and One Has Mental Illness. Only One Is Able to Find
Treatment that I found very eye opening. I encourage you to watch it. And
then, maybe, we can talk about it.
SOCIAL MEDIA
I’ve been trying to raise awareness on
Instagram (@concussionsandlawnchairs) and Twitter (@concussedcpa). Please feel free
to follow me.
I’ve probably crammed enough things into this junk
drawer for today, so I’ll bid you all Adieu.
Xoxo
K
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